Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 421 i Australasian Bus & Coach

Figures suggest thousands of bus trips are being cancelled in NSW daily due to driver shortages. Recent union figures supplied to the Herald suggest bus journeys being cancelled courtesy of driver shortages happened to more than 1,200 trips daily across four privatised Sydney regions on an average July weekday. Figures provided show Transdev John Holland-operated Region 9 buses covering the eastern and south-eastern suburbs had 280 cancelled trips on one day due to a staff shortage of nearly 100 drivers. Other services, like the Region 8 northern beaches and lower north shore buses run by Keolis Downer, saw an average of 360 trips cancelled per day due to a shortage of 60 drivers, while inner west buses in Region 6 had 500 journeys lost, with Transit Systems having a driver…

One of Queensland’s oldest buses has returned home to the Garden City for the first time in more than two decades. The rare 1938 Bedford bus, now on display inside Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, operated on passenger services in Toowoomba for 40 years. The bus is now owned by the Queensland Omnibus and Coach Society (QOCS), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to preserving Queensland’s passenger transport heritage. QOCS purchased the vehicle in November last year after it was put up for auction by Greyhound Australia. Its acquisition was made possible by a consortium of bus industry colleagues and members and friends of the McCafferty family, who generously donated $45,000 to QOCS. “We are very pleased to have the bus return home to Toowoomba for the first time since 2001,” QOCS president Nick…

Kangaroo Bus Lines says there are many benefits to becoming a driver with the company as it looks for new drivers. The Brisbane operator is expanding and looking for enthusiastic bus drivers to join its team. Over the past four decades, Kangaroo Bus Lines has grown from a fleet of nine buses to more than 130 through the power of its people and its brand. The Kangaroo Bus Lines fleet consists of young, modern buses and coaches ranging in seating capacity from 10 to 95 seats, with various vehicle technologies and added vehicle features. Since the company’s inception, Kangaroo Bus Lines has always been motivated about the same things – wanting the business to grow – and has the same focus of maintaining high standards and continuing to be people-centric.…

Foton Mobility CEO Neil Wang certainly isn’t a newcomer to the bus and coach industry, with many knowing him from his involvement with associations and other companies. A few years ago, Wang changed paths and decided to operate his own business, using all the experience and expertise he had acquired. As a result, he decided to introduce new technology to the market to help build Australia’s hydrogen industry. Wang is now CEO of Foton Mobility, the first project of which was to bring its test drive vehicle – a hydrogen city bus with zero emissions – to Australia. Although hydrogen technology is new to Australia, hydrogen fuelled vehicles have been successfully operating in both the Chinese and world market since 2008. When we think of new technologies, we are all…

In 2019, Thermo King’s global body started a rather ambitious project. Seeing the wave of electric buses coming onto the market, the company has been striving to design air conditioning models that are lighter and more efficient to suit these battery electric buses. While Australian arm Queensland Thermo King continues to supply its current products to OEMs around Australia, the global Thermo King group has had a side project finalising its groundbreaking new electric bus air conditioning system platform. These efforts have finally paid off, and are ready for the world to see. Queensland Thermo King product development manager Allan Lowes says its latest electric bus units will be released to the local market just in time for October’s Australasian Bus & Coach Expo in Sydney. “We’ve got a new…

In 1996, Marshall’s Bus & Coach Service’s fleet comprised only three run-down buses and a recently purchased Mercedes-Benz 1418. Then, Peter Marshall purchased a rival operator near NSW’s Tuross Head. It proved to be a gamechanger for the family business. Marshall first started working for the family business in 1976 when he operated the telephone exchange at the age of 13. Based in the tiny NSW town of Gubbata, the business began when parents Ken and Helen bought the town’s two buses as part of a local bulk fuel company and post office/telephone exchange purchase. At age 17, Marshall left school and immediately took to bus driving. In 1994 his parents came home from a beach holiday at Ulladulla and decided to retire to the coast, leaving Marshall to continue…

AUSTRALASIA BUS & COACH EXPO 2022 5–6 OCTOBER 2022 SYDNEY Australasian Bus & Coach magazine is proud to be the Official Media Partner for the 2022 Australasia Bus & Coach Expo. Taking place at Sydney Olympic Park, the event will be an opportunity to see and evaluate the latest in bus technology – including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses – all in one location. Organisers expect exhibition spaces to sell out, with strong interest in both exhibiting and attending. The event will include a Volvo Welcome Function on Tuesday October 4 and an Industry Gala Dinner on Wednesday October 5. www.busandcoachexpo.com.au 2022 BIC NATIONAL CONFERENCE 13–16 NOVEMBER 2022 BRISBANE The Bus Industry Confederation will hold its National Conference in Brisbane from 13 to 16 November. The theme for…

