Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 417 i Australasian Bus & Coach

The Victorian government’s $20 million three-year Zero Emissions Bus Trial will see three trials take place. Seymour will be the first regional town to be fully serviced by electric buses, Traralgon will see Latrobe Valley Bus Lines introduce the first electric bus based in the town and Sunbury will see Donric Group operate three electric buses, operating in and around Melbourne’s west. Siemens’ Sicharge UC charging centre and dispensers will be used to charge Volvo BZL buses and Custom Denning buses. Siemens DepotFinity charging management software will be used to monitor the real-time status of charging infrastructure, analyse historical charging sessions and adopt smart load management strategies to minimise electricity expenditure. This information will feed into the government’s objectives of assessing how electric buses perform and the energy and charging…

THE ROLL-OUT of zero emission buses across NSW is being supported by a world first, locally developed technology trial in Western Sydney. The technology, made in partnership with Transport for NSW, bus operator Busways, Australian software and advisory company Evenergi and Western Sydney energy distributor Endeavour Energy, is designed to optimise the charging of electric buses and reduce strain on the power grid. Endeavour Energy’s chief customer and strategy officer Leanne Pickering said the Busways electric bus depot will have real time visibility of the load on the network so that its new electric buses can be charged outside periods of peak demand. “This leads to greater utilisation of the electricity network and avoids the need for costly upgrades, keepings downward pressure on the price of electricity for all customers…

BLAST FROM THE PAST A celebration of Leyland National buses took place in the UK recently, with the recreation of a 50 year old journey to celebrate the buses entering service in March 1972. A collaboration between British Leyland and Cumberland Motor Services, this was the first time car production line techniques were applied to bus building, with 7,700 Leyland Nationals built up until 1985. Along with a museum exhibition, one of the first passengers to travel on the Workington to Whitehaven route was tracked down, June Begg, who had been four at the time. The journey was undertaken once again and she said it brought back “so many memories” and she remembers the bus being “very, very shiny” when it first pulled up years before. BUS STOPPED Back here…

The BLK President double decker Series 2 was launched by BLK Auto at the beginning of this year. The new addition sees BLK Auto’s coach range going from strength to strength. It was delivered in April to Port Stephens Coaches, a third generation bus and coach business operating services in Port Stephens, Newcastle and Sydney. The BLK double decker is an important addition to the fleet, being used for school camps, charter work, rail replacement and outback tours. The 71 leather Sege seat coach was custom built to suit the needs of Port Stephens Coaches and BLK Auto sales manager Luke Eldred said he was excited to deliver the double decker to its new home on the NSW coast. “The feedback from our current double decker owners has allowed us…

The Victorian government recently announced a trial of 41 electric buses on routes across Victoria in towns including, Melbourne, Seymour and Traralgon. The announcement created a buzz for operators, who are revolutionising their depots ahead of the arrival of the buses. ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) is one such operator. It is set to install an initial six charging outlets at its Oakleigh depot, which will service the buses scheduled to arrive later in 2022 and into 2023. To ensure the buses have the range required for journeys, CDC will install two charging stations at the Monash University bus interchange to allow buses to recharge whilst out on routes and establish the viability of further investment for in-field charging. Making the switch to electric is about a lot more than just…

There was another small dip in bus deliveries in April, with a total of 79 compared to March’s 82. In the chassis sector it was Scania’s time to shine with a total of 23, marking an increase of 12 on its March result to reach its highest total this year. BCI came in second place with 15, up eight on its March total, while third place was taken by Volvo on 13. Mercedes-Benz, in fourth, dipped slightly with seven while Custom Denning and I-Bus both marked five deliveries – an increase of one for both compared to March. The remaining 11 deliveries were delivered by six other original equipment manufacturers. In the body-building sector, Volgren took the lead in April with an impressive 26, marking both its and the overall…

