Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 403 i Australasian Bus & Coach

ADDITIONAL CHOICE within the fiercely contested people-mover market is now available after Iveco launched its new 22-seat ‘Shuttle’-trim minibus option into its Daily range. This new Daily Shuttle minibus complements Iveco’s existing 11- and 16-seat models, providing operators with additional choice, “…while increasing the brand’s access to new markets with its many class-leading benefits,” the company explains. The latest 22-seat model in ‘Shuttle’ trim level is based on a 4,100mm wheelbase with a generous H2 roof (1,820mm standing height), and with a gross vehicle mass of 6.1 tonnes, Iveco confirms. The ‘Shuttle 22’ provides comfortable fabric seats with integrated safety belts, pleated curtains, modesty panels with handrails and overhead luggage rack with integrated air conditioner diffuser, the company states. All Daily minibus models bring the market-leading features of the award-winning…

MELBOURNE COMMUTERS may now find one of a hat-trick of former international cricketers are steering their Transdev bus as three have found new careers as city-bus drivers: Suraj Randiv and Chinthaka Jayasinghe, who both represented Sri Lanka, and Waddington Mwayenga, who represented Zimbabwe. “We have a huge diversity of professional backgrounds among our [more] than 1,200 bus drivers,” said Transdev Melbourne managing director Ian Craig. “Next time you get on the bus you may be driven by a former cricketer, a former pastry chef, or a former social worker, just to name a few examples. “Despite the diversity of backgrounds, our drivers share a united passion for customer service and ensuring we continue to provide Victorians with a safe, reliable and comfortable journey,” Craig explained. Randiv and Mwayenga were recruited…

DAIMLER TRUCK AND BUS Australia Pacific is hailing the appointment of Alexander Müller as the new Fuso Truck and Bus Australia director. Müller, who was previously the head of global key account management and vocational business for Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Stuttgart, brings experience across a range of Daimler operations, Daimler explains. Müller began his career with Daimler in 1999 in Stuttgart, in the role of marketing manager vans. In 2002, he took over the role as head of sales and marketing vans in Italy, where he and his team were also responsible for building up the Mitsubishi Fuso business. In 2006, he returned to Stuttgart as head of Sales and Marketing Fuso Europe until 2013, when he was given responsibility for sales of Daimler Latina in South America for the…

IN A MOVE TO ATTRACT more women bus drivers, Transdev Melbourne is piloting an all-female driving school so they can consider careers as bus drivers and help the company reach its goal to have 40 per cent female bus drivers by 2030. The first intake for the all-female driving school commenced on Tuesday, March 9, and offers a tailored program for women who hold car licences to become bus drivers in a safe, supportive environment. Head of customer experience and communication at Transdev Melbourne, Jane Murray, said: “We believe our organisation should reflect the communities we serve. Our experience tells us women don’t consider careers in the transport industry because they may not be aware of the opportunities that exist. “However, many women have experience in customer service and community-based…

THE AMBITION to deliver more equal gender representation in the workplace is helping mobility provider Transdev create a more diverse workforce and smash out-dated social traditions, it reports recently. Since committing to the target in 2018, women now make up to close to 30 per cent of new employees hired at Transdev. In its rail and light-rail operations, women now account for more than 42 per cent of new recruits – 20 per cent greater than industry-wide representation within the rail sector, it explains. Transdev Australasia’s head of talent, diversity and inclusion and learning and engagement, Donna Jones, explained that there had been significant gains in the past two years in breaking down out-dated perceptions about a career in public transport. “Traditionally, one of the biggest barriers for women pursuing…

Don’t think for a moment that anything is being taken for granted with preparations for the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show. No stone is being left unturned to ensure that visitors to the Sunshine State have a healthy and safe experience. But if there’s anywhere you would want to be when events kick back into life, it is in Brisbane. So, you already know what the truck show is all about? You might have joined us for the past show as we spread our wings across into the parklands for what is now known as the South Bank Truck Festival. The truck and trailer display - in amongst all the restaurant and bars - made for an exceptional atmosphere. This year everything is ramping up further with more live, free entertainment…

Nearly six years ago, Mathew Maidens was working as an operations manager for an aerial crop spraying company in Moree, NSW. One of his close friends in Moree, Nik Hauser, was running his own air-conditioning business at the time. The two friends decided that they wanted to move to the coast and work in a business with more stable and set hours – resulting in them packing up their lives in Moree and moving 500km to Taree to set up their own bus and coach business. For Maidens, the progression into the bus industry was natural, as his father operated a school bus in Moree for over 20 years. His mother still operates it to this day. “This was the main drive to get into the bus industry,” he explained.…

