(15 Mar 2016, 8:29 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I agree, But sorry to be a pain and bring this up again, But how long do the 09 Euro 4 Versas have left in service work? In a ideal world id put them as red spares because some are appalling.
I also think Simplicity 2/2A could be a contender for New Vehicles in a few years time.
Versas don't seem to age well in my opinion.
Isn't it about 15 years for a single decker? Even on the Solo expected useful lifespan of 12 years, an 09 reg vehicle is still not even mid life, yet.
I do find the contrast between solos and versas quite baffling. Arriva's 08 reg solos at Belmont are externally scruffy, but really quite zippy little things and a nice ride on some of the more demanding rural routes (eg the 56). Versas seem to suffer from being a solo stretched out and spread too thin. Mechanically, are they any different from the solos, or do they have the same engine, transmission etc to pull the heavier bodywork around?