Diamond/Redditch's New Toy
Recently purchased from Heritage Coaches (theSussexBus.com) is this rather smart looking Volvo. It is one of three examples of the vehicle type that SussexBus owned, but it is the only one I currently understand that the Rotala PLC have purchased from them.
Diamond's PO58 KPU (30494) is seen parked outside Redditch's Church Road (engineering) depot. It had arrived at Redditch the previous day. All it needs now before it can enter service is a side destination display, which will make it DDA Compliant. This is now the second example of this vehicle type within the Rotala fleet, the other being sister vehicle PO58KPY (30408), which is currently in use at Tividale depot. PO58KPU (305) was new in October 2008 as one of six of the vehicle type ever made. The others being KPV (306), KPX (307), KPY (308), KPZ (309) and KRD (310). All six were new to Kent County Council, Aylesford (Kent Top Travel), where they were used on Canterbury Park & Ride services. When they were sold, PO58KPU, PO58KPV, PO58KPX and PO58KRD were all sold to The Sussex Bus, where they gained their standard red livery. PO58KPY was sold to the Rotala PLC, for their Diamond operation, while PO58KPZ was sold for scrap. I currently don't know what will happen to the three other former Sussex ones, and I hope that KPY will move to Redditch to operate alongside KPU because it wouldn't make sense to have two odd vehicle examples not operating out of the same depot. They are Volvo B7RLE/East Lancs (Optare) Esteem's.
Diamond/Redditch's New Toy
Recently purchased from Heritage Coaches (theSussexBus.com) is this rather smart looking Volvo. It is one of three examples of the vehicle type that SussexBus owned, but it is the only one I currently understand that the Rotala PLC have purchased from them.
Diamond's PO58 KPU (30494) is seen parked outside Redditch's Church Road (engineering) depot. It had arrived at Redditch the previous day. All it needs now before it can enter service is a side destination display, which will make it DDA Compliant. This is now the second example of this vehicle type within the Rotala fleet, the other being sister vehicle PO58KPY (30408), which is currently in use at Tividale depot. PO58KPU (305) was new in October 2008 as one of six of the vehicle type ever made. The others being KPV (306), KPX (307), KPY (308), KPZ (309) and KRD (310). All six were new to Kent County Council, Aylesford (Kent Top Travel), where they were used on Canterbury Park & Ride services. When they were sold, PO58KPU, PO58KPV, PO58KPX and PO58KRD were all sold to The Sussex Bus, where they gained their standard red livery. PO58KPY was sold to the Rotala PLC, for their Diamond operation, while PO58KPZ was sold for scrap. I currently don't know what will happen to the three other former Sussex ones, and I hope that KPY will move to Redditch to operate alongside KPU because it wouldn't make sense to have two odd vehicle examples not operating out of the same depot. They are Volvo B7RLE/East Lancs (Optare) Esteem's.