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Optare Prisma
First Manchester Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 at Eccles Interchange in December 2007
Overview
Manufacturer	Optare
Production	1995–1998
Assembly	Cross Gates, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Body and chassis
Doors	1
Floor type	Step entrance
Chassis	Mercedes-Benz O405
Powertrain
Capacity	49–54 seated, 23 standing
Dimensions
Length	11.6 metres (38 ft)
Width	2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in)
Height	3.1 metres (10 ft)

The Optare Prisma was a single-decker bus body that was fitted to the Mercedes-Benz O405 chassis, produced between 1995 and 1998, when it was discontinued in favour of the integral Optare Excel low-floor bus.

Design

The Optare Prisma body was constructed on the O405 chassis with an OM447H 157 kW (211 hp) engine, and was built with Alusuisse aluminium framework, retaining a Mercedes-Benz built front cowl and destination display as standard. The sides and back end of the body, however, followed the styling of other Optare products at that time, such as the Delta and Vecta. The Prisma was also designed with the ability to have equipment for use on a guided busway fitted, with a demonstrator operated by Stagecoach Busways in 1996 being fitted with an AEG electronic guidance system.

Capable of seating up to 54 passengers, to meet Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DiPTAC) accessibility recommendations, the Prisma has a 320 millimetres (13 in) step at the entrance door, capable of being reduced to 240 millimetres (9.4 in) with a kneeling front air suspension. The passenger compartment could be optioned with three further low steps towards the rear of the bus or a ramped floor towards the rear. Gasket-glazed tinted side windows were fitted as standard.

Operators

The most popular operator of Optare Primas was the GRT Group, who took delivery of a total of 35 Prismas for its main Grampian Regional Transport subsidiary between 1995 and 1997, the first ten of which were equipped with double-glazed windows and air-conditing, as well as ten for its SMT "Diamond" services in Edinburgh, and ten for the Leicester Citybus subsidiary. After the company had rebranded to FirstBus, subsidiaries First Midland Bluebird and Lowland took further deliveries of Prismas.

Another large operator was North East Bus subsidiary Tees & District, who took delivery of 25 Prismas in late 1995, followed by East Yorkshire Motor Services, who took delivery of 16 Prismas between 1996 and 1998; three delivered to the operator from stock in 1998 were the last Optare Primsas produced. Smaller operators of Prismas included Sargeants of Kingston upon Thames, the first new full-size bus delivered to the company since World War II, Black Prince Buses of Morley, the Tillingbourne Bus Company of Cranleigh, MacEwan of Dumfries, and Rhondda Buses.

References

1. ^ Millier, Noel (30 March 1995). "Merc underframed Prisma". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. p. 13. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
2. ^ Jones, Stuart (17 March 1995). "Prisma: New joint venture city bus from Optare and Mercedes Benz". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 298. Spalding. pp. 12–14. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
3. Morgan, Mike (17 June 1995). "Drive by wire". Coach & Bus Week. No. 226. Peterborough: Emap. p. 11. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
4. Williams, Mark (13 January 1996). "End of the line for FirstBus' air-con". Coach & Bus Week. No. 200. Peterborough: Emap. p. 12.
5. "SMT running 10 Prismas". Coach & Bus Week. No. 198. Peterborough: Emap. 16 December 1995. p. 23. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
6. "FirstBus order more Optare Prismas". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 379. Spalding: Glen-Holland Ltd. 11 October 1996. p. 6.
7. "First single deckers of '96". Coach & Bus Week. No. 228. Peterborough: Emap. 27 July 1996. p. 28. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
8. ^ Brown, Stewart J. (Winter 2001–2002). "EYMS Group - Traditional values". Buses Focus. No. 21. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 19. Previous big single-deckers were 16 Mercedes-Benz 0405s with Optare Prisma bodies, purchased between 1996 and 1998 and these have just been joined by a further three purchased from MacEwan of Dumfries.
9. Aldrige, John (February 1999). "Buses Profile: East Yorkshire Motor Services". Buses. No. 527. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 19–23. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
10. "First new full-size vehicles since war". Coach & Bus Week. No. 174. Peterborough: Emap. 1 July 1995. p. 8.
11. "Black Prince goes for quality". Coach & Bus Week. No. 211. Peterborough: Emap. 30 March 1996. pp. 36–37.
12. "Tillingbourne Prismas". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 434. Spalding: Glen-Holland Ltd. 7 November 1997. p. 26. Retrieved 1 May 2024.

External links

Media related to Optare Prisma at Wikimedia Commons

• Full-size buses
• Switch Mobility buses
• Single-deck buses
• Step-entrance buses
• Vehicles introduced in 1995