Optare MetroRider Series 4 T422 ADN in service with Compass Bus seen here in Worthing Town Centre. Compass Bus, or Compass Travel, is an independent Bus and coach operator based in Durrington Worthing West Sussex This is the later wide-bodied model, and was one of two demonstrators (the other being T421 ADN, also now operated by Compass).

The Optare MetroRider was a midibus sold by Optare between 1989 and 2000. Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and Importer based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. OptareSolojpg|thumb|right|An Optare Solo midibus]]A midibus is a classification of single decker buses which are identified as neither being Minibuses or full Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and Importer based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The original design was based on the MCW Metrorider for which Optare bought the rights after MCW decided to end bus production. The MCW Metrorider, launched by MCW at the 1986 Motor Show was a Midibus designed and built by Metro Cammell Weymann between 1986 and 1989 MCW Metroriderjpg|thumb|right|An MCW Metrorider]] Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW was once a major player in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe This model also replaced the less successful StarRider. The Optare StarRider was a midibus/midicoach body produced by Optare between 1987 and 1994

It was an integral bus, meaning the chassis and body were constructed as a single structure. It had many options for ordering, and was available in 3 lengths and 2 widths. In addition, the option of a protruding, more substantial destination display (blind-box), as opposed to flat on the body destination display, was offered.

In later years, the MetroRider could be ordered with a one-piece windscreen instead of a standard two-piece. Soon after, the one-piece windscreen was standard.

Amongst the most popular version was the basic model - with short length, standard door and no blind-box.

These buses are scattered among the UK, mainly in villages with independent operators like Emsworth and District and Compass Bus in Worthing, who own and operate the last MetroRider (W426 CWX) ever manufactured - in April 2000. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Compass Bus, or Compass Travel, is an independent Bus and coach operator based in Durrington Worthing West Sussex In its prime, the MetroRider was also sold abroad, in countries such as Malaysia.

Now there are a large number of MetroRiders operated by Arriva North East and are operated on long distance services such as the 723 between Durham and Darlington, the 242 between Durham and Hartlepool and the 230 between Sunderland and Hartlepool. Arriva North-East is a division of the transport group Arriva.

The successor of the MetroRider is the low-floor Optare Solo. The Optare Solo is a low floor Midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997

Electric version

Electric Optare MetroRider in Oxford.

An electric version of the MetroRider was produced in 1993. Four vehicles were placed into service on a city centre circular service in Oxford. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, They were operated initially by the Oxford Bus Company, but later passed to Stagecoach for a brief period before being withdrawn from service due to cessation of subsidy. They were later put to further use on Jersey and on Islay [1]. The Bailiwick of Jersey ( Jèrriais: Jèrri) is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. Islay (ˈaɪlə Ìle, ˈiːʎə a Scottish Island, known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" ( Banrìgh nan Eilean) is the southernmost

See also

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