STAFF AT VOLGREN’S Eagle Farm site were informed recently that the company’s final bus will be delivered to Brisbane City Council in May 2021, as the bus supply contract between the two entities expired as per the contractual terms – and contract extension options were not taken by Council, Volgren has confirmed. The country’s largest bus body builder will thus restructure its Queensland operations as the joint-venture partnership concludes in June this year. Volgren has been operating as ‘prime contractor’ to Brisbane City Council since 2008 and in that time it has supplied more than 850 buses to the council, it confirms. The purpose-built facility at Eagle Farm has manufactured and delivered more than 1,100 buses for the Australian market. According to Volgren, the manufacturer remains in talks with the…

A FASCINATINGLY thought-provoking and disturbing bus incident video issued during NSW Bus Safety Week is a timely reminder of what drivers encounter all too often out on our roads. The CCTV footage of foolhardy people ineptly navigating their way around buses – with footage taken from Port Macquarie and Blacktown areas – is a poignant and striking reminder for all of the need to be ‘safety aware’ at all times in and around public transport vehicles. Although a year-’round issue, Busways is urging everyone to stay safe and be alert on and around buses in general, as NSW Bus Safety Week kicked off for a sixth year on Monday, February 22. With Busways operating almost 330 buses in Western Sydney and almost 280 buses on the NSW mid-North Coast, it’s…

THE TRANSACTION for the formerly-announced joint venture (JV) between Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG to cooperate on fuel-cell technology for their respective commercial vehicle use is now complete, both companies have announced recently. The upshot is that Volvo Group has acquired 50 per cent of the partnership interests in the existing Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH & Co. KG for approximately EUR 0.6 billion (A$0.9 billion) on a cash and debt-free basis. The ambition is to make the new JV a leading global manufacturer of fuel-cells, and thus help the world take a major step towards climate-neutral and sustainable transportation by 2050, they explain. In terms of nomenclature, Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group have agreed to rename the company cellcentric GmbH & Co. KG. According to the…

THANKS TO ITS latest order for 56 three-axle Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) Enviro500, Hong Kong’s Kowloon Motor Bus Company is scheduled to have more than 2,500 double-deckers in its fleet by year’s end, ADL reports recently. As Hong Kong’s largest bus operator, Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB) should receive the latest bus order by the second half of 2021. KMB is the largest franchised bus operator in Hong Kong with a fleet of around 4,000 buses operating on more than 400 routes, it states. KMB’s new Enviro500 will be 12.8m long and powered by low-emission Euro 6 engines, ADL states. They will be able to carry up to 143 passengers, with all 98 seats fitted with three-point safety belts, it confirms. This new order continues a long-standing relationship between Alexander…

This new Element is the very first electric bus for Custom Denning and, surprisingly, it has only been in development since January 2020. The process from conception to what ABC magazine is testing see today has been a process that has moved quickly from sourcing battery and electrical componentry from Europe last March, with the very first chassis arriving in August, 2020. Speaking with Custom Bus Group’s national contracts manager Grant Mascord about the development of the electric Element, he explained: “In the initial stages of development process, the first five chassis were built at the Denning Acacia Ridge plant (Queensland) using the Denning low-floor chassis as a starting point. From April onwards, we will commence building the chassis here at St Marys (Sydney). The Element is suitable for all…

TO BE HELD at Sea World Resort on April 9–10 and themed ‘Moving Forward Together’, the sold-out event will highlight not only QBIC’s new branding, but also the organisation’s commitment as an association to ‘move forward together’ with its members, the state government and TransLink, as it works to deliver a sustainable recovery path to rebuild our businesses and the economy, it explains. Postponed due to the pandemic-induced lockdown last year – one that many would prefer to forget – 2020 was, however, also QBIC’s 20th year as the peak industry body in Queensland representing bus and coach operators. “I am sure that we will have an opportunity to celebrate this achievement, and I thank and acknowledge every person who has contributed to making QBIC what it is today,” said…

TRANSPORTING nearly 850 students to six schools and servicing approximately 850 kilometres each day, Territory Transit – Transit Systems’ local operating name in the Northern Territory (NT) – started operating 10 school buses in Katherine from the February 1, 2021, the company announced recently. In picking up the new service areas in the Katherine region – including the Tindal RAAF Base, Katherine City Centre, Katherine Gorge, Pine Creek, Binjari Community and Cossack – Clint Feuerherdt, CEO of SeaLink Travel Group, which owns Transit Systems, says the company is looking forward to continuing to work with the Northern Territory government and local communities. “Since securing the Darwin Urban Bus contract in 2014, we have been delivering a reliable and comfortable service and we’re proud to expand our globally-recognised transport services into…

