Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 383 i Australasian Bus & Coach

STATE Government has announced a $19.6 million funding agreement – over 10 years – to connect the Greater Flagstone Priority Development Area (PDA) with the wider South-East Queensland (SEQ) bus network, it confirms recently. Greater Flagstone residents will soon have access to their first bus service – operated by Translink – set to begin late November, which will support future growth within the PDA, the Government says. Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning The Hon. Cameron Dick said: “The Palaszczuk Government is committed to providing reliable and convenient public transport in Queensland’s fastest population-growth corridor. “The services will run between the Greater Flagstone PDA and Grand Plaza Shopping Centre, Browns Plains, giving locals more transport options when it comes to work and community services. “Greater Flagstone residents will…

AUSTRALIAN BUS manufacturers Bustech and Precision Buses have formalised their alliance with a national joint venture (JV), focusing on both capacity increase and technical collaboration. This official JV means the companies are combining capabilities to address opportunities emerging from market-driven changes to driveline technology, they explain. The organisations first formed their alliance late 2015 to bring to market Australia’s first designed, engineered and manufactured electric bus along with the first low-carbon Euro 6 ‘Integrated Bus Architecture’, the XDI. Initially focused on the South Australian market, the alliance has since matured into a focus on national volume with the combined production capacity of Bustech’s Burleigh Heads, Qld, facility and Precision Buses’ Edinburgh Parks, SA, facility in excess of 300 buses. Luke Gray, director of Bustech, says the formalisation of the joint…

TRAVELLERS from across the world seeking to enjoy the Victorian snow season will now benefit from the Dyson Group’s newly enhanced Alps Link, the company announced recently. Aimed to give “…the public easier access to the snow this winter”, snow-goers will have easier access to the Mt Hotham Resort with the Dyson Group introducing a fully integrated booking system into the Alps Link service, according to Dyson. Alps Link is a bus service running from Bright to Omeo via Hotham, one of the most popular snow resorts in Victoria, it states. Jamie Dyson, regional services manager of the Dyson Group, believes the introduction of an online booking system will make it much easier for travellers all over the globe to utilise the service. “We had a pretty clunky booking method…

NEARLY SIX MONTHS after the TransMilenio BRT bus network – in the Columbian capital city Bogotá – announced ordering more than 1,400 gas and diesel articulated buses from Volvo and Scania, it’s now announced a tender to add 594 electric city buses to its fleet by 2020. According to The City Paper Bogota (www.thecitypaperbogota.com) and other local media, the major announcement from Bogotá’s mayor Enrique Peñalosa confirmed the bidding process for the purchase of 594 electric buses to be incorporated into the TransMilenio fleet by next year. The bid to upgrade the TransMilenio into an environmentally friendly mass transit system has been in motion since 2018 and consists of two phases. First will be the initial 594 electric city buses and the second involves, “…other low emission technologies to complete…

A MAJOR contract for 250 Iveco buses to the West African nation of Ivory Coast continues the company’s success there, the company reports recently. After a first significant order in January 2018 for 400 Crossway Low Entry and 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) Crealis buses, the government of the Ivory Coast and the Abidjan Transport Company SOTRA have ordered another 200 Crossway LE and 50 Crealis ‘Natural Power’ 18-metre buses. The 200 Crossway LE and the 50 Crealis NP 18-metre buses will contribute to expand the public transport network in the capital Abidjan, Iveco says. They will complete the 400 Crossway LE and the 50 Crealis NP already in operation, it explains. INTERNATIONAL APPEAL Designed for mass traffic routes, the 50 Crealis 18-metre buses will be operated in the entire…

This e-bus retrofit solution made its international debut at the massive public transport event UTIP in Sweden recently, explaining how conventional diesel buses can be turned into eco-friendly electric vehicles and make an active contribution to reducing emissions in cities, the company states. The e-troFit idea has won several awards, including the German Mobility Prize, which is awarded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Andreas Hager, head of the New Mobility Solutions business unit at in-tech, explained: “High emission levels in city centres are forcing local authorities to take action. Many operators are therefore looking to get started with electric mobility. “However, replacing existing bus fleets completely with new electric vehicles is neither economical nor sustainable – a new electric bus is considerably more expensive than…

While many start thinking about retirement at the age of 60, Clive Sandison had thrown himself into the deep end taking over a bus company. Fast forward 11 years, Sandison, 72, has grown the business into a popular coach and tour operation from one bus to a fleet of four, domestically and abroad. Based in Gympie, Roundabout Tours does day and extended tours, including charter and school runs. It also offers international tours to people over the age of 50. Sandison had spent 20 years driving for Polleys Coaches before the business opportunity came up. “I was a tour driver and a fill-in school bus driver for Polleys Coaches in Gympie when the previous owner was retiring,” Sandison said. “He said to me there was a company on the other…

