Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 406 i Australasian Bus & Coach

THE NSW STATE GOVERNMENT must “take responsibility for wages and conditions throughout the contracts it awards to private bus companies” and these should be “awarded on decent, secure jobs and safe conditions, not low cost”, according to the Transport Workers Union’s (TWU) NSW Branch, recently. The union’s branch delegates from several bus companies today voted in May to endorse a plan that includes a readiness to take industrial action to improve pay, superannuation and safety, it announced. Included in the bus drivers’ claim are provisions such as: realistic timetables so drivers aren’t forced to rush; working hours to manage fatigue; and strong safety committees. TWU NSW Branch secretary Richard Olsen led the vote from the bus delegates at the union’s Minchinbury office, stating the plan is about “lifting standards to…

NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK – May 17–23, 2021 – was acknowledged at Transit Systems’ Morphettville, South Australia, bus depot where both Transit Systems and Torrens Connect team members hosted a morning tea with special guest speaker Peter Frazer, president of Safer Australian Roads and Highways. On February 15, 2012, Frazer’s daughter, Sarah, was killed in a completely avoidable road crash on the Hume Highway south of Sydney. As a consequence of this tragedy, he and his family decided they would contribute to improving road safety outcomes through their policy development, community education as well as their advocacy work, Sealink Travel Group-owned Transit Systems explains With in excess of 5,120 drivers and support staff at the company, National Road Safety Week is a time to put all driver behaviour “on the…

FOLLOWING its Brisbane Metro contract win in 2019, Swiss vehicle manufacturer Hess has been awarded a share of a major e-bus tender from public transport operator BVB (Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe) in Basel, Switzerland, the company confirmed recently. As part of the city’s conversion to an all-electric bus fleet, BVB is purchasing 62 e-buses from manufacturers Hess and EvoBus (Schweiz) AG for around 65 million Swiss francs (A$93.5 million). The e-buses are scheduled to go into operation from between autumn 2022 and spring 2023, BVB explains. Hess will design and deliver eight of its 24.7-metre bi-articulated electric buses, the lighTram 25, which are similar to those that will be used in the Brisbane Metro project. The buses will be charged via state-of-the-art charging infrastructure on route and overnight depot charging. The Hess…

A CAUTIOUS AND CONSIDERED approach towards electro-mobility for Australian conditions bodes well for Volvo’s 2022-due BZL electric bus’s long-term success here, following company statements in the lead-up to its 2021 Sydney Bus Show launch this September. Highlighting its decade-long journey into electro-mobility locally following its hybrid bus product introduction, the company is proud to have taken the time to ‘set things up properly’ as a solid foundation for the BZL e-bus in Australia. “The BZL is made for a long life on the road, in line with Australian standards and our customer’s expectations of what Volvo product durability will be: it’s a chassis designed for the long-haul,” said Volvo Bus Australia general manager Mitch Peden. “We take great pride in that our electric bus offering will be introduced to the…

With the donation announced on National Sorry Day – May 26, 2021 – CDC and KBHACaffiliated Stolen Generations survivors also launched a ‘Sorry Day’ Campaign to build Australia’s first truth-telling museum and healing centre to help fellow survivors, their families and the community. KBHAC chairperson Uncle James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh (Uncle Widdy) is calling on all Australians to support the project and says the proposed museum and healing centre will play a critical part in Australia’s truth-telling journey. “Without truth telling there can be no healing,” said Welsh. “Our pain must stop with us; this museum and healing centre.will ensure what happened to Stolen Generations survivors will never be repeated. “It will contribute to the rebuilding of our family structures and support the journey to lasting intergenerational healing across Australia,”…

Imagine, if you will, that those high-school science classes where someone in your group would slyly fling extra metal stuff into the acidfilled beaker (true story), or eye drop excess ‘liquid x’ into a bubbling conical flask behind your back, didn’t require data collection at all. Sure the first few ‘snap, crackle and pops’ before the fire alarm goes off (might have been recess bell) while kids scramble for cover under desks screaming ‘Incoming!’ might look and sound impressive at first, but … what would it all mean without ‘data’? Somewhere in there, the ‘results’ and ‘conclusion’ part of any decent science experiment, trial or test overrides any foolish momentary euphoria of potentially the school closing down due to untold litigation cases from irate parents and maimed teachers and students.…

THOREB AUSTRALIA THOREB AUSTRALIA is one of 10 subsidiaries of AB Thoreb Sweden, founded in 1978 by Ph. Dr. Thore Brynielsson. AB Thoreb proudly remains a family business, running manufacturing operations within its homeland of Sweden and various other locations throughout Europe. With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, Thoreb Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swedish parent company, with a head office at Prestons, in southern Sydney. Thoreb prides itself on its forward-thinking approach to technology, including its ‘Multiplexing’ technology, which aids in fleet management, vehicle control and passenger experience throughout automation and data collection, it states The first bus ever manufactured in Australia using this technology was a joint project between Volgren and Brisbane City Council late in 1999. Built on a Volvo B10L…

