Australasian Bus & Coach 395 July 2020

ABC

AUSTRALASIAN BUS & COACH

BUS RESCUE AUSSIE COACH INDUSTRY HELP SOUGHT NZ GO BUS ELECTRIC LEASING DEAL INKED UNSW EBUSCO UNI MOU SIGNED

ISSUE 395 July 2020 $5.95 inc GST

HELLO KITTY Volvo’s first Aussie e-bus to hit Perth’s CAT route

operator: mt gravatt, qld driven: MAN RR8 deliveries: tax year surge

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Efficient e Bus fleet planning

Lower cost power connections

More asset uptime

Techno-economic modelling

Toshiba... improving transport electrification since 1875

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We do the important things passengers never notice Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd www.tic.toshiba.com.au/e-mobility Email: emobility-info@tic.toshiba.com.au 11A Gibbon Road Winston Hills NSW 2153 Australia Telephone: +612 8867 6200

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contents ISSUE 395 JULY 2020

08 in the know

22. column | BIC How do we encourage people to travel across Australia by coach rather than ‘fly over it’, asks Michael Apps.

Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city bus – known as the eCitaro G – has already received more than 60 ‘definite orders’, the company has announced.

viruses and hamburgers. Yep, what a month!

In focus

26. In focus | marshall’s moruya

8. news | the front line

24. In focus | articulated ecitaro

We’ve gathered up all the key, hardhitting Australasian and international bus and coach

ARTICULATED ELECTRIC CITARO LAUNCHED

news for you, to keep you in the loop.

A fully electric articulated version of the

6. editorial | ignition Editor Cotter talks e-buses, coaches, asteroids,

LAST ‘CUSTOM SB50’ BUS BODY DELIVERED NSW south coast bus operator Marshall’s Moruya has received the very last ‘Custom designed and made’ SB50 bus body, ending an 11-year production run with an estimated minimum 135 units delivered across Australia.

28. In focus | ventura scania

SLIDE-OUT WHEELCHAIR LIFT KEY Ventura has added eight new Scania Touring school and charter coaches to its fleet, with a luggage-space-saving slideout wheelchair lift a highlight.

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32. coverstory | volvo-volgren e-bus

TOP CAT Volvo is entering the Australian electric bus market via its massive agreement

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor: Fabian Cotter ph: 0451 194 600 e-mail: fcotter@bauer-media.com.au Technical Writer: Paul Aldridge Contributors: Michael Apps, Anjali Behl

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EXECUTIVE GROUP

with Transperth and its CAT bus system. Fabian Cotter spoke exclusively with Volvo Bus Australia’s David Mead about all things electric bus.

40. operator | mt gravatt bus service

STRENGTH OF A WOMAN Women in business often still do it tough these days as they endeavour to smash that seemingly ubiquitous ‘glass ceiling’. Rewind more than 45 years ago, that ceiling might as well have been made of concrete.

Queensland’s Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel is proof Del Cole took her jackhammer to it. Fabian Cotter reports.

58. driven | man rr8 ic 19.290 e5

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL The new MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5 has been designed for the school run, but has been built with a luxury coach feel. It more than proved its mettle in wet and wintery conditions on a recent test drive out of the Penske home base in Wacol, writes Paul Aldridge.

We will be showing our electric offering in a commercial operation from day one!

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Departments 49. bus marketplace | classifieds

FOR SALE! There’s hundreds of great vehicles and services listed here from some of the leading bus and coach companies on the planet. Have a look around and see what you might find in there!

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ISSN 1324-8634 Member: Circulations Audit Board

Circulation 3,502

CIRCULATIONS AUDIT BOARD

(CAB Audit, September 2019)

Largest circulating bus and coach magazine in Australasia CIRCULATIONS AUDIT BOARD

54. factory facts | bus deliveries

MONTHLY RESULTS We know you love them and so we have the latest bus and coach supplier sales data collected and recorded for you to sink your teeth into. To know who is who and who’s done what simply check it out!

DISTRIBUTION Distribution within Australia and New Zealand and beyond by paid subscription to the owners and managers of: • route buses • government bus operations • school buses • extended and day tour operations • express coaches • country and charter operations • bus and coach manufacturers • equipment suppliers • tourism attractions • railways management Notice: All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us.

Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent from the copyright holder.

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IGNITION

FABIAN COTTER

Save Our Souls

The coach side of the Aussie bus industry is in dire need of government help. And there’s no better time to put out an S.O.S.

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riefly block out the funky Reggae-ish ‘ohhhhh’ inflection parts of Sting’s vocals in the 1979 hit song Message In A Bottle and you might better appreciate The Police were just singing about some castaway’s yearning to be saved from a loneliness-induced state of despair. Not from being in it, but before going into it – and similarly the Australian coach industry is seeking federal government help now before things get even worse.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fluctuating fortunes of different levels of restrictions in different states at different times [facepalm] – underwritten by the bewildering ‘the mask wearing we said was actually bad before is now back to being good again’ [another facepalm] – is doing the head in of many a coach operator nationwide trying to stay in business.