BUS MANUFACTURING quality from new has often ‘overshadowed’ bus collision after-sales repairs, but that shouldn’t necessarily be the case, says a leading Volgren aftersales expert. In assessing the value of quality bus and coach after sales and smash repairs, the Australian bus industry has much to be proud of, according to Volgren. Australian-built buses are renowned for their manufacturing excellence, it explains. The fact is, however, that almost all buses used in Australia are placed under punishing schedules on busy roads in unforgiving climates, it says. The best engineering and construction in the world can’t prevent wear-and-tear, accidents and other problems, it adds. This is why after-sales service is such an exceptionally important part of any manufacturer’s operations - but for decades the product that has left after sales has…

MALAGA, SPAIN, has become the first European city to have a zero-emissions autonomous bus in full high-capacity passenger-carrying operation on its streets, via local operator Avanza, Irizar reports recently. The fully electric 12-metre-long Irizar ie bus is a pioneering project because it involves putting a standard-size vehicle on the road in a real city-traffic situation, Irizar explains. This is an enormous step towards the transport of the future – sustainable, connected, safe and autonomous transport – where Irizar will be a key player in the transformation, it adds. This first autonomous bus is the result of the AutoMOST Project, financed by CDTI through the CIEN program, it confirms. Avanza participated as an operator alongside 11 partners, which included the Irizar Group through Irizar e-mobility and Datik. The Polytechnic University of…

THE FIRST of 129 new Mercedes-Benz Citaro G hybrid articulated buses are now in operation in the Belgian towns of Liège (Luik/Lüttich), Mons and Nivelles in Wallonia, the company has announced. The strikingly bright-yellow 18-metre-long articulated buses are being operated by Belgium’s TEC Group, with the remaining vehicles to be delivered by this European summer 2021, Daimler states. According to the company, this is one of the largest orders for articulated buses in recent years, which includes a comprehensive service contract valid for eight years. The TEC Group Citaro G hybrids are, “…comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly: the compact hybrid module reduces fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions of articulated buses by up to 8.5 per cent,” Daimler states. EXTENSIVELY EQUIPPED Depending on the type of operation the hybrid buses…

In the past four years the company has recruited 76 female bus drivers and five female maintenance staff, it confirms. Recently, it launched its Women in Transport initiative with a goal to “make a 100 per cent improvement to their current female recruitment figures in 12 months”. At its Bankstown Depot event, managing director Robert Macey announced the initiative. “We want to remove the barriers and make a career in public transport more accessible for women,” he said. “We are working to create mum-friendly driver and workshop rosters to provide greater flexibility and working with councils to improve on-the-road amenities for women. “We are also establishing mentor groups and expanding our community engagement to partner with local women’s charities to support them as and where possible,” he added. THAT’S A…

As the first electric bus on the roads of the NSW mid-north coast city, the aim is to test the vehicle and charging technology in a regional environment, Busways explains. The electric bus is fitted with 374kW/h battery capacity, giving it a range of up to 400km on a single charge under current conditions in Coffs Harbour. The bus provides lower energy consumption resulting in a quieter, smoother experience for customers and better air quality for the community, Busways adds. The Yutong E12 Series incorporates advanced technologies, including regenerative braking, which extends the vehicle’s driving range, and fast charging in three hours, Yutong explains. It’s also equipped with a wheelchair ramp and dual wheelchair areas with back stop for passenger safety in its ultra-low-floor design. “Electric buses are our future…

Bus and coach deliveries eased slightly on January’s 99 to finish on 90 in February. Despite this, encouragingly, the figure remains in the 90s, trending above the 70–85 range in the latter months of 2020. In the chassis sector, regular market leader Volvo had its strongest month since July 2020, recording 30 deliveries. It’s only the second time Volvo has cracked 30 since April. Scania drops back into the teens after three months above 20. Mercedes-Benz and Yutong follow on 11 each. The body building sector sees Volgren retain its lead with 23 deliveries overall. This figure includes four from subsidiary Supportrans. A competitive market sees Bustech Group – Bustech (9), Elphinstone (3) and Precision Buses (1) – recording 13 deliveries. Yutong records 11, while a further 12 body builders…