Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 381 i Australasian Bus & Coach

DESPITE LOCAL COUNCIL efforts seeking rate-payer support in its quest to garner state government funds to improve its bus services, Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have conceded they’re yet to achieve “any significant upgrades”. According to The MPNews and Southern Peninsula News media outlets, mayor Cr David Gill says despite seven months of lobbying the state government and working closely with bus company Ventura, there have been no improvements. “Our advocacy efforts and those of the community have not resulted in any significant upgrades to bus services on the Peninsula,” Cr Gill said, confirming that 82 per cent of the Peninsula had no public transport. “For $20 million a year we could fix the bus services on the Peninsula. It’s a public service that’s not being provided. “We have got to…

THE 50 MOST innovative companies in the China ‘energy saving’ and the ‘new energy’ automobile industry will be announced at the upcoming 2019 China International Bus Expo (CIBE), to be held in Shanghai, 11–13 December. Located at the New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) – and touted as the “leading trade fair in [the] bus and coach sector in China – the eight annual CIBE has a strong focus on showcasing industrial-leading innovations and technologies, while providing professional services towards not only domestic but international audiences, organisers claim. Starting in 2012, CIBE has had an ever growing number of exhibitors and professional visitors, an expending exhibition space and improved quality of exhibiting products, it states. Last year’s event held in November had a ‘Green Bus, Environment Friendly’ theme, attracting 256 exhibitors…

IN A THREE-MONTH EXPERIMENT to determine if foliage growing on top of a bus roof helps reduce interior temperatures for passengers and, in turn, fuel usage, 10 Singaporean city buses with ‘gardens’ on top have started doing route services, local media reports. An initiative of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), NParks, Moove Media and supported by Temasek Foundation Ecosperity, the SBS Transit-operated buses are fitted with special soil-less, mat-based, lighter-weight ‘green’ roof systems supplied by local company GWS Living Art. Officially starting at the Jurong Lake Gardens, the aim is to, “…explore the link between green roofs and the interior temperatures of the buses, how effective these mobile gardens are in cooling the insides of a moving vehicle,” according to the SGBC. “This also allows green building technology to…

LAUDED AS AN EXAMPLE of how modern public transport with minibuses works, the latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was crowned Minibus of the Year 2019 in Madrid, Spain, recently. The Sprinter City 75 won over the international specialist jury at this year’s Minibus Euro Test, with experts judging that it also offers an impressive amount of space and numerous technological highlights, says Mercedes-Benz. Journalists were particularly keen to highlight the fact the manufacturer has managed to create space for up to 38 passengers and has used the space available to them as efficiently as possible, it claims. By implementing the new high-load rear axle, the vehicle’s economic efficiency was again able to be drastically improved, it adds. TRANSPORT FLEXIBILITY “We are very happy about the ‘Minibus of the Year…

CONTINUING ITS collection of accolades, Volvo’s latest 9900 long-distance coach has received distinction for its high design quality in the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2019. The renowned jury for the Red Dot honour only awards it to products that feature an outstanding design, it’s explained. The new premium Volvo 9900 coach for tourist operation – as part of the 9000 range, which includes the equally stunning 9700 – was launched in 2018. According to Volvo: “The distinct Volvo design language has both a professional expression and operational functionality, designed to provide fuel efficiency, increased stability at higher speeds while meeting the highest level of travel experience for demanding passengers.” Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, in reference to the winners, said: “I would like…

SPANISH BUS manufacturer Irizar has continued its European CBU electric bus push with Swiss city Schaffhausen agreeing to buy 15 e-vehicles and complementary charging infrastructure, it’s reported recently. Following a contract win of 10 units for Rheinbahn in Düsseldorf, Germany, this is a unique project in Switzerland and Europe as the energy needed for the charging stations will be generated in the famous Rhine River as it passes through Schaffhausen. Irizar was awarded the supply contract in a public tender. The contract includes 15 Irizar ie ‘tram’ (bus with covered wheels) zero-emission electric vehicles (seven of which are 12m and eight are 18m long), plus 12 fast-charging stations and 16 in-depot charging stations. As described, this is a “lighthouse project” with “…the aim of electrifying public transport in the city…