Borders opened, now they’re closed.

Passenger numbers up, now they have to be controlled. Like many in business, 2020 has thrown them a massive curve ball. With the tourism side of things not looking like it will be picking up soon, many are flagging that they might not be able to hold the fort for much longer if things persist like this.

And who can blame them?

Until the most recent ‘second-wave’ virus outbreaks, things were looking up from a relatively ‘back to business’ point of view. And so with yet another month of rapid changes to the outlook and financial predictions, the call for more help has been made – before it’s too late for many.

Thankfully, the Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) is putting its members’ concerns front and centre and made great strides to draw more focus to the industry’s plight.

THE LONG HAUL With expert opinion it will take another 12 to 18 months before the Australian bus industry is able to “transition out of this crisis”, the federal government is being asked to ‘step up and do more’ to ‘protect our industry and the people we support’, it says.

Australia’s peak bus body – representing an industry responsible for transporting alone more than 500,000 coach passengers 6

every day – is actively seeking a national rescue package for the sector in its advisory role to the Tourism Restart Taskforce, which was established by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in April, 2020.

Speaking on behalf of the BIC following the recent release of the Tourism Restart Taskforce’s plan to rebuild Australia’s tourism sector, executive director Michael Apps said: “We fully endorse the recommendations by the Tourism Restart Taskforce to bring tourism back to life through targeted policy reforms and greater investments in infrastructure and training.”

However, he also pointed out: “We need government to step up and do more to protect our industry and the people we support.

“We require a national rescue package to support us though the downturn and on the road out,” he added.

As Apps explained, a rescue package has been developed that includes: immediate financial assistance to provide a full diesel rebate, like the mining sector receives; the extension of JobKeeper for our industry beyond September; and consideration of a travel rebate of fares to encourage the Australian public to travel across the nation – not over it!

This is a great initiative and we can all only hope it doesn’t fall by the wayside amongst all the other cries for help from sundry industries and organisations doing it tough these days, too.

Buses and coaches play an integral part of the Australian and New Zealand transport and tourism industries – and the thousands of jobs and livelihoods associated with them – so both national governments should be lobbied for help.

Bus and coach has been a good corporate citizen overall in terms of contributions to the tax coffers over many years, so a JobKeeper extension and those other useful measures would really help.

Besides … ‘you don’t ask, you don’t get’, so fingers and toes crossed for all involved and we wish them good luck.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

The big news of the month comes with Volvo’s announcement it is bringing an

electric bus to Australia for the first time, with Volgren once again doing bodywork.

As part of the huge 900-plus bus supply deal announced last year for the Perth PTA, the new tech to this market is sure to get a lot of attention and so it – well, at least an ‘artist’s impression’ of it – graces our cover this issue.

Speaking of artist’s impressions, a massive thanks to our [I would say Bauer and I should say Bauer, but with new owners I’m just going with ‘our’] internal photoshop guru Paul Breen, who was kind enough to whip up our own e-bus rear shot for me. Again, it’s the beauty of an interpretation to just get the mind thinking, so I wouldn’t ‘put any sheepstations on it’ just yet. Heck, if it ends up with a couple of oversized ‘Fast and The Furious’ rear wings on the back, or some deep recess for a massive toaster or something, just take this pic with a grain of proverbial salt, please!

And yes, I did just use the term ‘sheepstations’ to freak out our international readers. You’re welcome. ;) Further inside on page 40 we visit Mt Gravatt Bus Service in Queensland as our operator story this month – and what a story it is. Del Cole has done amazing things there, so hats off to her. And also inside on page 58 we take an MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5 with Coach Design ‘school bus’ body out for a test drive in the wet and came away mightily impressed.

Other stories of note include our In Focus pieces on Custom’s last SB50 bus body being delivered to Marshall’s Moruya in NSW; Victoria’s Ventura picking up a few new Scania Touring coaches recently; and way over in Europe [‘way’ – because everything all just seems sooooo much farther away to me nowadays] Mercedes-Benz has launched an articulated version of its award-winning eCitaro electric bus.

That’s about it from me this month, folks.

Failing us getting hit by a ‘global killer’ asteroid in the next 30 days, I’ll see ya’ll back here then.

Until the next thrilling instalment...

P.S. Googled and just found this: NASA Detects Killer Asteroid That Could Wipe Out Life On Earth By 2027. Really? Come on now, guys! Enough is enough. Gees...

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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21/7/20 11:57 am

NEWS

SYDNEY ‘REGION 8’ BUS TENDER OPEN THE TENDER for Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the Lower North Shore bus contract – Region 8 – is now officially open, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has announced.

The “competitive tender process” for operating Region 8 bus services is an opportunity for leading transport operators from both Australia and overseas to demonstrate how they will deliver improved services to customers on behalf of the NSW government, TfNSW explains.

