Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 392 i Australasian Bus & Coach

NEW ZEALAND bus operator Go Bus is now essentially in the new ownership hands of Skybus-rebrand Kinectic, making the leading and fastest growing mass transit operator the “…largest bus mass transit operator by owned fleet in Australasia,” it’s been announced, recently. With 29 depots and more than 1,700 vehicles operating from Auckland to Invercargill, Go Bus is New Zealand’s largest and most diverse operator of passenger service vehicles, Kinetic explains. Go Bus provides urban and school services under long-term contracts to more regional authorities in New Zealand than any other operator, together with regional school bus and special needs transport for the Ministry of Education, and charter services under the Go Bus and Johnston’s brands, it says. The company joins Kinetic’s growing mass transit platform that includes Queensland bus operators…

DESPITE SHORT LEAD TIMES due to Covid-19, Alexander Dennis (ADL) successfully mobilised ‘Phase One’ delivery of 44 buses from an overall order of 92 to operator Go-Ahead Group, for the Transport for Cornwall bus network, it reports recently. New Flyer Industries (NFI) subsidiary ADL is providing the order of 92 buses to Go-Ahead Group’s Go Cornwall Bus subsidiary for a new tendered bus network. The first 44 were delivered against exceptionally short lead times for the start of operations, the company confirms. Go Cornwall Bus commenced services on the Transport for Cornwall network on March 29, 2020 – less than three months after it was announced by Cornwall County Council as the new operator of all its tendered bus services, it explains. Faced with a short mobilisation period and a…

COVID-19 and the new IR award were discussed at the BIC’s Industrial Working Group in Canberra, held on March 25, 2020. Industry insiders confirm to ABC magazine (www.busnews.com.au) that the ACCI called the tele-conference with its members to consider what responses each entity could make to minimise any possible impact of the virus. BIC has long argued that public transport is an essential service and this might now be tested as the country heads into unchartered waters regarding the impacts of the virus, sources state. The Working Group considered the terms and conditions of a new Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award 2020 (PVTA 2020), affecting up to 30,000 bus drivers employed by private operators within the passenger transport industry. BIC executive director Michael Apps noted: “The spread of the coronavirus will…

A ‘LEAN PHILOSOPHY’ implemented under Volgren CEO Thiago Deiro since assuming the role a year ago has timed well for recent risk assessment and operating procedure upgrades, which prioritise employee safety, the company reports. With a range of further action plans underway to turn Volgren facilities into a better and safer place to work, insiders say Deiro’s company transformation is well underway. Taking over as chief executive officer of Volgren in April 2019, Deiro immediately began to talk about making the production line flow more smoothly. He publicly declared that his company needed to remove waste, to concentrate on safety, quality, delivery and cost, and to eliminate “disturbances on the line”. Almost a year into the job, he has turned his rhetoric into results, the company confirms. The desire to…

PUBLIC TRANSPORT operator Transit Systems is building up its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities through a telecoms and cloud overhaul, according to its service provider, recently. Transit Systems – the largest operator of metropolitan public bus services in Australia, it states – is now able to, “… monitor, analyse and take action on live data as NBN migration continues and privatisation drives enhanced technology,” states Macquarie Telecom, part of Macquarie Telecom Group. Macquarie’s mobile SIM cards are being used across Transit Systems’ entire staff to monitor data including driver performance, acceleration, ticketing information, engine diagnostics and more in real time, explains MAQ. This data is fed into Macquarie’s data centres and cloud services, which power AI for deep analysis and insights to improve the transport network, it adds. “Historically, a bus…

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA has appointed Loretta Lynch as its new Transdev Melbourne managing director, the company announced recently. “Loretta joins Transdev Melbourne at an exciting time and is well qualified to build on recent business successes,” said Transdev Australasia CEO Luke Agati. Lynch will join Transdev from Australia’s largest rail-freight operator and top 50 ASX company Aurizon, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in international and domestic large-scale operations, managing people, contracts and finance across rail, public transport, construction and mining, Transdev states. Previously, Lynch has held the positions of managing director and chief financial officer at G:Link, Keolis Downer’s Gold Coast light-rail operation. She will replace Ian Craig as he focuses on his role as chief officer, Bus Operations for Transdev Australasia. Transdev Australasia CEO Luke Agati welcomed Lynch to…

TEXTILE EXPERT CAMIRA’S been at the forefront of antimicrobial strategies for much of the past decade given how its specialised seat fabrics are the main point of contact for passengers during much of their bus and coach journeys. The outbreak of the Covid-19 has seen much attention on people’s interaction with hard surfaces, but Camira’s recently produced and updated document (http://fliphtml5.com/ppyl/hovh) discusses how soft surfaces are affected. As it explains, research is pointing to the spread of the virus taking place more easily from hard rather than soft surfaces, for sure – which is, “…better news for fabrics, [so] take care with those grab handles, plastic seat trays and hard plastic components,” it states. According to the document, a Harvard University report says: “…available evidence suggests Coronavirus can be transmitted…

A LONGER range, even smaller carbon footprint – from energy source to on-road use – plus full bio-diesel compatibility are striking hallmarks of Volvo’s latest ‘S-Charge’ self-charging hybrid electric bus, announced for Australia recently. Officially known as the Volvo B5L S-Charge this self-charging bus with hybrid power is an upgrade of the company’s original hybrid electric bus, whose new capabilities mean it can now drive silently and emission-free on electricity at higher speeds and cover longer distances than ever, Volvo states. The B5L S-Charge delivers an environmentally sustainable electric solution to the Australian market that is ready to be deployed immediately – without the need to wait for additional infrastructure to be built, the company explains. “The new S-Charge model is one of Volvo’s cleanest buses and will reduce the…

CHINESE BUS manufacturer Yutong’s Australian-based operations has added to its ‘official’ Yutong Bus Centre strategy by opening a Brisbane dealership, it’s announced recently. At a time of launching its new-look website (www.yutong.com.au) and six months after opening its factory-owned Victorian dealership – to service Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania – Yutong Australia’s own Brisbane dealership has started, effective March 1, 2020. Heading up operations at the new Brisbane outlet – located at 53 Kenway Drive, Underwood – is Barry Henderson, who has a wealth of bus experience and knowledge and has worked with the Yutong brand for nine years, Yutong Australia confirms. Henderson has been involved in the industry for 42 years, starting as a bus driver before working in operations and management of coach tour company Tropic Wings, based…

While the coronavirus was forecasted to severely impact Australian supply chains, particularly as the pandemic tightened its grip on the world in March, bus and coach deliveries largely defied the downturn with a respectable tally for the month. While well short of the unprecedented highs of 136 and 172 in February and January respectively, the final figure of 97 still hovers around three figures. When compared to the 65 deliveries reported only two years ago, in the February 2018 edition, it can be viewed as a solid middle ground considering the circumstances. Volvo was the clear standout in the OEM sector, reporting 37 deliveries for the month. Fellow Swede Scania followed on 24. The brand most impacted here was BCI, which reported no deliveries for the month after a solid…