MULTI-AWARD-WINNING Wales Bus Repairs – a seminal institution within the Australian bus and truck and collision-repair industries – has been purchased by the massive AMA Group as part of its publically announced expansion plans, with the transition official as of June 28, 2019, sources confirm. Publically listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and with solid asset-acquisition growth over the past few years of key automotive smash repair and accessory companies, the AMA Group now has an enterprise value of around AUD$824.78M, sources cite. When ABC magazine contacted Wales Bus Repairs to confirm industry rumours about the change, CEO Darren Wales said: “Nothing changes from our perspective. It’s just an opportunity to join with the AMA Group – a publically listed company,” he said, allaying any concerns about contracts in…

TRANSIT SYSTEMS’ will power ahead with transport innovation, delivering four brand new BYD electric buses as part of a trial within Transport for NSW’s Region 6 network, the company confirms. Transit Systems CEO Clint Feuerherdt commended Transport for NSW on its vision to explore, create and deliver a more sustainable transport network. “We are proud to work alongside Transport for NSW to achieve the vision to deliver a more sustainable public transport solution and look forward to welcoming our first customers on-board for a quieter and greener commute.” Feuerherdt added that as a leading global transport company, Transit Systems is committed to exploring a range of new technologies. “Public transport works best as a dynamic network – connecting people from A to B via the most convenient method for them.…

WORSE ON-TIME RUNNING results from Transit Systems Region 6 Inner West Sydney bus services are to be addressed in the “next targeted phase of improvement”, the operator reports. The response comes after recent data released from Transport for NSW showed a decline in bus punctuality since Transit Systems won the Region 6 contract in July last year. As reported in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, “The Berejiklian government repeatedly cited poor performance of buses run by the State Transit Authority (STA) in ‘region six’ in the inner west as justification for privatising services there. But data from NSW’s transport agency shows the private operator, Transit Systems, has failed to beat the key performance measure of 95 per cent of buses running on time every month since it took over the…

Launching its new snow tour, managing director of kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus Jonathon Gregory says the new service will feature a new bus developed specifically for the Pinnacle Road route through detailed consultation with Bus & Coach International (BCI), using its extensive experience building buses for Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe. “The new kunyani/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus is a state-of-the-art vehicle which can seat 27 passengers, is only 8.8m long and narrower than a full-size bus,” Gregory said. “It’s got big windows that offer a fantastic viewing experience and comfy McConnell seat-belted seats. The bus climbs Pinnacle Road with ease, ensuring passengers enjoy a quiet, smooth and relaxing journey. “It also features AdBlue emission reducing technology,” Gregory explained. “The bus has roll-on, roll-off wheelchair access so we will…

Certain things men will be happy to discuss or even boast about. Why their sports team won, who has the faster car, the larger boat, the better house, and even the bigger … well, you can fill in the blanks here. Yet when it comes to cancer, things can be a little different. There may be no real proof of this – call it more of a hunch – but for many, many years men of all ages, races, shapes and sizes had a better chance of openly discussing smoking and sunburn and what Michael Douglas had said he’d been up to when it came to the topic of how they could get cancer. Even the ones who had those types probably felt more at ease talking to mates and…

The Australian Prostate Centre (APC) connects and partners with world-class research programmes and education institutions, which in turn inform APC’s clinical practice, it states. The APC has treated more than 15,000 men since 2014, providing not only best practice diagnosis and clinical treatment, but complete support with services like exercise physiology, pre and post-surgery rehabilitation, psychology, specialised nursing – whatever it takes to help men get back on their feet sooner, it adds. Located in North Melbourne, it is the only men’s clinic in Australia offering 360 degrees of prostate cancer care under the one roof. The APC is recognised and respected by medical and education institutions around the world and yet APC is a not-for-profit facility and remains committed to helping every man, regardless of their insurance status, it…

For decades, bus driver training courses have been delivered in a small division of the driver training sector and, as a result, have suffered from lack of progression. Now, however, Intertrain is revolutionising the bus driver training industry with the unveiling of its very own, fully approved, online bus driver authority training and courses. The learning platform is simple, convenient and online. The process from enrolment to completion is easy to follow and clear – bringing bus driver authority courses into the 21st century. Intertrain’s online bus driver authority course is suitable for both companies and individuals, bus operators, employment agencies and driving schools - all of which are now making the choice to use Intertrain’s learning platform as their training solution. “Intertrain is completely online, which means that the…

The seasonal high, an EOFY rush of sorts, has seen bus and coach deliveries rise to 151 in June, which is 39 more than the previous best in 2019. The tally also easily surpasses last year’s best of 120, recorded in the same month. Encouragingly for some, not all the excess went to the top end of town. For the manufacturers, while Volvo and Scania posted their best figures of the year with 46 and 44, respectively, the likes of BCI (16) and Hino (10) too hit year’s best figures, whereas Yutong also returned to double-figure deliveries. For the body builders, Volgren was on top but not the busiest it has been this year, with some of the other recorded highs involving Custom Bus Group (18), Bustech (17) and BCI…

The Australian bus industry now has another fully locally owned and operated body builder, after Gemilang Australia shareholders bought out the 50 per cent shareholding held by Gemilang Asia Pacific Ltd, it’s reported recently. As of June 27, 2019, with Gemilang Australia Pty Ltd now 100 per cent Australian owned and operated, it has also entered into a, “…long-term distribution agreement with Gemilang Coachwork Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) for the supply of the Eco Range aluminium bus bodies to Australia and New Zealand”. According to the company, for the most part these changes will not affect its customers and suppliers, and there will be no significant changes to the way it does business with them, it states. The change in shareholding is, however, an important step forward for Gemilang Australia in…