“We’re looking for an operator to deliver new and innovative services for our customers on the North Shore and Northern Beaches. This will mean more frequent and convenient services throughout the day, including turn-up-and-go and on-demand routes,” said Elizabeth Mildwater, deputy secretary – Greater Sydney, at TfNSW. “We’re also looking for operators to show us how they can help the government transition to zero-emission buses, and improve 8

real-time information that will help customers to better plan their journeys and connect with other transport modes,” Mildwater added.

The start of the competitive tender process in Region 8 follows several months of market sounding late 2019 and earlier this year. It will close on September 30, 2020, with the transition to the new operator expected during the final quarter of 2021, TfNSW explains.

“All operational staff, including bus drivers and maintenance staff, will have the opportunity to transfer to the new operator.”

ASSETS KEPT As part of the franchising process, the NSW government will maintain control of routes, fares, assets such as buses and the existing depots at North Sydney, Brookvale and Mona Vale, it says.

“All operational staff, including bus drivers and maintenance staff, will have the opportunity to transfer to the new operator with a two-year job guarantee on the same award terms and conditions,” said Mildwater.

“Every effort will be made to

Above: As part of the franchising process, the NSW government will maintain control of routes, fares, assets such as buses and the existing depots at North Sydney, Brookvale and Mona Vale, it says.

find roles for non-operational award employees before services change hands to the new operator, either with the new operator or within the public sector,” she added.

Prospective tenderers can register to participate by visiting the NSW government’s eTenders website.

The competitive tender process for the two other regions currently operated by State Transit – Region 7 in Sydney’s north and Region 9 in Sydney’s east – are currently planned to open in August and November 2020, respectively.

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AUSSIE UNI SIGNS MOU TO ADVANCE ZERO-EMISSIONS BUS TECH THE UNIVERSITY of New South Wales – one of Australia’s leading research and teaching universities – has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dutch e-bus manufacturer Ebusco, to “accelerate development of zero emissions transport”, the entities have announced.

The Sydney-based UNSW’s agreement with the Dutch electric bus manufacturer will bolster research and development of electric vehicles and sustainable transport in Australia, they state.

UNSW President and ViceChancellor, Professor Ian Jacobs, says the partnership reflects UNSW’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

“This new collaboration with Ebusco will help make significant advances in areas such as renewable energy and manufacturing – both areas of research strength at UNSW,” Professor Jacobs said.

“We are committed to taking action on climate change and to working with industry as such partnerships are key to making a positive global impact,” he explained.

Under the terms of the agreement, UNSW students and research experts will have the

opportunity to work with Ebusco engineers on diverse subject areas, such as transport planning, energy storage and advanced and precision manufacturing, it’s reported.

Students will have access to scholarship programmes, industry placements and internships at Ebusco’s operations in the Netherlands, China and Australia, says Ebusco. Students and staff will also have opportunities to work directly with the company’s engineers on the next generation of Ebusco’s electric bus fleets.

The MoU further strengthens Ebusco’s commitment to Australian bus manufacturing, with the company only recently announcing its alliance with Australian Bus Corp – aka Bustech, Precision Buses and Elphinstone – earlier this month.

Professor Ian Gibson, Associate Dean (Industry and Innovation) at UNSW Engineering, says the MoU presents an unsurpassed opportunity to advance UNSW research across multiple engineering disciplines.

“This partnership draws on complementary expertise and we hope it will lead to new and more efficient ways of manufacturing electric vehicles in Australia. I am looking forward to seeing the translation of UNSW’s research into commercial outcomes,” Prof. Gibson said.

A NATURAL FIT Director of Ebusco’s Australian business Simon Pearce believes the relationship with UNSW is a natural fit.

“We were blown away by the breadth and depth of knowledge at UNSW. I have no doubt this partnership will help Ebusco continue to pioneer world-leading technology and sustainable transport solutions.”

UNSW and Ebusco say they hope to work with Transport for NSW to improve health and the environment in our cities.

The NSW government announced late last year that it would replace Sydney’s ageing diesel bus fleet with electric vehicles. It is currently calling for expressions of interest for running trials of environmentally friendly zero emission buses.

Below: Under the terms of the agreement, UNSW students and research experts will have the opportunity to work with Ebusco engineers on diverse subject areas, the company confirms.

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NEWS

RMS BUS FINES REMINDER ACCOMPANIES NORTHCONNEX LAUNCH PENALTIES will apply to some bus and truck operators for avoiding Sydney’s new NorthConnex toll road, with gantry-camera vehicle-size monitoring in use, warns NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).

As first reported in ABC magazine’s sister title ATN, amidst the pomp and ceremony of NorthConnex’s first end-to-end drivethrough lurks a Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) memo to commercial vehicle operators in

May 2020, on the consequences of avoiding the new toll road.

The launch of the $3 billion state-federal initiative saw a photo opportunity for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance at the 9km twin tunnels, which travel between the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga and the M2 Hills

Above: The ministerial (L-R: McCormack, Morrison, Berejiklian, Constance) march through the new tunnel.