The brand new event ‘Busworld Southeast Asia’ was the “place to be for all Southeast Asian bus lovers”, whom attended to check out the latest designs of buses and coaches, components and spare parts, combined with attending presentations at the conference organised by Busworld Academy. Held March 20-22, 2019, it welcomed the biggest and most popular bus and coach builders in the region: Mercedes-Benz, Volvo Buses via its importer Wahana Inti Selaras, and among others the Indonesian bodybuilders New Armada and Laksana. According to aficionados, the exhibition was splendid. The exhibitors had made a great effort to design and build their booths and the whole venue looked very attractive, Busworld states. Premiere products included the brand new Mercedes-Benz OF 917 coach, and a double decker coach with Adi Putra body…

MARCOPOLO-OWNED Volgren has begun its move into zero-emission vehicle technology, starting its first ever electric bus production onto a BYD e-bus chassis, it’s reported recently. Touted as Australia’s largest bus body builder, Volgren says its prototype will be completed by the middle of June, 2019, and will include 324kWh of batteries, enabling a range of more than 250 kilometres on a single charge. According to the company, the depleted batteries will take 4-5 hours to fully replenish with the use of a charger, a system commonly known as overnight or depot charging. Volgren Business Development manager Jon Tozer says the company has been investigating electric vehicles for more than five years and the prototype itself has been a full 12 months in the making. “We’ve known for some time that…

AUCKLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT has reached a new high with a record number of passengers leaving their cars at home in favour of public transport to get into the north New Zealand city’s centre each morning, according to Auckland Transport (AT). Auckland Transport’s group manager of Metro Services Stacey Van Der Putten says 48 per cent of people used buses, trains and ferries to get into the city between 7am and 9am in March. “This is a new high, up two per cent on February and a six per cent increase on January.” Last month, 767 fewer vehicles drove into the city in the morning, despite 4,000 more people making the trip, AT states. “It’s great that Aucklanders are getting the message that there are options other than driving. In fact,…

UNDOUBTEDLY WELL PRIMED for the rapidly increasing ride-share and on-demand bus and fleet market, Mercedes-Benz’s Concept EQV has made its first fully electric trip in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona, Spain, it’s reported. Following its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show early March, the Concept EQV hit the streets of Barcelona, showing the emissions-free, electric future for premium Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) is “just around the corner”, according to Mercedes-Benz. The vehicle is aimed equally at families, sports enthusiasts or quality shuttle services, the company states. With its progressive exterior, the Concept EQV caused a stir with passers-by in the fashion and design city, MB claims. In particular, the EQ-typical radiator grille with its continuous LED strip left a lasting impression, it adds. INNER VALUES In addition to its attractive…

It is no secret that tourism throughout Australasia is big business and the bus fraternity needs its coach services to be at a level of punctuality, cleanliness and customer service that’s second to none if it is to even go anywhere near increasing its slice of that cherry pie. Competition is stiff, with rail and road options for travellers seemingly easier for them to arrange and use at times. Just get to a station or hop into their cars and off they go… So why book a ticket on a coach or bus? Therein lies the 64-dollar question that we as an industry have to fight against day in, day out, as we do what we can to woo as many punters as possible over to our way of thinking…

Personal relationships, business dealings, or extra-terrestrial connections with unknown beings from some inter-planetary world far away… Regardless of the type of link, such a machination is only as strong as the truth that binds it and the ability of each party to speak it. Sometimes it’s just the one party, though – but as long as they feel they can say what they want and need to say, that’s no bad thing. And sometimes, of course, yes … the truth hurts. Yet it is this very characteristic that highlights the real value and strength of any deal or agreement and the ability to speak frankly is an absolute and highly coveted boon for those that can and do have it. As the voice of the bus and coach industry in…

Staying at the Crows Nest Caravan Park were the owners of 20 Clippers that have been, or are in the process of being, restored and converted into motorhomes. Saturday saw these heritage buses on display to the public, who got the chance to look, see and touch history and talk to the owners who have invested their lives in restoring these majestic vehicles. The Flxible Clippers were built by Ansett Transport Industries at its Ansair division in Essendon, Melbourne, during the ‘50s under licence to the Flxible Company of Ohio, US, and are recognised - with their sleek design, reliability and emphasis on passenger comfort - as class leaders in the long-distance coach transportation arena. Ansett Pioneer operated the Clippers on both Express and tour operations and was a leading…