Despite a stellar couple of months, Australian bus and coach deliveries have finally dropped below the 100 mark. After May and June saw 102 units and July jumped up to 120, August fell to 90 deliveries. In the chassis section, Volvo was once again the leading company, following its 27 July deliveries with a further 18 in August. Scania rose and nearly stole Volvo’s crown with 16, while Mercedes-Benz (13) and Yutong (12) weren’t far behind. Bus & Coach International (BCI) fell to eight deliveries, while MAN increased its deliveries in August with six units delivered. BYD and I-Bus (4) both increased their August output by one, while King Long and Custom Denning (3) rounded out the tail with BLK Auto and Challenger (1). When it came to bodybuilders, there…

Foton and Transit Systems have entered into an Australian-first partnership on hydrogen fuel cell city buses. Foton Mobility and Transit Systems have announced an Australian first with the arrival of two hydrogen fuel cell buses, marking a new era in mass transport sustainability. The hydrogen buses are equipped with the fuel cell system jointly developed by SinoHytec and Toyota after 10 years of development to reach the point of commercial readiness. The hydrogen fuel cell buses have been added to Transit Systems’ growing green fleet of sustainable transport solutions, which now includes 60 electric buses and two hydrogen buses – making Transit Systems, which is part of the Kelsian Group, Australia’s most experienced sustainable public transport operator. Foton Mobility Australia CEO Neil Wang says the hydrogen buses are in their…

A University of Melbourne researcher has suggested ways to improve Melbourne’s bus network to increase its electric bus transition. The University of Melbourne is suggesting implementing better bus networks in the city’s suburbs as a way for the transport industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Dr John Stone says despite the incentive for driving electric cars, finding ways to drive less is the best way of meeting climate targets. A key method to providing alternatives to driving in Melbourne is by addressing the city’s bus system. Stone says the University of Melbourne recently completed its Better Buses for Melbourne’s West and Melbourne’s Zero Emission Bus Transition studies to show how it can transition to clean electric buses operating on a fast and connected network. Stone says the Victorian government’s Zero…

Scania Australia has opened applications for its 2023 apprenticeship program. Whether you want to be on the tools in the workshop, or marshalling parts to feed to technicians, Scania says it offers world-class apprenticeships in Australia that will lead to a rewarding career working with the most advanced trucks and buses available. Directly employed by Scania at one of its nine capital city branches, apprentices work with state-of-the-art industry-leading technology in heavy trucks, buses, and engines, using factory-provided computerised diagnostic systems to ensure efficient, reliable performance. Scania’s company-owned modern workshops use cutting edge technology and are already transitioning towards a battery-electric driven vehicle future. Over four years, apprentices will complete industry-accredited training in association with TAFEs, comprising on-the-job mentoring, factory-supplied guided learning, as well as face-to-face training at Scania’s Dealer…

NSW is another step closer to automated buses as it prepares for a state-wide trial of the technology. The New South Wales government says it will invest $5 million towards preparing for a Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) bus trial. According to Roads Australia, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is now seeking expressions of interest from local and international technology leaders to partner with bus manufacturers and transport operators to deliver the trial of on-road connected and automated buses. The trial is a way of revolutionising the state’s transport networks. TfNSW has identified a program to successfully accelerate the real-world application of CAV technologies and is pursuing the integration of this technology into the state’s transport system. The latest CAV Readiness Strategy from the NSW government outlines six priority areas that…

When Yutong released its D7 minibus earlier this year, safety was a key theme. Now, Yutong has taken it to a new level as the largest electric bus manufacturer in the world is set to welcome its new C12e electric bus model to Australia. Yutong’s Australian national distributor, Vehicles Dealer International (VDI) Australia, will receive the new model once it arrives here. VDI Australia general manager Lou Riccardi says the latest electric bus model from the global Yutong workshop will have a similar suite of safety technology to the D7 minibus. “The equipment in the C12e is the same as what’s in the D7,” Riccardi told ABC. “This includes a 360-degree camera, Mobileye, driver fatigue management, standard seatbelts, and technology like an anti-lock braking system, electronic braking system, and a…