Motorway at West Pennant Hills.

The tunnel is said to be open to the public “within two months”.

In a statement, all ministers praised the flagship project, with Berejiklian noting once complete NorthConnex would save up to 15 minutes’ travel time and allow drivers to avoid 21 sets of traffic lights along Pennant Hills Road.

“Today’s drive-through is another indication of how close we are getting to opening this key piece of infrastructure and helping to alleviate the traffic problems Pennant Hills Road has been experiencing for decades,” she said.

“NorthConnex will return local streets to local communities by taking up to 5,000 trucks per day off Pennant Hills Road, easing congestion, improving safety and local air quality, and reducing traffic noise.”

McCormack adds: “This project is one of many which is moving people safely and more efficiently across Sydney, while creating job opportunities for local workers.”

Given the project is being delivered in partnership with toll road operator Transurban, tolls will apply, with April 2020 pricing set at

NATIONAL BUS RESCUE PACKAGE SOUGHT TO SAVE COACH TOURISM A LOOMING ELECTION at the time with expert opinion it will take another 12 to 18 months before the Australian bus industry is able to “transition out of this crisis”, the federal government is being asked to “step up and do more” to “protect our industry and the people we support”, says the Bus Industry Confederation (BIC).

Australia’s peak bus body – representing an industry responsible for transporting alone more than 500,000 coach passengers every day – made the call for a national rescue package in its advisory role to the Tourism Restart Taskforce, which was established by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in April 2020.

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Speaking on behalf of the BIC following the recent release of the Tourism Restart Taskforce’s plan to rebuild Australia’s tourism sector, executive director Michael Apps said: “We fully endorse the recommendations by the Tourism Restart Taskforce to bring tourism back to life through targeted policy reforms and greater investments in infrastructure and training.”

However, he also pointed out: “We need government to step up and do more to protect our industry and the people we support.

“We require a national rescue package to support us though the downturn and on the road out,” he added.

In fact, however, such a package has already been proffered for government consideration.

As Apps explained: “…we have developed a rescue package that includes immediate financial assistance to provide a full diesel rebate, like the mining sector receives; the extension of JobKeeper for our industry beyond September; and consideration of a travel rebate of fares to encourage the Australian public to travel across the nation – not over it.

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L Below: “We need Government to step up and do more to protect our industry and the people we support,” says BIC executive director Michael Apps.

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$7.83 for cars and $23.50 for heavy vehicles.

More pertinent to industry, however, is RMS’ recently released guide to using NorthConnex for trucks and buses, reminding operators that: “...we will only be able to deliver the benefits of NorthConnex by removing some of the truck and bus traffic from Pennant Hills Road”.

It says operators will need to know their vehicle dimensions and plan trips accordingly.

“Trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 metres clearance height) travelling between the M1 and M2 must use the tunnels unless they have a genuine delivery or pick up destination only accessible via Pennant Hills Road,” the document states.

“Two gantries will monitor trucks and buses on Pennant Hills Road – in the north at Normanhurst and in the south at Beecroft/ West Pennant Hills.

“Cameras in the gantries will record the height and length of trucks and buses.

“Trucks and buses (over 12.5 metres long or over 2.8 metres clearance height) which pass both gantries with the flow of traffic will receive a fine of $191 with no loss of demerit points.”

Exceptions apply to vehicles transporting dangerous goods with a dangerous goods placard or sign, and oversize vehicles operating under a Class 1 permit or notice approved to use Pennant Hills Road.

RMS pledges to share further information on NorthConnex to ensure industry can plan for the new regulation.

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“This will support our local tourism industry and, in particular, local regional tourism.”

LONG ROAD AHEAD With Australian tourism at a standstill, tens of thousands of jobs in the bus and coach sector are at severe risk with operators being forced to park a national tour and charter fleet of more than 8,000 large coaches and thousands of mini buses, covering non-public transport services for more than 500,000 coach tour passengers every day, according to the BIC. “The reality is that no passengers mean no tours, no charters and no travel,” said Apps.

“Since Covid-19 started and travel restrictions and border closures were announced, we’ve seen most coach operators have no choice but to be either deregister[ed], or permanently parked and most staff laid off, or on JobKeeper.”

AUS ABC Transport Ad 120x276mm-V2.indd 1

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NEWS

BUS INDUSTRY ASSESSES ‘CASUAL DRIVERS’ AFTER KEY IR CASE A LONG-AWAITED decision on an industrial relations-shaping ‘work status’ case has cast casual drivers into the Australian bus industry’s spotlight during an expert-led round-table discussion, recently.

If the decision stands, operators will be required to make dramatic changes to their work forces and perhaps further changes made to the Awards and Enterprise Agreements.

The conjecture comes following a Bus Industry Confederation (BIC)-led Industrial Working Group’s online seminar held on June 12, 2020, where Professor Andrew Stewart – Professor at Law, Adelaide University – gave his views on what the decision means for the bus industry.

