A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between 8 metres (26 ft 3 in) and 11 metres (36 ft 1 in) long. While used in many parts of the world, the midibus is perhaps most common in the United Kingdom , where operators have found them more economical , and to have a sufficient number of seats compared to full size single-decker buses.
6-567: The Optare MetroRider is a midibus that was manufactured by Optare between 1989 and 2000. Optare based the original design on the MCW Metrorider after it bought the rights from Metro Cammell Weymann after the latter decided to cease production. It was launched in November 1989, with 1,159 produced before it was succeeded by the Optare Solo in 2000. The MetroRider was an integral bus, with
12-645: A city centre circular service in Oxford . They were operated initially by the Oxford Bus Company but later briefly passed to Stagecoach Group before withdrawal owing to a cessation of subsidy. They were later used on Jersey and Islay . Two MetroRiders were produced for Stagecoach Cambus in Cambridge, powered by a dedicated CNG engine developed by Cummins . [REDACTED] Media related to Optare MetroRider at Wikimedia Commons This bus-related article
18-480: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Midibus Midibuses are often designed to be lightweight to save on diesel fuel (e.g. smaller wheels than on larger buses), making them not as durable as heavier 'full size' buses. Some midibuses, such as the Scania OmniTown , are heavier and therefore more durable. In some places such as Hong Kong, some bus routes have to be served by midibuses due to
24-399: Is indeed a gap between the minibus (12–28 seats) and the touring coach (47–50 seats). Several shuttle bus companies such as Goshen Coach and Crystal have manufactured rear-engined vehicles with 30–35 seats, but no generic term has ever been applied to them. They are usually lumped together with smaller "minibuses", and called "minibus" or "shuttle bus". The only other alternative was to import
30-464: The chassis and body constructed as a single structure. It was sold abroad in kit form , in countries such as Malaysia . Four electric MetroRiders were sold to the Oxford Bus Company in 1993 and two compressed natural gas powered versions were sold to Stagecoach Cambus in 1996. An electric version of the MetroRider was produced in 1993. The transport authority placed four vehicles into service on
36-620: The winding roads along such routes. The term "midibus" is not in common use in the United States ; such smaller and lighter-duty buses are not used for public transit there except in some very specialized instances. For example, Muni in San Francisco operates both 30-foot (9.1 m) and 40-foot (12 m) versions of the Orion VII transit bus to serve routes that include some of the steeper and curvier hills. In charter / tour roles, there
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