KEOLIS DOWNER has announced that it will be operating and maintaining Sydney Region 8 bus services in a $900 million contract from Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) The French-Australian busoperating joint venture will be running bus services in the Northern Beaches and the lower North Shore areas for eight years from October 31, 2021, TfNSW has announced. The ‘partnership’ with TfNSW aims to “deliver innovative transport solutions in Sydney’s Northern beaches as the future bus operator”, states Keolis Downer. Global law firm Ashurst has advised Keolis Downer on the tender. According to the company, Keolis Downer will work closely with TfNSW to deliver a range of initiatives to further enhance the journey experience of customers, across all aspects of the service. “We will introduce new service technology to enable…

ITALIAN public transport operator Atac is to take delivery of 100 Mercedes-Benz hybrid Citaro buses in three instalments later this year, MB has announced. The order – including a 10-year service contract that sees Daimler Buses take care of maintenance in the customer’s workshop – will be rolled out between June and the European autumn, 2021. Atac is one of Europe’s largest municipal transport companies based in Rome, Italy. Its hybrid bus delivery is part of an ambitious investment program to modernise Atac’s bus fleet in Italy’s capital. As one of the company’s goals is to significantly reduce pollutant emissions, the Citaro hybrid reduces fuel consumption and emissions considerably, MB explains. Daimler’s EvoBus Italia CEO and president Heinz Friedrich said: “We are delighted with this large-scale order from Rome, the…

With the occasion marked officially at Volgren’s Eagle Farm production facility, the now symbolic Bus 882 capped off a successful 12-year council supply run, which amassed almost 900 vehicles delivered from the collaborative bus duo, the companies confirm. The handover event featured the last of the locally-built buses to leave the company’s Eagle Farm facility, as well as the very first bus – a Volvo B7RLE – built in 2009. Volgren has been operating as prime contractor to BCC in partnership.with leading chassis manufacturer Volvo. Volgren CEO Thiago Deiro says the partnership has, and will always be, an integral part of the company’s history. “We are grateful for the trust that Brisbane City Council has shown in us.for 12 years as prime contractor, and for more than two decades in…

The trial, conducted by Transdev Melbourne and the Victorian Department of Transport, will now see the electric bus operate on an 86km route between Altona and Mordialloc, gathering valuable data about how the bus performs in a variety of different traffic conditions, Transdev confirms. Route 903 is known as an orbital route; it allows passengers in Melbourne’s middle and outer suburbs to travel across the city without travelling into the CBD. The orbital routes are among the longest bus routes in the southern hemisphere, Transdev states. Transdev Melbourne interim managing director Rachel Spencer said: “Transdev is committed to identifying cleaner transport options, which have a positive impact on environment and local communities. “This trial is demonstrating the benefits of zero-emission buses and providing valuable data about how this technology can…

Armed with grit, gumption and tremendous support from a friend in the industry, Ibrahim purchased two 21-seater coaches and launched a service in Sydney in the middle of a global pandemic. As some small bus and coach businesses began to leave the industry in early 2020, there was suddenly an increase in the number of vehicles for sale in a market where demand had plummeted. This gave Ibrahim an opportunity like none other. He was finally in a position to buy a few small coaches to get his business on the road, he explains. Ibrahim has been involved in the industry for a long time as a licenced heavy-vehicle driving instructor, trainer and assessor. Since migrating to Australia from Egypt in 2010, Ibrahim has been behind the wheels of buses…

May’s bus and coach deliveries remain in line with 2021 trends, ending at 91 for the month. The ongoing consistency sees three of the five months so far at 91 or 92 – the outliers being 99 and 87 – while both the median and average are a steady 92. In the chassis sector, Volvo takes top spot from Scania with 35 deliveries, one off its yearly best, while the latter eases to 21. Mercedes-Benz and Yutong share third spot with 13 each. BLK Auto, formerly referred to as BLK/Bonluck before its recent re-branding, recorded three deliveries. A busy body-building sector, involving 17 brands, was once again led by Volgren with 19 deliveries plus a further three from subsidiary Supportrans. Yutong matched its 13 chassis with 13 bodies. Bustech, despite…

EXCITIMENT IS BUILDING and strong interest is being shown for the forthcoming 2021 Australasia Bus and Coach Expo, being held Wednesday 29 to Thursday 30 September at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, organisers have announced. BusNSW executive director Matt Threlkeld confirms there has been strong exhibitor and visitor interest for the 2021 Expo, which is returning to Sydney after five years. “On the back of the successful 2019 Melbourne Expo, the Sydney event this year promises to be another world-class exhibition for the Australasian bus and coach industry,” Threlkeld said. The Expo will include more than $50 million-worth of vehicles and in excess of 100 exhibition booths displaying products and services, covering 14,000 square metres and all under the one roof, according to BusNSW. Approximately 90 per cent of vehicle…