THE CASE On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, the eagerly anticipated decision in the Workpac Pty Ltd v. Rossato was handed down. The case related to Mr Rossato, a casual worker employed by labour-hire company WorkPac as a drive-in/drive-out production employee engaged to work on various mines within the Glencore Group. Some of the employment contracts required Rossato to work in accordance with a roster, which allocated shifts up to seven months in advance.

Most of Rossato’s contracts contemplated the payment of a casual loading without specifically referring to the casual loading, and Rossato was paid at a higher rate than those stipulated in the Enterprise Agreement.

Rossato’s case has upheld the previous decision in the Workpac Pty Ltd v. Skene case, in which an employee with a ‘firm advance commitment’ of employment was deemed not to be a casual employee, but a ‘permanent part-time employee’ with all the entitlements provided under the National Employment Standards, such as annual and sick leave, BIC explains.

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THE DISCUSSION More than 50 BIC and Australian Public Transport Industrial Association (APTIA) members heard from Professor Stewart, who advised that they should try to persuade long-term casuals to convert to permanent employment, or at least consider amending employment contracts to clearly stipulate casual loadings and their purpose, and to allow for set off or restitution if deemed otherwise.

“Casual coach and charter drivers may no longer be able to be employed as casuals.”

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THINGS TO CONSIDER NOW

Above: Professor Stewart advises bus operators should try to persuade long-term casual employees (drivers) to convert to permanent employment, or at least consider amending employment contracts to clearly stipulate casual loadings and their purpose.

In the meantime, MacDonald suggests that employers consider the following actions: 1. Is it possible to convert casual employees to part-time or full-time employment (noting a school bus driver working 20 hours a week, 40 weeks of the year, may not fit into this category)?

2. Write to each casual employee and advise them that they are employed as casual employees and that they receive an additional hourly payment that covers them for the paid leave entitlements, which part-time or permanent employees receive and that the additional payment is set off against any paid NES entitlement.

3. Where possible, pay slips should record the additional payment along with the base rate of pay, so the additional payment (loading) is clearly designated.

4. Seek to add to Enterprise Agreement negotiations a clause that aims to protect an employer from ‘double dipping’ by an employee deemed not to be a casual whilst they are receiving the casual loading.

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LEGAL ADVICE Executive director of the BIC Michael Apps, said: “The Bus Industry Confederation has advocated to its members a ‘wait and see’ approach to the decision and has sought legal advice on its implications for our employers.”

“It is evident, however, that the implication for our industry from the decision is that employment for casual school bus drivers, who work regularly for 40 weeks a year, will have to be re-assessed by their employers and casual coach and charter drivers also may no longer be able to be employed as casuals,” he added.

The BIC believes that it is probably safe to assume that if an employee has a ‘firm advance commitment’ of work, within the meaning of Skene and Rossato, then these employees are not casual employees.

National IR manager of the BIC, Ian MacDonald, said: “It is likely, however, that there will be relief by way of set off, as it is clear that the decision creates inequities… (such as) a casual school bus driver, working regularly for 20 hours a week, 40 weeks a year and no longer deemed a casual employee (under the principles set out in Rossato’s case) could be paid 25 per cent more for working 20 hours a week than a part-time employee who is not entitled to a loading but working the same 20 hours. Each driver would be then entitled to pro-rata leave entitlements.”

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BUS INDUSTRY SEEKS GOVT JOBKEEPER EXTENSION AN EXTENSION of “at least six months” to the Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme is being sought for the Long Distance, Tourist and Charter (LDTC) sector by the Bus Australia Network (BAN) – a collective industry entity – it’s been revealed.

In correspondence dated June 30, 2020, and issued to the Hon. Michael McCormack MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, the network is seeking for JobKeeper to be extended, “…for at least six months beyond September 27, 2020 in order to get through the December 2020 – February 2021 school holiday period, where there are minimal school extracurricular activities to generate business for this sector of the industry.

“An extension of JobKeeper will enable these operators, who are mainly small and medium-sized

businesses, to endure the Covid-19 crisis longer and have an opportunity to recommence commercial operations during the second quarter of 2021.”

BAN is an umbrella title for the following bus organisations: the Bus Industry Confederation (BIC), BusNSW, BusSA, BusVic, QBIC, TasBus and BusWA.

ECONOMIC IMPACT As the document highlights, coronavirus has caused a massive disruption to this “non-contracted” sector of the industry, with state government restrictions on movement and gatherings, and border closures, contributing to a substantial downturn.

“These operators are not protected by funding linked to state government contracts and generally have a substantial investment in assets including buses and depots,” it states.

Above: Additionally, BAN asks that any federal government stimulus for the tourism industry include direct financial assistance to bus and coach operators, who are dependent on international and domestic tourists.

“The cancellation of airline services, cruise ships, major events and transport for school, pensioner and social groups has left these operators and their employees in a precarious situation.

