For Immediate Release

For more information contact:
Steve Kratzer
Marketing and Business Development Representative
steve.kratzer@optimabus.com
316-779-7700 ext. 344

University of Kansas Initiating New Service with Five New Opus Buses

Wichita, Kan. – May 10, 2006 – The University of Kansas will take delivery of five under 35' Opus Low-floor Buses that will become the backbone of the University's new Park and Ride Service, which will begin operating in fall 2006.

"From comments received from other transit agencies, the Opus has been recommended as a good quality product that is backed up by strong customer service and responsiveness to maintenance and operations questions as they arise," said Peg Livingood, Project Manager with the Office of Design and Construction Management at the University of Kansas. "The student body, faculty and staff have had positive reactions to the Opus. We are all looking forward to having these buses arrive on campus."

The purchase of the five Opus Low-floor Buses has created a new partnership between the University of Kansas and the City of Lawrence Transit System. The buses have been acquired through a cooperative agreement with the City of Lawrence and $1 million in Federal Transit Authority capital funding provided through the Kansas Department of Transportation. The University of Kansas will operate the vehicles as a public transportation system to serve the new West Campus Park and Ride lot to begin operations in August of 2006.

"We view Optima as a reliable local resource that we would like to establish a long lasting relationship with as we look at future bus acquisition and vehicle replacement," said Cliff Galante, Public Transit Administrator for the Lawrence Transit System. "The Opus bus is wonderfully engineered and it is clearly evident upon driving the vehicle that much thought went into the design and manufacture of this vehicle. It is a pleasure to support fellow Kansans that are dedicated to providing top-quality products to serve the needs of the transit industry."

Optima Bus Corporation "transit tough" products - the revolutionary-designed Opus low-floor bus and nostalgic American Heritage Streetcar - have lived-up to their reputations with more than 180 Optima customers across the United States. For more information about Optima Bus Corporation, the Opus low-floor bus, or the American Heritage Streetcar, contact Melissa Noftsger at (316) 779-7700 or visit www.optimabus.com.