TRANSDEV AUSTRALIASIA reminded motorists to give way and share the road with buses, light rail and other public transport services as part of National Road Safety Week (May 17–23). With the company citing 2021 research from vehicle manufacturer Ford Australia that suggests many drivers aren’t as familiar with road rules as they were before the pandemic – with many parts of the country staying off the roads and at home during part of 2020 – Transdev Australasia chief Safety and Assurance officer Huw Bridges says everyone had a role to play in helping to keep roads safe. “Safety on the road is the responsibility of every road user,” Bridges stated. “Our responsibility is to train and help our drivers to be the safest they can be on the road. It’s…

NEW FLYER subsidiary Alexander Dennis’ New Zealand-running electric buses – using BYD e-chassis – have completed more than one million kilometres of zero-emission operation, saving 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in doing so, ADL confirms recently. The manufacturer has supplied 18 ADL-BYD based Enviro200EV electric buses to transport authorities and operators in New Zealand to date, with more on order as the country prepares to fully decarbonise its public transport bus fleet by 2035, it states. The biggest carbon reduction has been achieved by the fleet of initially six, later eight, electric buses operated by Fullers360 on Auckland Transport services in Waiheke Island, which have prevented the emission of 300 tonnes of CO2 in just eight months, ADL confirms. NZ Bus saved 290 tonnes with five buses in Tauranga and…

AUSTRALASIAN BUS & COACH (ABC) has reinforced its long-held position as the region’s largest-circulating bus and coach industry magazine, achieving an audited circulation of 3,312 copies per issue in the six months to March 31, 2021, new Circulation Audit Bureau (CAB) figures show. Since 1957, the CAB has been providing advertisers, marketers and media buyers with verified distribution data on free and controlled circulation magazines, delivering credibility to the media industry. ABC is the only Australian bus and coach magazine to subject itself to the official audit. Bolstering its overall audience reach, ABC’s digital platform www.BusNews.com. au attracted an all-time record 38,866 visitors in May, up 23.7 per cent on the previous month and 24.5 per cent on the same month of 2020. Year-to-date (YTD) visitors are up 26.6 per…

PUBLIC TRANSPORT has become “more environmentally friendly and attractive” in German municipality Stadtwerke Weilheim after five new ‘e-midibuses’ were chosen for its City Bus 2022 tender, it announced recently. The five Atak EVs that municipal enterprise Stadtwerke Weilheim i.OB KU chose are from supplier Quantron AG Augsburg/Gersthofen. Stadtwerke Weilheim had presented its City Bus 2022 concept several times, and the city council then passed the basic resolution on November 19, 2020 that: from January 1, 2022, Stadtwerke Weilheim will be “in charge of operating the city bus”. Head of Stadtwerke Weilheim Peter Müller said: “Our preparations for this are in full swing. “An important point of our ‘City bus 2022’ concept is that we want to operate public transport in Weilheim in a more environmentally-friendly way, not just a theoretical…

Transit Systems NSW, a Sealink company, has unveiled two public transport buses operating in the Transport for NSW (TfNSW) network, each showcasing the artwork by RAP artist Allan McKenzie – a Gamilario/Wiradjuri man – called Vibrations of Country. Sealink Travel Group (Sealink) itself has also taken significant steps to deliver a company-wide approach in establishing a revised RAP, it states, launching the brand new South East Tasmania Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC)-named vessel for Bruny Island called the ‘Parrabah’. “These initiatives are seemingly local, but when combined enable our company to deliver outcomes that continue to progress our communities further towards reconciliation,” said Sealink CEO Clint Feuerherdt. The Parrabah joins a fleet of vessels and vehicles that also includes a new late-2020-launched catamaran-ferry for Palm Island, Queensland – the Coolgaree Cat – and…

The introduction of electric buses – such as the Volvo BZL Electric to be launched soon – introduces a range of new operational factors that must be addressed by industry, Volvo explains. The nature of electric vehicles means the introduction of high-voltage systems requires extensive understanding about the way vehicles are built, operated and serviced, it states. As part of the largest automotive manufacturer in Australia, Volvo Bus Australia believes safety in and around electric vehicles is an area that requires greater focus. It’s about protecting workers as they work with these new products in a variety of areas, including assembly of a new bus, service of the vehicle in the workshop, driving the bus and managing emergency service responses as required, it says. “Safety is in our DNA and…

The Iveco Daily minibus range has grown in Australia, with today’s test drive vehicle - the Shuttle 22 - the latest offering to the range. With a modern European design, the Daily minibus is available in 11-, 16- and 22-seat sizes, plus driver, with two trim levels – Shuttle and Executive – to meet the demands of the local minibus market. Speaking with regional sales manager George Stavrinou, we asked about the development of the range. “The first model came out around three years ago,” he explained. “We launched a 16 plus one [16 plus driver] in a Shuttle, which is the base model, and an Executive with leather seats [that is] a bit more upmarket. Then we followed with an 11 plus one, and we’ve had very good success…