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“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.” What exactly Bob Marley was on when coming up with such epic lyrics is probably more an issue of quantity and quality than mere type, but their guiding resonance, soul soothing for the masses – and even just individuals - in varying contexts can do much good. The pandemic-stress elephant isn’t just in the room for many of us out there in bus land; it’s pulled up a seat nice and close with a little mask on his trunk, trying to do as recommended while questioning its effectiveness and relevance, waiting for the circus to get back on the road. Yep, right about now, said elephant is picturing stale old peanuts as immeasurable bliss even against the backdrop…
NORTH AMERICAN electric bus innovator Proterra and Australian bus builder Bustech are to collaborate on making e-buses for the local market, the companies announced recently. The selection of Proterra Powered battery technology for Bustech’s new ZDi 12.5-metre all-electric transit bus represents Proterra’s official entry into the Australian bus market, it states. “Everybody within our organisation is extremely excited to be in a partnership with Proterra,” said Bustech CEO and ex-ZF executive Thinus Steyn. “We have up-skilled the group over the last six months with the capacity and capability to bring the ZDi Proterra Powered electric vehicle to market in early 2021 and have a significant number of orders in the pipeline, which we have been working on in advance of the announcement of our partnership,” Steyn said. Under the partnership,…
The first of a 15-bus MAN-chassis fleet to Queensland-based Surfside Buslines has started, with the Bustech and Volgren-bodied units due for service on the Gold Coast and in the NSW Tweed Shire, local distributor Penske Australia reports. According to the company, the 15 MAN LE 19.320 Euro 5 route buses are low entry and low floor ensuring, “…great accessibility along with unparalleled comfort for drivers and passengers.” With the first unit delivered on August, 24 2020, the remainder of the units are scheduled for delivery between now and the end of the year, the company explains. “MAN Truck & Bus and Penske Australia have a long-standing relationship with Surfside Buslines’ sister company SkyBus in Australia and New Zealand, so it’s fantastic to be able to extend our partnership to Surfside…
AS PART OF a batch of 29 ADL-BYD Enviro400EV double-deck electric buses aiding UK operator National Express making its zero-emission transition, the remaining 10 units have been delivered for service in Coventry, the companies jointly announced recently. Following the first 19 buses starting service in Birmingham earlier this year, Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD Europe jointly announced the delivery of the remaining 10 double-deckers in line with the operator’s pledge to “never buy another diesel bus”. ADL is a subsidiary of leading independent global bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. (NFI), while BYD is a global leader in batteries, energy management and electric mobility, they state. With the latest “clean buses” having entered service in Coventry, it links the city centre and University Hospital, the companies explain. Built to National…
DOZENS of family owned and independent bus operators and businesses are “on the brink of collapse, thousands of drivers could lose their jobs and ‘mum and dad’ operators stand to lose their homes”, as an impact of Covid-19 restrictions, according to NSW bus rally organisers. To highlight their plight and lobby for a government rescue package, desperate small bus company owners rallied outside NSW Parliament on Wednesday, September 16. Spokesman Rod Williams, who owns Near or Far Bus & Coach in the state’s Blue Mountains region, says while smaller bus companies were grateful for government help, such as JobKeeper, many aspects of the industry had been overlooked. As “forgotten victims of the Covid-19 fallout”, small bus and coach companies needed help with crippling costs like depot rental payments, vehicle registration,…
AS PART of a major Western Australia Government announcement on renewable hydrogen production, use and the de-carbonisation of vehicle fleets, Hyzon Motors fuel-cell buses will power Fortescue Metals Group’s mining industry “carbon-neutral pursuit”, it’s been announced. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd’s selection of Hyzon to deploy its hydrogen fuel cell-powered coaches to the Christmas Creek iron ore mine – as part of Fortescue’s commitment to accelerating emissions reduction in its mining operations – will mean hydrogen-powered coaches operating in the Pilbara mining region of Western Australia as a direct replacement of traditional diesel coaches, it states. Hyzon Motors fuel-cell coaches will start operating in the Pilbara from mid-2021, it reports. Previous deployments of fuel-cell buses were limited to city cycles, where the average speed is very low, Hyzon explains. Higher powered…