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST all-electric bus depot has been opened in Currumbin and is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, including a 56-kilowatt solar panel array. It is expected the depot will house 14 buses, with some travelling the 777 route from the airport to Coolangatta. The ‘green depot’ in the coastal suburb of Currumbin is part of Kinetic’s south-east Queensland bus operation Surfside Buslines. Transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey said it builds on the state government’s recently released Zero Emissions Vehicle strategy. “We’ve made a commitment that every new bus in southeast Queensland would be zero emission from 2025, so to see it happening now is a fantastic achievement,” Bailey said. “That commitment expands to our regions between 2025 and 2030. “Electric buses are better for the environment…

THREE NEW double decker buses will roll into service this month in Sydney, with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) operator Transit Systems increasing capacity on some of the city’s busiest routes. Transit Systems NSW managing director Jamie Sinclair said the new Volvo buses would have an immediate and positive impact for passengers, creating around 1,700 extra spaces a day for customers on the T80. “The new double decker buses simply have more capacity, giving passengers peace of mind that they can travel at peak times, on their preferred route,” he said. “Our aim is to enhance the customer service for all passengers, from better on-time running, to safe and reliable services, and these buses help us deliver a more comfortable service where and when extra seats are needed the…

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST bus body builder, Volgren, has delivered the first of two battery electric buses (BEBs) to Victoria’s Department of Transport and new Melbourne bus franchise operator, Kinetic. The BEBs are the first of 36 electric buses that will roll off the production line in Dandenong over the next three years to join Kinetic’s Melbourne fleet, an average of one per month. Thiago Deiro, CEO of Volgren, said the Department of Transport’s decision to prioritise green transport is already creating new jobs and demonstrates the trust that government has in locally manufactured buses. “Since the Melbourne bus franchise was announced last year we’ve created 30 new jobs. We hope to employ another 20 staff this year alone as production on BEBs picks up,” Deiro said. “As has been the case…

You may not be able to hear the new Custom Denning electric bus when it pulls up to your stop, but it’s making soundwaves in the state’s public transport industry. Custom Denning’s new electric bus sneaks through the terminal unnoticed at Donric & Sunbury Bus Service’s facility in Sunbury, west Melbourne. The freshly manufactured vehicle looms like a hulking giant, but travels as silently as a mouse. It’s so quiet that it requires an MP3 electronic tram bell noise to ring every few seconds when it travels under 30 kilometres an hour. The locals of Sunbury may not be used to trams rattling through their town, but they now get to experience a new slice of public transport technology. From the start of August, three new electric buses will be…

Safety should be the first consideration for the bus industry when it transitions towards zero emission vehicles. But it’s the biggest obstruction preventing the industry from setting up for an eco-friendly future. The bus industry is playing catch up. While more and more zero emission buses are manufactured each day, the industry’s race towards carbon neutral fleets is being challenged by an unlikely source – governments. Bus manufacturing companies are churning out electric buses and other passenger vehicles that produce lower emissions than fuel-reliant models. But without governments agreeing on any policy or regulatory framework to guide the safe and sustainable transition to a zero emission bus industry, the safe supply and operation of zero-emission technology is compromised. This is what Australia’s Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) executive director Roz Chivers…

If you’re in the bus and coach industry, then you have probably heard ‘moquette’ for seating mentioned quite regularly. But what actually is moquette? Moquette, or plush velour, is derived from the French word for carpet. It’s a woven pile fabric in which cut or un-cut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile. Moquette is Camira’s core international product for the bus a coach market, with the 85/15 per cent wool/nylon composition being the trusted seat fabric option in all public transport modes for 200 years. The company’s story began in 1822, when a cloth manufacturer named John Holdsworth founded a worsted spinning mill named Holdsworth in Halifax, in the north of England. Fast forward 200 years, and while the head office and core manufacturing facility remain in…

The Project Cavforth pilot, which is funded by the UK government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), recently saw five single-deck autonomous buses – each manned by a safety driver – operate in and around the Edinburgh region over two weeks. Bus firm Stagecoach, in partnership with technology company Fusion Processing, bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis and Transport Scotland carried out the initial passenger-less on-road testing in preparation for the launch of a passenger service in the UK’s summer. Sam Greer, regional director for Stagecoach in Scotland, said that this is an exciting project for Scotland and he is pleased that live testing on roads has begun. “This is a major step forward in our journey to fully launch the UK’s first full-sized autonomous bus service and will provide easy…

