Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 380 i Australasian Bus & Coach

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…

MAN TRUCK AND BUS is celebrating an extremely successful year in its city bus and coach business in 2018, with the company achieving its highest ever amount of order intake with a total of 8,310 units in the last business year, Busworld reports. Sales have also been notably high; at 7,204 vehicles, this is the second-highest number of sales in company history, and the highest since the financial crisis in 2008, it states. In Europe MAN’s market share increased to 14.5 per cent, it explains. Göran Nyberg, member of the executive board for Sales and Marketing, said: “In the last few years, we have successfully developed the bus business from a former problem child into an extremely successful business area. In 2018, we increased our market share in Europe to…

AN ELECTRIC BUS’s extra weight due to their batteries requires tyres with increased load-carrying capacity, according to leading European bus tyre manufacturer Continental, which launched its new all-axle “safe electric passenger vehicle” product, recently. As the company explains, tyres for electric buses need to support a usually high overall vehicle weight due to the heavy electric battery and withstand instant torque delivery. To master these challenges, they need to combine grip, robustness and above-average load-carrying capacity, it states. Continental’s new Conti Urban HA3 315/60 R22.5 154/148J(156/150F) tyres meet this need, it claims. These all-axle tyres for the safe electric passenger service feature superb grip and a load-carrying capacity of eight tons per axle, 0.5 tonnes more than standard for this tyre size, it explains. TYRES CONSTRUCTION The Conti Urban HA3…

CHINESE BUS manufacturer BYD has announced its K12A – the world’s first 27-metre ‘pure electric’ bus – at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, recently. With a passenger capacity of 250 people, it is the longest fully electric bus in the world (seemingly previously at 24m) and can travel at a maximum speed of 70km/h, it’s claimed. Additionally, it is also the world’s first electric bus equipped with a distributed four-wheel-drive (4WD) system, which can switch between two-wheel-drive (2WD) and 4WD smoothly to meet the demands of different terrains - while also lowering the vehicle’s overall energy consumption, the company states. The BYD K12A is compatible with the global Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system – traditionally the domain of CNG or diesel buses – featuring an all-aluminium alloy body and BYD’s…

THE VICTORIAN STATE GOVERNMENT’S order of 100 Scania city bus chassis as part of the Transdev Melbourne fleet upgrade is creating up to 20 new jobs in Ballarat as it delivers a more, “reliable and comfortable fleet of buses to run across Melbourne’s public transport network,” it states. The Ballarat-built buses are part of a $16 million order by the Labor Government for 100 new Scania-chassis, Volgren and Gemilang-bodied buses that will progressively start running across Melbourne’s public transport network over the next two years. Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne recently visited Ballarat automotive manufacturer OzPress Industries, which has partnered with South East Asia’s largest bus body builder, Gemilang, to deliver 50 new buses for Victorian passengers. Recruitment for the new Ballarat-based roles, including body builders, panel beaters, aftersales…

THERE’S A LITANY of words that come to mind when most clients think about bus seating and McConnell. Comfort and support. Industry leader. Safety and quality. Honesty and integrity, it states. And that’s because after more than 60 years in business this iconic Australian company has forged its solid reputation in the transport seating game from epitomising these qualities in everything it does when it comes to conceptualising, designing and delivering world-class bus and rail seating in a tough and competitive market, it says.. “We are working out of a 15,000sqm facility under one roof, whereas we came out of Coburg working from four separate factories, so we’ve been able to streamline the operation and get a lot more productivity out of the factory,” McConnell GM James Lowe explained about…

A recurring theme is developing for bus and coach deliveries in 2019, with a figure of 109 in March consistent with the 112 and 108 deliveries recorded in February and January, respectively. The Swedes led the way last month, with Scania (36) going neck-and-neck with Volvo (34), pipping the latter by two deliveries. Mercedes-Benz followed with 12, the only other to record double figures. Volgren led the way for the body builders, but its number of 29 was 11 down on February’s tally. Bustech followed on 17, with BCI and Irizar also recording 10+ deliveries. Nine more body builders were involved in deliveries, highlighting the fierce competition in this sector. The story for air-conditioners was much the same, with Thermo King a clear standout having been recorded 47 deliveries. Hispacold…