ALMOST THREE months after CDC Victoria announced it would be implementing 50 new Volvo-chassis, Volgren-bodied hybrid buses into its fleet, the company held an official function to commemorate the move, recently. Located at its Wyndham depot in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, the first 30 of the 50 – the single largest order of hybrid buses in Australia to date – were on show in front of industry and political dignitaries, before people were welcomed on board four and taken for a quick spin to experience the new, ‘cleaner and quieter’ technology. In attendance were guest of honour the Victorian Minister for Public Transport and State member for Williamstown, The Hon. Melissa Horne; local member for Tarneit, Ms Sarah Connolly; and Councillor Walter Villagonzalo from the Wyndham City Council.…

QUEENSLAND’S Kangaroo Bus Lines (KBL) is celebrating seven years of shuttle services to the Birdsville racetrack, raising more than $150,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in the past by doing so, the company reports. Two-time Sunshine Coast Business Award winner KBL is for its seventh year providing a continuous shuttle service between the outback township of Birdsville and the local racetrack, in support of the often life-saving Royal Flying Doctors Service. According to the company it has raised in excess of $150,000 towards the charity in the six years prior and looks forward to building more funds this year with its ‘gold coin donation services’ running September 4–9. Darren Webster, CEO of KBL, says he’s thrilled with the response. “The Flying Doctors Service provides 24-hour emergency aeromedical services and…

Concluding earlier than the nominated six months, results from a government-sanctioned trial of a Yutong E12 electric bus on the NSW South Coast left experts “extremely impressed”, according to a final report delivered to Transport for NSW, recently. Having entered service on February 4 and concluding its widely publicised trial with Nowra-based Premier Transport Group – on behalf of TfNSW as part of its commitment to a minimum 10 per cent of new government fleet vehicles being electric or hybrid from 2020/21 – the E12 e-bus left trial organisers “extremely impressed with the Yutong electric bus and charging system”. Speaking exclusively to ABC magazine after the trial, the Compliance, Workplace Safety and Contract manager for the Premier Transport Group, Greg Abel, said: “It was amazing how well a system emerged…

NSW SOUTH COAST operator Sapphire Coast Buslines (SCB) is to start two on-demand bus trials for the Bega and the Merimbula-Tura Beach-Pambula areas, the company has announced. In partnership with Transport for NSW, Sapphire Coast Buslines launched both services on July 6, 2019, offering “…additional convenient and personalised public transport options”. According to the company, the new services are a continuation of the NSW Government trial of on-demand public transport as a more flexible approach to delivering services when and where people need them, and to improve connectivity to the existing public transport network in NSW. Known as the Flexibus On Demand service, it will operate Monday to Friday from 9:30am–2:45pm and on Saturday 9:30am–3:35pm. The service allows passengers to book a trip within the designated on-demand zone to make…

THE NEW NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, The Hon. Paul Toole MP (pictured above), announced a review of the Government’s rural and regional bus seat-belt program at the BusNSW annual Conference, held in the Blue Mountains, recently. A joint industry and government task force will be set up to undertake a review of the current program, which involves a large seat-belt retrofit project in addition to the inclusion of seat-belts on all new buses. In July, 2013, the NSW Government announced that seatbelts would be mandatory, and standing would be phased out, on school buses operated in rural and regional areas within 10 years. In June 2017, a second announcement expanded the scope to all buses operating under rural and regional contracts in NSW through a combination of…

THE FIRST 18 buses – part of a $16 million order for 100 units touted as “the single biggest order of replacement buses in Victoria for more than 25 years” – are now transporting Melbourne commuters, the Victorian State Government confirms. Said to be providing a more reliable, comfortable and safer experience for passengers travelling on metropolitan routes, the 15 Volgren-bodied and three Gemilang-bodied city buses on Scania chassis are initially operating out of Transdev’s North Fitzroy depot on routes around the inner north and eastern suburbs, including Carlton, Kew, Port Melbourne and Altona North. Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne visited Volgren’s factory in Dandenong recently where 50 of the overall order are being made, providing “further job security for the workforce” – to inspect some of the new…

As reported in our sister magazine ATN (www.fullyloaded.com.au) recently, ZF sees this as part of its ‘Next Generation Mobility’ strategy aimed at commercial vehicle, connectivity, automation and electric propulsion – a logic Wabco endorses. “Joining forces with highly respected ZF will create a leading global technology company well positioned to capitalise on future demand for autonomous, efficient and connected commercial vehicles,” Wabco chairman and CEO Jacques Esculier said. Esculier adds that the logic of innovation presently demands increasingly more resources. “It has become increasingly apparent that our industry will face a new level of strategic complexity and will attract new competition, including new entrants from outside the sector, able to bring unprecedented resources to the table,” he said. “This demands Wabco make critical choices in the role it will play…