“As a result, most operators have put their businesses into hibernation and are acutely concerned about their ability to recommence operations and remain viable – thousands of drivers have been stood down and hundreds of vehicles have been deregistered,” it adds.

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Aside from the expected screens and passenger dividers (in principle similar to what many consumers in Australia and New Zealand have seen used in supermarkets and sundry stores), these include: a smart camera for access control; automatic vehicle disinfection without passengers on board; and Eco3 air purification.

F H

IN o fa h t “ K

SMART CAMERAS

VIRUS SPIKE PUTS BUS ANTI-COVID MEASURES IN FOCUS RECENT CORONAVIRUS case number increases in Victoria has put new emphasis on hygiene protection strategies on buses and coaches becoming standard – not just optional – sooner rather than later, according to a leading European bus-body manufacturer spokesperson.

“We are seeing certain anti-coronavirus measures being ISO certified in Europe due to demand, where the impact of the disease has reportedly been much greater than here in Australia, in terms of cases and deaths,” said Daniel Castro, director at Irizar Asia Pacific Pty Ltd based in Melbourne.

“Unfortunately, what we are seeing here in certain parts of Melbourne, Victoria, right now could be an indication that such a virus or maybe even future viruses could repeat and would need to be best managed and mitigated quickly, so maybe anti-viral strategies and improved hygiene and non-contact screening measures on buses should be made mandatory, so we are being proactive and prepared instead of being ‘reactive’ and caught off guard,” he explained.

“In this way people can travel more at ease on buses and it might even help improve (or lessen) social distancing, so as to increase 14

passenger capacity safely on buses,” Castro added.

While such sentiments come at a time Irizar is trialling its new European-sourced suite of anti-virus bus-travel solutions, it is quick to point out the issue is greater than one brand and that other bus marques also have emerging technologies and strategies to help combat the spread of the disease.

“It might be a case where government contracts for bus services are only awarded in future when the buses being used have a checklist of anti-Covid measures fitted from the factory, or need them retrofitted by the aftermarket, if and when such things exist,” he suggested.

PT REACTIVATION In a move to further promote safe and sustainable collective mobility, the Irizar Group in Europe highlighted a range of hygiene solutions recently, which Castro has brought to the Asia-Pacific market for extended trials and further demonstration.

To combat the virus on public transport, the company also displayed its range of strategies to help tackle the Covid-19 problem on buses and coaches with a video showcasing them in action.

Pictured: In this way people can travel more at ease on buses and it might even help improve (or lessen) social distancing, so as to increase passenger capacity safely on buses,” Castro added.

The access control camera is a smart system located at the vehicle’s entrance. Its goal is to keep passengers who show symptoms, or who do not follow the Covid-19 protocols, from boarding the vehicle, Irizar explains.

It is equipped with a body temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the passengers and signals when it is above 37˚C. It also has artificial vision cameras that can be used to detect whether passengers are wearing masks and the complete process is done automatically and in real time, it adds.

“When a passenger has a fever or is not wearing a mask the system will make a signal alerting them that they may not board the vehicle and the driver can act proactively without needing supervision to follow the established health protocol,” Castro outlined.

“These cameras do not record the personal data of passengers in order to comply with privacy requirements,” he is quick to explain.

The device provides the possibility of being integrated with the fleet manager product provided by Irizar, for the purpose of monitoring and managing the recorded Covid-19 incidents quickly and easily, Castro states.

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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u g it p d e u

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FAMILY BUS OPERATOR CHANGES LOGO TO HONOUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN THANKING all those who “…keep our country moving forward safely,” a family-run Queensland bus operator has updated its corporate branding to honour all essential workers – “including all bus drivers”, Koala Koaches has announced.

The company has recently updated its livery by re-introducing a graphic of a koala, and a gum leaf, to its signage – even more so emotively poignant and respectful given the destructive bushfires across Australia earlier this year – and changed to using teal and charcoal colours.

Yet perhaps most impressively, the company has honoured its namesake iconic animal and those at the forefront of the current Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic situation by including stickers of a large koala head wearing a face mask, underwritten by the words: “THANK YOU all Essential Workers!”

According to the company, this was its way of thanking all essential workers for their efforts during Covid-19, including “all bus drivers” and those that work in the transport industry, who “keep our country moving forward safely.”

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES Like many long-standing family owned bus and coach operators and businesses across Australasia, the 58-year-old Koala Koaches says it’s never seen anything like Covid-19 and will do its bit to, “…continue to work through these difficult times together, to slowly get all businesses back to normality.”

ABOUT KOALA KOACHES Koala Koaches specialises in coach, bus and minibus hire in and around the Gold Coast, Queensland.

It operates a fleet of various sized buses and coaches, with seating for seven to 67 passengers.

Koala Koaches commuters, minis and midis are also available for self-drive hire, to people over 25 years of age and holding the appropriate driver’s License, it states.