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…

PERTH-BASED CCTV specialist DTI Group Ltd is to supply and fit approximately $10 million worth of IP cameras and digital recording equipment for the recently announced PTA 900 Volvo-Volgren bus ‘mega contract’. The Western Australia State Government awarded Volvo Bus Australia a $549 million contract to deliver 900 new buses over the next decade, with the Swedish bus manufacturer sub-contracting Malaga-based company Volgren to fit-out the new fleet of buses. In turn, DTI will supply and install its advanced CCTV recording system to Volgren for the PTA buses. DTI says it is proud of its long association with Volgren for the supply of equipment to public buses in Western Australia and welcomes the opportunity to continue this relationship. Deliveries are expected to commence in Q4 2019. THE PTA CONTRACT The…

TRANSIT SYSTEMS says it is pleased to announce that it is has completed the acquisition of Sita Buslines Pty Ltd including Sita Coaches – collectively trading as Sita Group – effective as of April 4, 2019. Nearly 170 buses and 250 employees will be welcomed into the Transit Systems portfolio, covering 19 major route services, as well as school, rail replacement and charter work in Victoria. The acquisition includes a 10-year contract with Public Transport Victoria (PTV), which was renewed in 2018, and the transition of the West Footscray depot in Melbourne. Adding more than 3.3 million passengers to the Transit Systems network, the privately owned Australian company will now be responsible for moving over 340 million passengers globally each year. Transit Systems Group CEO Clint Feuerherdt said the acquisition…

HOW DOES an operator choose a new bus for its fleet, in a time where we are spoilt with an ever-growing national and international number of players in the bus-building game? How do you make that final choice? Hmmm… Today’s test drive is the Mercedes-Benz OC 500RF two-axle coach chassis for the first time here on an Irizar i6s 12.5m 3900 Express Touring body. It comes with a pretty long list of features with some good driver inclusions and we are always fond of a bus or coach that takes care of drivers. This is Irizar coach number 11 in only 18 months for Alston Coaches and Buses in Melbourne, so Irizar is obviously ticking the boxes. Daniel Castro, general manager for Irizar Australasia, gave some insight into the great…

As Brisbane marked the 50th anniversary of the end of its tram system on April 13, 1969, the QOCS unveiled its proudest project on the same day – the two-year-long restoration of a 1969 Leyland Panther bus. The project, which cost $100,000, was made possible through public donations of $80,000 with the club funding the rest. With the trams gone after 84 years of service, Leyland Panther buses became the centrepiece of Brisbane City Council’s fleet, QOCS president Nick Wilson says. At a cost of $6.8 million, 340 Leyland Panthers buses were delivered between 1968 - 1970 and were by far the largest fleet investment in the council’s history. Bus 722 was the very last of 204 Panthers delivered by supplier Athol Hedges to the council, hitting the road on…

ITALIAN SEAT manufacturer Lazzerini has acquired Brisbane’s Styleride Seating Systems, the iconic Australian company has announced. Local seating manufacturer Styleride Seating Systems (aka ‘Styleride’) has announced its full acquisition by Italian manufacturer Lazzerini, completed on March 18, 2019. This acquisition will result in the merger of high-quality, proven Australian-based manufacturing with Lazzerini’s leading international product innovation and design, Styleride states. Lazzerini is a national and international reference point for design, innovation, development and seat production for coaches, school buses, trains, ships, cars and special vehicles like ambulances, it states. Styleride director Matthew Lukan said: “Our success would not have been possible without the support of our customers and the dedication of our staff for which we are greatly appreciative. We look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead within this…

CAMIRA NEVER underestimates the power of the journey. Those minutes spent travelling from one place to the next can be the most peaceful, exciting or unrestricted part of a person’s day – and, through its fabrics, Camira works to make sure they are as comfortable and safe as they can possibly be, it says. Using its decades of design and manufacturing experience, alongside global insight, Camira says that it makes forward-thinking textiles for bus, coach and rail interiors, ensuring that its style always has substance. DESIGN STUDIO Camira makes fabrics for seating, headrests, curtains and wall sides, bringing interiors to life with different capabilities to suit any requirement and specification. As well as its stocked ranges, Camira’s design team are experts in making custom-made fabrics. The company’s design studio of…