NEWLY FORMED roles within the Scania Australia Bus organisation have been filled, bringing the local entity into line with Scania globally, the company has announced. Jamie Atkinson has been appointed as new the National Sales and Contracts manager for Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. New hire Ian Clarke will perform the same role at Scania Bus in New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland and the Northern Territory, with him based in Prestons, Sydney. “We now have a structure that aligns with Scania’s global organisation, with account managers reporting to the sales managers and the sales managers reporting to me,” said Julian Gurney, director of Sales for Bus and Engines. INDUSTRY BACKGROUND Clarke joins Scania after a long career working with ZF Transmissions, based in Sydney, and a period…

SELF-DRIVING buses on public roads are still a while away, but automated bus depots are already possible today and can bring plenty of business advantages, according to leading technology academics. A recent study undertaken by a team of researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, in Germany, looked into the potential benefits of self-driving vehicles in a bus depot in Stuttgart-Gaisburg. Each day, 150 local public transport buses pass through the depot, stopping at multiple stations for refuelling, cleaning (exterior and interior), maintenance and repairs, inspection and parking. The study found that the movement between most of these stations could be performed by self-driving vehicles using existing technology. The only function that could not be delegated was the interior cleaning and damage inspection, which are too complicated to be performed…

ONE OF THE MOST successfulEuropean rugby clubs has just received its new Scaniachassis, Beulas-bodied customised team coach, with the impressive results not going unnoticed, say team officials. The new Scania Glory VIP coach will not go unnoticed in Toulouse, whose city team is the current 2019 table leader of the European rugby calendar. Said to feature an unparalleled aesthetic with its black and red body painted in the colours of Stade Toulousain, the coach was customised and ordered from Scania and Beulas by Transports Faur – a specialist in passenger transport in Toulouse – and official carrier of Stade Toulousain rugby club. “We wanted a personalised vehicle,” said manager of Transports Faur, Lilian Faur. “This new vehicle offers the very best to the Stade Toulousain team: an exceptional coach that…

A family-business of 25 years, Marshall’s Bus and Coach has actively been preparing its next generation for responsibility. Established by Ken and Helen Marshall in 1976 with school bus runs in the Lake Cargelligo area of NSW, the company is now operated by their sons Peter and Wayne, along with their wives Laurel and Julie. Peter’s daughter Melissa has been the company’s group and tour director for three years after spending seven years working elsewhere upon leaving school. The 27-year-old has put her own stamp on the business, looking after the Franksbook Educational Tours Services, writing and developing her own itineraries, choosing accommodation and organising bookings for schools all over Australia. With the help of quality vehicles, the Marshalls continue to provide an excellent service that is set for the…

Driver Bus Lines in Mount Waverley, Victoria, is one of the few surviving foundation family run companies in our industry. The business was founded by the Driver brothers Eric and Reg in March 1931. Today they have a huge 145-strong fleet and the enviable Driver Classics historic fleet. The impact that family owned bus operators, such as Driver Bus Lines, have had on our industry is immense. The pioneering days’ hard work and determination combined with family values set our industry as we know it into one where our history is certainly celebrated and definitely respected. Gary Driver, director of Driver Bus Lines, was the driving force behind the Classic Fleet. “Never in my wildest dreams would I think [we] would have an old bus of any sort. I have…

ustralian bus and coach deliveries continue A along a solid road this year, with a figure of 108 almost identical to March – and maintaining an average number of 109 in 2019. The Swedes continued to lead the chassis market, but Scania’s (24) and Volvo’s (22) tallies were both down 12 each on last month, highlighting a closeness in the market for the month. Mercedes-Benz was third on 14, as seven more manufacturers followed on 10 or less. Similarly for the body builders, Volgren led on 30, but was not as clear a standout as in previous months. BCI, Bustech and Irizar couldn’t be separated, all recorded 13 deliveries each. Again, seven more builders also had 10 or less this month. ‘The Swedes continued to lead the chassis market.’ For…