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Puppets. Maybe they are just puppets whose strings are being pulled by their ‘powers that be’, doing as told and not up for bucking the system or entertaining rational thought. Not even that, I’d settle for common-sense, really. But I’ve gone with calling them muppets simply because the original Jim Henson TV show was awesome and it just, for some reason, sounds cooler. What muppets am I speaking of? Well, I’m sure they are nice, ‘normal’ people at heart, but when it comes to public transport planning it just seems they come out of the woodwork. Trains that arrive/depart at a platform merely seconds apart and not really giving commuters the chance to change trains, or even those who put vending machines in the wrong spot so you have to…
PENDING CONTRACTUAL finalisation, the AATS Group – owner of SkyBus airport transit bus services – will become one of Australia’s largest bus operators in purchasing (for an officially undisclosed amount and excluding Bustech) the Transit Australia Group (TAG), the Queensland and NSW multi-service operator. AATS Group says it has successfully entered into contractual arrangements to purchase TAG, which employs more than 1,600 people and operates more than 630 buses throughout Queensland and New South Wales. The sale is rumoured to be worth around $200 million, but this is unconfirmed. TAG’s manufacturing arm Bustech is Australia’s only advanced bus OEM (original equipment manufacturer) with chassis designed, engineered and made in-house. Internal Bustech and Skybus sources confirm exclusively to ABC magazine that Bustech is not included in the AATS-TAG deal. TAG provides…
PLANS FOR A new company to retrofit around 100 Euro 3 Berlin double-deckers with zero-emission electric running gear have been confirmed. The buses were formerly operated by the Berlin public transport company BVG and the new as-yet named company will be able to handle around 150 retrofits per year. With most of these 100 double deckers around 30 years old they are equipped with, at best, Euro 3 diesel engines. As Busworld explains, a combination of three companies want to convert all old diesel buses into electric ones, with the first zero-emission vehicles expected to be in used on Berlin streets later in 2019. Bodybuilder Tassima, control and drive technology specialist Ziehl-Abegg, and service provider IAV are the three companies intending to rebuild 25 buses this year and then up…
BERLIN TRANSPORT COMPANY BVG is now driving passengers emissions-free having received a fully electric Mercedes Benz eCitaro – the first of an order of 15, Daimler reports recently. Head of Daimler Buses, Till Oberwörder, handed over the key of the first eCitaro to Dr Sigrid Nikutta, chair of the Board of Management and member of the Board for Operations at the Berlin transport company BVG. Oberwörder said: “We are delighted that our eCitaro is now energising Berlin. With the locally emission-free eCitaro, the BVG has opened up a new chapter in the story of environmentally-friendly mobility. Of particular importance to me is the fact that we are also supporting our customer with tailored consultations and customised service packages as they gradually change over to electro-mobility.” Dr Sigrid Nikutta said: “We…
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMMISSION (NTC) has announced Dr Gillian Miles as its new chief executive officer and Commissioner. The NTC is a statutory body charged with improving the productivity, safety and environmental performance of Australia’s road, rail and intermodal transport system, it states. Dr Miles, a former Victorian government senior executive, will commenced in the role recently following an extensive recruitment process, the NTC says. NTC Chair Carolyn Walsh said the appointment of Dr Miles has come at an important time with the NTC undertaking a number of significant reforms in land transport. “Innovation, change management and a strategic mindset were front of mind for this appointment, particularly as the NTC continues to make major progress on several landmark transport reforms, including the regulation of automated vehicles and a review…
SPANISH BUS manufacturer Irizar will manufacture 10 electric zero-emissions buses for Düsseldorf, Germany, the company announced recently. The company has just signed the supply contract for 10 Irizar ie 12-metre e-buses with the operator Rheinbahn. It was one of the biggest tenders for electric buses in Germany in the past 12 months, Irizar states. The ie bus under contract is the latest generation of this model, which has been operating in several cities since 2014, and will be presented to the market at the end of this year. It includes the latest innovations in technology and design among which are a 10 per cent weight reduction and an improvement in passenger capacity for the regulations in several countries, the company says. THE FACTS The vehicle is completely silent and makes…