TWO AND A HALF YEARS after the contract was awarded, Brisbane Metro’s much-anticipated vehicle, the lighTram 25, built and designed by Swiss vehicle manufacturer Hess, has arrived in Brisbane. The 24.5-metre bi-articulated, battery electric pilot vehicle will go through an extensive testing and acceptance process, including on-road testing on Brisbane’s busways and assessment of flash-charging capabilities. Alex Naef, CEO of Hess, said the lighTram 25 offers something unique in the Australian transport sector. “The lighTram 25 is capable of quietly, efficiently and cleanly moving large numbers of people, all while providing a new level of passenger experience,” he said. “This is a flexible transport system that is not tied to rail infrastructure and that can be easily adapted to different transport routes because of the vehicle’s manoeuvrability. “Over the full…

MERCEDES-BENZ continues to rigorously test its eCitaro bus after its recent launch and subsequent use in Italy. The eCitaro G, which is the articulated version of the eCitaro, has been put through its paces in all conditions serving the Seiser Alm region in Turkey at an altitude of approximately 2,000 metres. Mercedes-Benz Turkish bus development body director Dr Zeynep Gul Koca spoke about the development of the bus. “We are responsible for the development of the eCitaro models’ interior equipment, bodywork, exterior coatings, electrical infrastructure, diagnostic systems, road tests and hardware durability tests,” she said. “The successful performance of the articulated eCitaro G under difficult conditions also increases the motivation of our R&D team, which has done important work in the development of the vehicle.” Continuing to carry its investments…

NEW ZEALAND has begun free or discounted fares on public transport at the start of April with the announcement coming from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to address the rising cost of living. The scheme will last for three months, but in the announcement the government flagged more funding for public transport in the Budget. With just two weeks between the initial announcement and rollout, regional councils rushed to≈organise logistics. All regional buses, ferries and trains have been included and the discount is largely being added on to pre-existing concessions and fare types. In Auckland, monthly public transport passes are half price, and in both Auckland and Christchurch daily fare caps have been halved. In Wellington, people with partly-used 30-day passes will be reimbursed 50 per cent of the fare. Metlink…

Before the May 21 federal election, ABC magazine spoke with several political parties about their policies for Australia’s public transport future. Finding a political party’s public transport policies is like spotting a needle in a haystack. But we did the hard work of looking through the smokescreen of election campaigns, speaking with the current federal government, the opposition and the Australian Greens Party about their plans for public transport. What we have found is that, from infrastructure funding to emphasising a sustainable future, the different sides of politics vary in their public transport policies ahead of the election. For the current federal government, comprising the Liberal and National parties, the focus is on upgrading public transport infrastructure across the country. National party member and current public transport minister Paul Fletcher…

Over the years StyleRide has expanded to multiple locations. The business understands the inherent challenges that occur when coordinating manufacturing and logistics across different bases. Based in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge, StyleRide had to operate two sites to accommodate the growing operations the business required to meet the manufacturing demands of its customers. “As we’ve been growing consistently over the past few years, we expanded to our second site about a kilometre away from our Success Street head office,” StyleRide general manager of sales Stephen Long told ABC magazine. “We had vehicles running daily between the sites, resulting in longer lead times for our products and inefficiencies.” Despite the challenging environment over the past few years caused by Covid-19 and its global impact on manufacturing, StyleRide has continued to grow through…

NATIONAL BUS INDUSTRY SUMMIT 28–29 JUNE 2022 CANBERRA This two-day summit program will cover some of the critical issues currently facing the bus industry, and also what’s on the horizon. The summit will focus on three areas that are of high impact across the entire operational and supply chain of the bus industry. The summit will commence Tuesday 28 June, addressing the areas of accessible transport, heavy vehicle law and zero emission technology and transition. Day 2 of the summit will see dedicated seminars and workshops in the areas of industrial relations for operators and technical issues (current and emerging) for suppliers. The BIC will also host an industry dinner on the night of day one. movingpeople.com.au/summit BUSVIC MAINTENANCE CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW 7–8 JULY 2022 The Melbourne Showgrounds will…