UK vehicle statistics / Optare
How many Optare Metrodecker buses are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 107 licensed and 6 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Optare Metrodecker generic-model group.
Looking at a Metrodecker?
Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Wondering whether one particular Metrodecker is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the Metrodecker disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 115 in 2022 Q1 and stand at 107 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. That is up 30% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 6 are declared SORN — 1 in 19 of the 113 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.
Recent quarterly trend
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 107 | 6 |
| 2025 Q4 | 108 | 5 |
| 2025 Q3 | 108 | 5 |
| 2025 Q2 | 110 | 3 |
| 2025 Q1 | 109 | 4 |
| 2024 Q4 | 109 | 3 |
| 2024 Q3 | 110 | 3 |
| 2024 Q2 | 111 | 2 |
| 2024 Q1 | 111 | 2 |
| 2023 Q4 | 110 | 3 |
| 2023 Q3 | 110 | 3 |
| 2023 Q2 | 109 | 4 |
Other Optare models
See how many of every Optare model are left
Source and limitations
Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.
Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.