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…

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…

IN AN ATTEMPT to further bolster safety on South Australia’s South Eastern Freeway, the state Marshall Government has announced tough new offences and penalties will come into effect on May 1, 2019, for bus and truck drivers detected driving unsafely on the down-track. Bus drivers caught committing low-gear and speeding offences (by 10km/h or more, but less than 20km/h) could now receive a six-month licence disqualification, lose six demerit points and an ‘expiation’ fee of $1,036. Previously, only an expiation fee of $364 and $379 and three demerit points applied for the same offences, respectively. The amendments implement recommendations from a Coronial Inquest following two serious crashes in 2010 and 2014 involving out-of-control heavy vehicles that tragically resulted in loss of lives and serious injuries. “The Marshall Government is implementing…

BUS-RELATED ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour is being targeted under the Northern Territory’s Respect Your Driver campaign launched recently, the Territorian Government states. In partnership with Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes Against Drink Driving (RADD) ambassadors Shannon Rioli, Lauren O’Shea and Phillip Wills, the Northern Territory Government launched the Respect Your Driver campaign, encouraging Territorians using public transport to ‘bus better’. The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) developed the Respect Your Driver campaign in consultation with the public bus operators, to raise awareness of appropriate behaviour when traveling on public transport and interacting with bus drivers, it states. DIPL executive director of Transport Safety and Services Simon Saunders said the campaign was an important initiative to combat anti-social behaviour and for passengers to be mindful of their bus drivers. “The Respect…

TRAVELSAFE BUS HIRE PTY LTD (TravelSafe) has been awarded the contract to supply bus and shuttle transit services at Mt Buller in the Victorian Alps, as announced by the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board, recently. The contract commences from the 2019 snow season and will see TravelSafe providing car park shuttle, village shuttle, valet taxi and ‘park & ride’ services. The tender and evaluation process was very thorough with TravelSafe being awarded sole management of the services provided, the company states. “Transit services are a critical part of the visitor experience at Mt Buller and cost a significant amount to provide. We undertook a very thorough tender and evaluation process so as to attain the best possible result for visitors and stakeholders,” said Mark Bennetts, CEO…

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY roads will be safer with the roll-out of numberplate-recognition-capable cameras on both sides of the Federal Highway near the NSW border, according jointly to the ACT Government and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). ”These cameras will help to ensure drivers of heavy vehicles comply with load limit regulations and avoid deadly driver fatigue,” Minister for Roads, Chris Steel said. “In conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), these cameras will integrate with others placed at key points across the nation to help ensure safety is maintained for all road users. “The six new automatic numberplate-recognition cameras have been activated and will monitor the two lanes and emergency stopping lane in each direction on the Federal Highway. The cameras will take a photo of the front…

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL implementation of such technology in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley last August, the first of 50 new hybrid-diesel buses for Melbourne’s bus network have entered the CDC Victoria fleet this month, according to the State Government. The new Volvo-Volgren-built buses will be progressively rolled out during the next three years and will operate across bus routes in Wyndham, Oakleigh and Sunshine, Victoria. The buses will reduce fuel consumption and the impact on the environment, while improving passenger experience by delivering a quieter and smoother ride, the government states. The Labor Government’s order for 50 new hybrid buses into the CDC Victoria – a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro – bus fleet is the single biggest order of hybrid buses in Australia, it confirms. The body construction and fitout for the new…

Four years ago a rollover and subsequent investigation recommendations involving a ‘raptor’ transporter vehicle on a central Queensland mine site, which killed a grandfather of two and injured a further five, prompted changes that came into effect last year. Those recommendations included introducing the following controls: seat belt use and monitoring; design and construction of roads including berm specification [dirt and rock piled alongside the edge of a road]; road inspection schemes; adequacy of roll-over protection; vehicle stability; ensuring drivers are competent and authorised; suitability of speed limits for pit conditions; and speed monitoring - as well as a preference for all-in-one transporters in lieu of traditional ‘pod/ module’ truck bus whenever possible. Perth-based Omnibus Services had a very practical philosophy when it came to the Omnibus Hino 817 300…

There’s always something soothing about travelling back to a place you’ve been before and felt comfortable in – like sliding on an old shoe or slipper even after the dog’s had a good chew. Yet travelling to a place you’ve never been before brings all sorts of wondrous excitement and gets the senses tingling. For many this year, attending the 2019 QBIC Conference, Townsville, Queensland, would be their first foray into the home of the North Queensland Cowboys NRL rugby league club. And getting off the plane and into the airport, boy did it show. That’s no bad thing; in fact, to many locals quick to have a friendly chat with you, it’s been something that was long overdue. That 2015 nail-biting, hair-pulling NRL Grand Final where the Cowboys defeated…