£1.9m contract win for bus manufacturer Optare

The Lancashire firm, which has two sites in Leeds, won the deal with Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.

The five-year contract covers the Optare hybrid buses that will start entering service later this year.

The authority's hybrid fleet, which will be one of the largest in the country, will be made up of Optare Solo, Solo SR, Versa and Tempo models.

Glenn Saint, Optare's commercial director said: "Our success in winning this important contract is a measure of the level we have reached in our understanding and experience of hybrid technology and of fully integrated electrical systems."