Since 1963, Koala Koaches has been a local, family owned and operated bus and coach company, based in Burleigh Heads.

Above: According to The Gold Coast’s Koala Koaches, this was its way of thanking all essential workers for their efforts during Covid-19, including “all bus drivers”.

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VOLGREN ANTI-VIRUS ‘FOG’ TECH TO IMPROVE BUS BIOSAFETY WITH FAR WIDER applications than just buses, Volgren is to bring a suite of anti-virus solutions for Covid-19 into Australia to improve biosafety for passengers, the company has announced.

Volgren’s parent company, Marcopolo, has recently launched a range of global biosafety measures designed to limit the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus and improve the safety of bus passengers, drivers and the general public, it states.

Known as ‘Marcopolo BioSafe’, the suite of products includes: Fog In Place (FIP) OnBoard – a dry fog that disinfects the inside of buses, trains or trams without using chemicals that are toxic to humans; protection kits for drivers; and UVC light technology to disinfect restrooms.

Australian bus body manufacturer Volgren is investigating how the products could be used in an Australian context.

CEO of Marcopolo James Bellini says the new concept promotes passenger biosafety while respecting the guidelines of health and government agencies.

“We live in a unique time where innovation and technology are coupled to safely resume mobility.

With Marcopolo BioSafe, our 16

objective is to put ourselves as partners of our customers both in Brazil and abroad, giving them the conditions to continue operating and regain their confidence in using public transportation,” he explained.

Bellini says he’s eager to show the technology in action to as many operators as possible, as quickly as possible.

“We need to act with urgency and proactivity to spread and foster the application of these important solutions.

“Public transportation is fundamental to ensure people’s mobility and cannot be seen as a bottleneck or a limitation.”

NOT JUST BUSES! Volgren CEO Thiago Deiro says that embedding biosafety measures into public transport is an important step towards restoring passenger confidence and will preserve the safety of the travelling public.

“Covid-19 has created challenges for many sectors. Public transport and student transport have been especially impacted,” he said.

“We believe that the measures developed under Marcopolo BioSafe could play an important role in helping Australia’s bus

Below: Australian bus body manufacturer Volgren is investigating how parent company Marcopolo’s BioSafe products could be used in an Australian context, it says.

industry recover economically by making commuters and school children comfortable returning to bus travel.”

Deiro says the FIP OnBoard dry fog is a fast and reliable system that sanitises through nanoparticles, creating a ‘nanofilm’ on 100 per cent of surfaces. It only takes 15 minutes on average to cover and sanitise an entire passenger area for up to 72 hours. The application doesn’t wet or dampen seats, or harm the buses electrical systems, he adds.

“Marcopolo’s ‘fog in place’ system is also fascinating because it can be used not only in buses, but in many broad applications ranging from school classrooms, cafes and restaurants to public libraries,” Deiro explained.

“Being a father of two, I’d pretty much like to see school buses and even classrooms disinfected on a routine basis.”

“It’s a credit to Marcopolo that they’ve come up with such an innovative solution in such a relatively short period of time,” he added.

Deiro says Volgren has been working with Marcopolo to roll out the BioSafe measures in its coach and route vehicles and is in discussions with customers and government operators to gauge interest.

“Public transportation is fundamental to ensure people’s mobility.”

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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NATIONAL EXPRESS STARTS ZERO-EMISSIONS BUS FULFILMENT the UK’s most sustainable bus and coach company,” the National Express Group stated it will: “…not buy another diesel bus for our UK operations”; “Will lead the transition to zero emission coaches, with a target for the first electric coaches to be in service next year”; that its ambition was “…our UK bus and UK coach fleets will be

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UK BUS AND COACH operator National Express has started to fulfil its pledge to no longer buy diesel buses, with the first of 29 ADL-BYD Enviro400EV electric double-deckers starting service recently, the company has announced.

Following an official late February statement outlining “…its vision to become

fully zero emission from 2030 and 2035, respectively”; and that “…environmental targets will make up 25 per cent of senior executive long-term incentive plans.”

On July 5 the National Express West Midlands’ first fully electric ADL-BYD double-decker left its Yardley Wood garage.

As National Express explains, bus drivers have to be specially trained to drive electric buses. The vehicles behave completely differently to combustion engine-driven buses, and drivers have to drive to preserve the charge for as long as possible and extend the range, it says. Engineers too have been trained in a whole new kind of maintenance, it adds.

Additionally, the National Express says its 80-year-old Yardley Wood garage was also retrofitted with: a stationary “shed-sized battery” ( provided by Zenobe Energy, which balances the load on the grid, ADL says); a charging station [plug in] for each bus; and a system so engineers can monitor the buses’ performance from screens in the depot or their laptops.

The buses charge up in four hours and can run for 190 kilometres before needing another charge, National Express states.

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THE WOT!?!

