Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 389 i Australasian Bus & Coach

COMFORTDELGRO Corporation Australia (CDC) has established a fund of $250,000 to assist employees and members of “our community” affected by the Australian bush fires, the company has announced. Called the CDC We Care Fund, in line with the company’s ethos of linking people, places and communities, the funding will be disbursed to communities across Australia affected by the bushfires to assist in firefighting efforts and support families with immediate housing and living needs, it states. In addition, CDC employees who have had to evacuate and/or lose their homes as a result of the fires are eligible for individual grants to assist them to meet their short-term financial needs, it explains. The Fund is being administered by ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), which operates commuter, school and coach bus services and non-emergency…

Custom Bus started in 1955 under the name Cycle Components Manufacturing Company and that’s where its logo with the three Cs first came from. Over the years there have been changes in ownership and leadership, but in a little over a year since Scott Dunn and the Dunn Group took ownership of the company after it went into administration, Custom Bus certainly looks like it has a bright manufacturing future opening up. Today’s test drive and story behind the new Endeavour bus body is a lot more to many people than just another new bus on the market. The path leading to this point means the Australian bus manufacturing industry retains a long-serving player and Western Sydney will certainly reap the huge benefits of having this expanding business in its…

MAKE: Custom MODEL: Endeavour (body) on Mercedes-Benz OC 500LE ENGINE: MB 7.7-litre OM 936LA (Euro 6); water-cooled, in-line, four-valve, turbocharged and intercooled horizontal six-cylinder incorporating SCR and EGR; Power - 220kW (299hp)@2,200rpm; Torque - 1,200Nm@1,200rpm TRANSMISSION: ZF-Eco Life six-speed automatic GVM: 19,600kg SAFETY SYSTEMS: Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); Traction Control System (ASR); Electronic Braking System with Brake Assist (EBS/BAS); Electronic Stability Program (ESP); engine-bay fire detection system WHEELS & TYRES: Ten-hole 8.25 x 22.5-inch alloys; Tyres - 295/80R x 22.5-inch FUEL TANK: Capacity - 280 litres (approx.);Adblue 45 litres BODY FEATURES: Low-floor; wheelchair access; space for 60 passengers (46 seated); LED daytime running lights; LED exterior lights…

It would have been a big ask for many Australians and Kiwis to make it last October to the massive bus and coach extravaganza that is Busworld Europe, given it’s around the peak of our own show season with things like the BusVic 2019 Conference and Expo giving us a healthy bus fix – but by all accounts a solid Southern Hemisphere contingent from Down Under made the trek to Belgium to partake in the world bus fest. Held every second year, but supported by a satellite system of franchised shows around the world in between, the Busworld Europe juggernaut was in full swing for the 2019 event, which had for the first time moved to larger premises in Brussels. Touted as “the biggest bus and coach only exhibition in…

CITING the largest major accounts and contracts team in the local bus industry, Volvo Bus Australia is celebrating 10 years as ‘market leader’ in 2020, the company reports. With the significant milestone marked, Volvo Bus Australia says its dedicated team looks forward to, “another year of continuous improvement, innovation and growth alongside their partners”. Surpassing all other OEMs in 2010, Volvo Bus has gone from strength to strength in its operations across Australia and has maintained its position as market leader, it states. Much of its success has been attested to its values, industry-leading service and support levels, and the resulting long-term partnerships built with its customers, the company explains. “In addition to our dedicated team at Volvo Bus Australia, we are fortunate enough to have product support from Volvo…

BUSHFIRE-RAVAGED Kangaroo Island was incoming CEO Clint Feuerherdt’s first stop-off after ASX-listed SeaLink Travel Group’s multi-million dollar acquisition of Transit Systems completed, it’s reported recently. Visiting the island – situated 112km south-west of Adelaide, South Australia – was “a priority” during his first week in the role alongside retiring CEO Jeff Ellison, as local resident Feuerherdt committed SeaLink’s now international footprint to promoting the island and attracting visitors. SeaLink operates the largest passenger and vehicle vessel from the mainland. SeaLink Travel Group recently announced an initial support package worth half-a-million dollars for immediate support of the local community, it confirms. This includes an initial $200,000 cash donation to the Kangaroo Island Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund, as well as free ferry travel to the value of $2,000 per Kangaroo…

AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN have signed a “statement of co-operation” that marks “an exciting step towards [a] hydrogen future”, the Federal Government announced recently. In a statement disseminated via Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham, and Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, using hydrogen as a clean, affordable and sustainable source of energy is, “another step closer” after a statement of cooperation with Japan was signed by Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshi Kajiyama, recently. The Joint Statement on Cooperation on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells agreement was ratified during the Australia-Japan Ministerial Economic Dialogue in Melbourne on January 10, 2020, confirming that Australia and Japan share a strong commitment to cooperating on the deployment of hydrogen as stated above. Minister Canavan says Australia and…

‘We’re a very community-based company and I think the fires brought the best out in people.’ When the November, 2019, bushfires hit the little town of Taree on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, brothers Simon and Richard Eggins acted swiftly, pouring endless help into the local community. While communities across NSW have worked tirelessly to battle dozens of these fires all over the state, the brothers were running free shuttle buses between the evacuation centres. Deadly weather conditions sent fast-moving bushfires through the area, destroying 124 homes and damaging 67 of them on November 8. Simon Eggins, who manages contracts and compliance, says life’s back to normal now, but expects more fires due to dry weather conditions. “When the fires were at their peak we had staff issues;…

Viktoria Sooki, PR and marketing manager at Electrobus Europe (joint venture CRRC and Ikarus) and Heinz Kiess, head of sales and marketing at MAN, were awarded the respective titles of Miss and Mister Busworld 2019. In doing so, they followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, Charlotte Engels (Automet) and Dirk Snauwaert (Van Hool), who won the title in 2017 for their many years of commitment to Busworld.…

ECLIPSING ITS previous high of 403 units, Scania set a year 2019 record bus and coach deliveries amount of 427 new vehicles commissioned, the company reports. Scania’s success spans its heavy-duty market offerings from city, school and charter buses to long-distance touring coaches, and across government and retail customers, it states. “This very welcome sales success has been built on 35 years of unwavering commitment to our loyal Australian customers,” said Julian Gurney, director of sales for Scania Buses and Engines. “We are dedicated to ensuring our vehicles deliver maximum uptime for our customers throughout their lengthy working lives. “While we have some of the longest-lived buses in operation anywhere in the world, as a result of government city bus operating requirements, Scania has been focused on ensuring our products…

VOLVO BUSES’ Canadian-origin subsidiary Prevost has won its collectively largest deal “in terms of value” ever: two New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) contracts to deliver 330 buses, it’s been announced, recently. The MTA awarded it firstly as a firm order of 307 buses – to be delivered between 2020 and 2022 – and options for 23 additional buses, the company explains. These contracts will create 25 new jobs at Prevost in Plattsburgh – a city in Clinton County, New York, USA – plus an additional 15 jobs at the Prevost sub-assembly provider also in that state. It also allows Prevost to double its production of buses at its American factory, the company confirms. “This is great news for Prevost to obtain these new contracts from the North America’s…

AT THE TIME it was “a giant leap of faith”, but ever since the Adelaide O-Bahn rolled out its first guided bus from the CBD to the northeastern suburb of Paradise it has answered its doubters, says the University of South Australia. First flagged in 1979 by the incoming Liberal Government – which shelved Don Dunstan’s plans for a light-rail transit line along the River Torrens corridor to service the growing north-eastern suburbs – on paper the O-Bahn stacked up. It was less costly than light rail; the track was narrower, reducing the environmental impact; it offered flexibility, allowing buses to enter and exit from the road system; and it promised a faster, quieter and more reliable ride than other transport options, it explains. It was also the first guided…

Strong delivery numbers in December have rounded out a mostly productive 2019 for bus and coach industry in Australia. The final figure of 123 took the calendar year’s tally to 1,445 at an average of 120 per month –well over three figures for each month. For the chassis manufacturers, Volvo again topped December’s figures (41) and cemented its market leadership for the year. Scania, which celebrated a record year, followed in second place overall and for December as well (37). Mercedes-Benz (18) and BCI (12) also cracked double figures, and it’s worth noting that Yutong recorded the delivery of its fully electric E12 model, a first-ever recorded electric vehicle in this section. For the body builders, Volgren led for an 11th consecutive month, albeit its final tally (35) was slightly…