For Immediate Release

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

Utah Transit Authority orders 15 under-30-ft. Opus low-floor buses; Capital Metro in Austin takes delivery of 30 under-35-ft. Opus buses

Wichita, KS – November 23, 2004 – Optima Bus Corporation announced today that with its order of 15 under-30-ft. Opus low-floor buses, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City, Utah, has joined the growing family of organizations that are infusing Opus low-floor buses into their bus fleets. Optima officials also announced that Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CMTA), Austin, Texas, will immediately begin to take delivery of 30 under 35-ft. low floor buses, the last of which, will be in place by the end of January 2005.

"Purchasing these Optima buses allows our organization to reach several goals at once," explains Dwight Ferrell, Capital Metro chief operations officer. "Adding 30 clean diesel-burning vehicles to our fleet means we will continue to preserve air quality in our Central Texas region. We expect to save on maintenance costs with the arrival of these new vehicles, and finally, we like the look of these buses. We think the style, which is different from the rest of our conventional fleet, may attract new riders to our service."

Utah Transit Authority's General Manager John Inglish says the UTA evaluation team looked at several factors before choosing the Opus. "We checked with other organizations that use the Opus and they all gave the bus high marks for performance, reliability, and rider appeal," says Inglish. "They also gave Optima Bus Corporation high marks for after-sale support." Opus' roomy interior and feeling of openness, says Inglish was also high on the list of reasons the UTA ordered 15 Opus low-floor buses."

"We were impressed," says UTA fleet engineer, Doug Woodbury, "that the folks at Optima went out of their way to accommodate our technical requirements related to our harsh winters and high altitude. They made sure our Opus buses will have extra protection against the road salt we use each winter and to ensure the Opus engine will deliver optimum performance even at Utah's high altitude."

Optima marketing and sales manager Diane Hawkins says, "We are proud of our multi-decade-long relationships with the CMTA in Austin, and the Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City. Whether a new member of the Optima family, or a long-cherished friend such as the CMTA in Austin and UTA in Salt Lake City, everyone on the Optima team will always go the extra mile to deliver superior customer service."