For Immediate Release

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

Optima Bus Corporation Receives Purchase Orders for a Total of 13 Opus Low-Floor Buses

Wichita, KS – October 8, 2003 – Today Optima Bus Corporation announced that they have recently received a number of orders nationwide for their Opus Low-Floor Bus. According to Optima CEO Michael Monteferrante, the company has received orders from Ben Franklin Transit in Richland, WA; the City of Galveston, TX; and the Town of Breckenridge, CO for a total of 13 Opus.

The Opus, available in an under 30-ft. model and an under 35-ft. model is manufactured at Optima's 124,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility in Wichita, Kansas and utilizes the Wright Aluminique™ modular bolted aluminum system, which combines structural strength with low overall weight. Anchored by a heavy duty chassis fabricated on-site at Optima and powered by a fuel-efficient, low-emission Cummins ISB02 engine and an Allison transmission, the Opus is both powerful and dependable.

The City of Galveston, a major tourist destination located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, currently runs five 30-ft. Opus and recently ordered three 35-ft. models to replace some older flexible buses that are in need of being retired. "We have found that the shorter buses are friendlier to local neighborhoods, highly maneuverable, and create less pollution than their larger counterparts," said Director of Transportation for the City of Galveston Wayne Cook. According to Cook, since the city put the original five Opus into operation in May 2002, they have seen a steady increase in ridership. The three new Opus will be primarily used to increase the capacity of the city's fixed routes but will also be used to transport cruise ship visitors to points of interest around Galveston.

Barbara Hays, Operations Manager for Ben Franklin Transit in Richland, WA, says that the six 30-ft. Opus they ordered will be used mainly as a shopper shuttle around the Columbia Center Blvd., a heavily traveled area that consists of a shopping mall, medical district, and a number of other local establishments. "The plan is to use the Opus as a showcase bus for the district," said Hays, "we love the look and the feel of the Opus and believe that it will be a fun and practical way for patrons to travel around the surrounding area."

The Town of Breckenridge, a resort town that is home to the world-class major destination ski resort of Breckenridge, currently runs three Opus and three American Heritage Streetcars from Optima. With the town transporting more than 450,000 guests and the resort logging in the most skier visits of all North American resorts in the past year, the number of area riders is growing and so is their fleet of Opus buses. "In a high-altitude mountainous environment like you will find in Breckenridge, performance and clean emission standards are extremely important," said Director of Transportation Jim Benkelman, "a tight turning radius that allows for effortless navigation around town along with the lowest emission standards in the industry made the Opus an easy decision."