Leanne Griffiths never would’ve conceived of running a hydrogen refuelling service station in her wildest dreams. The general manager at Red Bus Services, based in New South Wales’s Bateau Bay, may struggle to believe it, but she is now helping run Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling service for buses and coaches. It all started in 2019, when Griffiths first began discussions with the local Newcastle University about a collaboration on a hydrogen service project. In early 2020, the operator began the process of registering to build the service station. In August that year it submitted its expression of interest to the New South Wales government and waited. The request follows a long line of eco-minded projects by Red Bus. After first operating in the Central Coast region in 1940, Red Bus…

It can be difficult to view the COVID-19 pandemic as a positive for manufacturing companies, but SMC Corporation is doing just that. The leading automation manufacturer learnt valuable lessons over the past few years. As new challenges now present themselves in the sustainable bus and coach market, the Australian arm of the Japanese company is using its experience to overcome trials. “The supply chain impact of COVID-19 was a real challenge on the bus door and automation side of our business,” SMC Australia national sales manager for Bus Doors Darryl Wilson told ABC. “Bus door sales declined and as there wasn’t much passenger uptake, governments pulled back when it came to bus purchases. “On the bus door side we lost a few big suppliers and our aluminium and rubber suppliers…

Electrification of transportation is one of the main pathways to achieving net zero emissions. The electric vehicle (EV) industry continues to grow exponentially and, in tandem, so does the supporting infrastructure to help the adoption of electrified transportation. Siemens has had a long history in this space. In fact, between 1905 and 1909, in Berlin, Siemens was building various versions of electric cars itself, including a van, a minibus and four-seat convertible that was used as a hotel taxi. Today, governments across the world – from Nuremberg to Netherlands and Canada to China – are working with Siemens to electrify their bus transport fleets so they can meet their emission reduction targets. Whilst opportunities are aplenty, there are several considerations. Siemens electric vehicle charging infrastructure lead Olivia Laskowski sat down…

BUSCO knows all about electric buses. Founded in 2012, the new-age manufacturer has quickly forged innovative ways of building unique new zero-emission buses. All of EBUSCO’s nous and knowledge has been put into its latest range. The public company that first started manufacturing electric buses and accompanying charging infrastructure in the Netherlands is now releasing its first right-hand drive option to the Australian market. While EBUSCO begins delivering its EBUSCO 2.2 vehicle to customers Down Under, it will build models that continue to advance battery electric bus technology. “We’re proud to have the EBUSCO 2.2 in Australia now as a right-hand drive option,” EBUSCO Australian director Simon Pearce told ABC. “It’s been a project years in the making, so we’re proud to have the Australian vehicle fitted with EBUSCO’s latest…

Sustainability seems to be on the lips of many in the bus and coach industry lately. But why say it when you can show it? That’s what Reading Buses is doing. The English operator is pushing for a more carbon neutral industry in its own unique way by covering one of its bio-methane powered single deck buses with a unique livery. The bus has been transformed into a climate stripes bus as a way of showing the change in temperature in the county of Berkshire since 1863. Following months of consultation with University of Reading Professor and world-leading climate scientist Ed Hawkins, who came up with the warming stripes idea, Reading Buses decided to raise awareness of climate change through its own fleet. “The idea to put the climate stripes…

Australasian bus operator Kinetic has officially welcomed NZ Bus Ltd (NZ Bus) to its business in New Zealand after acquiring the company. The acquisition expands Kinetic’s operation into the fast-growing cities of Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga under long-term government contracts. NZ Bus’s accelerated electric bus roll-out program and significant investment in depot conversion and infrastructure will also bolster Kinetic’s sustainability credentials and commitment to zero-emission transport as the region’s largest battery electric bus (BEB) operator, and one of the largest globally. NZ Bus currently operates 70 BEBs and, last year, announced Australasia’s biggest electric bus order in partnership with Auckland Transport (AT), with 152 BEBs to replace around 12 per cent of the diesel bus fleet over the next four years. Kinetic already operates 10 BEBs in Auckland as part…

Transdev has joined forces with the Queensland government to invest in hydrogen buses. Public transport operator Transdev has backed a cleaner hydrogen transport future by investing in two hydrogen buses with support from the Queensland government. Queensland Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles announced a $1.5 million commitment for the buses under the state government’s Hydrogen Industry Development Fund. Transdev will match the $1.5m investment to purchase the two hydrogen fuel cell buses to service the eastern suburbs of Brisbane from its Capalaba depot. Transdev Queensland managing director Mark McKenzie says he is proud of securing the funding and the government’s commitment to growing the hydrogen industry and its opportunities. “The state government has already backed zero-emissions vehicles and now we look forward to what hydrogen has to offer,” McKenzie says.…

Five new zero-emissions buses will soon be operating in Cairns according to Kinetic. Cairns streets will soon see new battery electric buses (BEBs) operating Translink services across the city, with each BEB expected to save as much as 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases over their lifespan and reduce noise pollution. Their arrival in north Queensland builds on the Queensland government’s commitment that every new bus in south east Queensland will be zero-emissions from 2025, with regional implementation to begin between 2025 and 2030. Cairns MP Michael Healy inspected the new BEBs as they underwent commissioning prior to entering passenger service in September. Kinetic Co-CEO Michael Sewards says each battery electric bus has an immediate impact on emissions reduction. “Every electric bus we put on the road replaces a diesel one…

SLOVENIA FOULED BY BUS As the 2017 European basketball winners in Slovenia waited to begin its title defence, a bus driver lost their job due to missing the memo. Slovenia may have kicked off its campaign in style with a win over Lithuania, but the coach driver responsible for picking up the team from its hotel hours before the game never showed up. The side was forced to catch taxis to the arena after realising the coach wasn’t coming. After basketball bodies received criticism for the incident, it was revealed the driver didn’t follow the schedule and was dismissed from their position. FREE PARTY BUS A Blackpool venue in England has roused memories from people who used to find novel ways to reach the premises. The Blackpool Mecca is an…

When E-T-A Engineering Technology business development manager (BDM) Philipp Teepe first joined the company halfway through 2017, he wanted a new challenge and a cultural change. Five years into his time with the circuit breaker technology provider, Teepe is now living and breathing E-T-A’s sustainable lifestyle. “I was previously working with a huge international group before I arrived at E-T-A,” Teepe told ABC. “What I love about the company is that the management is empowering all of us employees to live sustainably. “I love the fact we’re on this mission to benefit the world and lives around us and not just say it without action.” Teepe is also part of the company’s CO2 reduction team that aims to prioritise reducing the company’s emissions. He recently initiated a company-wide survey to…

Global truck and bus manufacturer BLK Auto first came to Australian First Nations company AngelTrax earlier in the year looking to partner. Originally BLK wanted a reliable Australian Design Rule (ADR) approved electronic mirror for its zero-emissions buses. It came away with plenty more. “We first approached AngelTrax around six months ago,” BLK Auto managing director Jason Pecotic told ABC. “It was based on the fact that we’re building new energy vehicles in our electric and hydrogen bus models and we saw the need for approved electronic mirrors.” BLK moved quickly to use AngelTrax products on its buses. Pecotic says it was the right move for BLK Auto as it looks to become a leading zero-emissions bus provider to the Australian market. “It helps us be positioned right at the…

When it came to taking the next step, ZF followed the wave. The zero-emission transition is engulfing the local region’s bus and coach industry. ZF’s Australian arm is now continuing to grow by bolstering its e-mobility sector. ZF has been focusing on increasing its e-mobility capabilities recently. The direction received a massive boost when ZF acquired electronic system provider WABCO in May 2020. Blair Rundle was one of the WABCO employees who joined the ZF team to increase the manufacturer’s zero-emissions capabilities and is now ZF’s head of commercial vehicle aftermarket in Oceania. “The integration from WABCO to ZF has been smooth,” Rundle told ABC. “We feel like we’re part of it all now, as with the acquisition it makes ZF a bumper-to-bumper supplier for buses and coaches. “From a…

There are great things happening at Bus Stop Sales, with the bus and coach dealer continuing to add zero-emissions buses to its evolving sustainable range. The exclusive distributor of King Long buses and coaches has announced it is bringing two more King Long vehicles into its fold. The two new arrivals for Bus Stop include a completely new King Long electric urban bus chassis and a new and locally manufactured bus package from Bus Stop. The new model comes courtesy of a gamechanging new body partnership between Bus Stop and Australian body builder Volgren Australia. Bus Stop Sales managing director Pete White says the new arrivals and the Volgren partnership is incredibly exciting. “The opportunity with Volgren to be selected as a partner is an honour for us – it…

Since its inception in 2017, Australian vehicle brand Challenger Bus & Coach has been on a whirlwind of a journey as it prepares to release new models onto the market. In just the past year alone, the Melbourne-based company has expanded to establish Perth and Brisbane offices, with further plans to set up in Sydney too. Despite Challenger facing hurdles along the way, sales manager Dan Campbell says the brand has forged through to hit an exciting patch for the fledgling company. “We started getting some momentum before COVID-19 hit as we were taking off,” Campbell told ABC. “It was tough, but we’ve gotten through it and are now starting to build in the past six months as everything opens back up. “Having recently gone to conferences, and with the…