RESTORED BRISBANE HERITAGE BUS MAKES PUBLIC DEBUT ONE OF BRISBANE City Council’s first purpose-built buses – a 72-year-old diesel-powered British AEC Regal III – made a sentimental spin around the city on July 10, after a “breathtaking restoration”, organisers announced.

The restoration was funded by a $19,000 Queensland Government Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant.

Bus 80 – a British AEC Regal III chassis with a Commonwealth Engineering body built in Sydney – was one of 12 diesel-powered buses brought into service in 1948, QOCS explains.

“Between October 1947 and April 1948, the Brisbane City Council began consolidating the bus system in Brisbane by compulsorily acquiring 20 private operators,” QOCS president Nick Wilson said.

The gleaming silver Bus 80 cost £5,110, the equivalent to approximately $319,800 in today’s money, it states.

The bus began operating from the BCC’s Light Street depot in Fortitude Valley in June 1948, and remained in service until September 1971.

Queensland State Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey MP unveiled the restoration alongside BCC Chair of the Public and Active Transport Committee Cr Murphy.

Wilson says QOCS was grateful the Queensland Government funding allowed Bus 80 to have another lease of life.

“There would be many who still remember Bus 80 and others like it servicing suburbs such as Doomben, Indooroopilly, Moorooka, Norman Park, Tarragindi and Yeerongpilly,” Wilson said.

“It’s an important part of Brisbane’s transport history – and while the city 18

looks very different, it will be great to give Bus 80 a run on some of the streets it would have traversed day after day for more than 20 years.”

Acacia Ridge-based firm Coachworks conducted the restoration, which began in May. Coachworks general manager Scott Isaacs says it was an enjoyable project to work on as the coronavirus lockdown created uncertainty in the transport industry.

“The Covid-19 slowdown has meant that the timing of these projects is mutually beneficial,” he said.

“Our team always enjoy working on club buses and it’s a great talking point for our customers and suppliers when they visit our workshop.”

A not-for-profit organisation dedicated to preserving Brisbane’s bus history, QOCS hopes to one day feature Bus 80 and its fleet of 16 other vintage buses at a proposed Brisbane Transport Museum at Council’s Hangar 7 facility at Eagle Farm, it explains.

However, until this time, Bus 80 will instead be displayed at the Queensland Transport Museum in Gatton, it confirms.

“It’s the first time a QOCS bus will be able to be seen by the general public all year round,” Wilson said.

Below: The bus began operating from the BCC’s Light Street depot in Fortitude Valley in June 1948, and remained in service until September 1971, QOCS states.

STOP STOPPING A parking ticket was slapped on a bus parked for a layover in a bus stop in the UK recently, while the driver nipped down the road for a drink and a sandwich. Described by the bus company as “a slap in the face” for drivers who continued to work throughout lockdown, Leicestershire County Council said the notice “was issued as the bus appeared to be parked up and unattended”. Apparently the appeal against the £70 ($126) fine will be “carefully considered”.

GOOSE WHISPERER A Coast Mountain Bus Company driver is being commended for escorting a gaggle of geese across a busy Vancouver intersection recently.

Kelly Podlubny was recorded chivvying the geese to safety after he noticed that traffic had stopped. “I knew it was dangerous for the geese,” he said, “so I took it upon myself to go outside and try and wrangle them across the street. They’re calling me the ‘Goose Whisperer’ on Facebook, which makes me smile. Hope it makes others smile, too.”

MANY MASKS Stuff the Bus Foundation, a charity in southern Kentucky that donates school supplies, has announced that its partner, Wendy’s of Bowling Green, is supplying 15,000 surgical face masks for schools in the state, which will be disseminated through the foundation.

“I really think this might be the most timely donation we’ve ever had,” said Tony Rose, the radio host who started Stuff the Bus 15 years ago as a promotional stunt.

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with electric and hydrogen vehicles that were more than simply “price competitive”.

“We’ve worked very hard to create rates that work out cheaper than the diesel alternative. Only by doing that can we enable projects like this to go ahead,” Roxburgh explained.

“What this deal with Go Bus and JW Group shows is that transitioning to ‘ZEBs’ (zero-emission buses) is now entirely doable. You no longer need to wait to make the transition.”

EXCITING TIMES

NEW ZEALAND E-BUS DEAL PUTS ‘LEASING’ IN THE SPOTLIGHT AUSTRALIAN electric bus charging specialist Electromotiv has secured its largest e-bus leasing deal to date, following Kiwi operator Go Bus signing on for nine Yutong E12 buses, the companies announced recently.

The agreement between zero-emission charging and refuelling provider Electromotiv and Go Bus is a multi-million dollar contract, and includes Yutong E12s serviced and maintained by Electromotiv partner, JW Group.

Managing director and co-founder of Electromotiv Toby Roxburgh says the three-way partnership demonstrated that, as operators look at ways of transitioning to zero-emission fleets, leasing was becoming a convincing commercial option.

“The big advantages of leasing are that it removes upfront costs, reduces risk and enables operators to pick and choose the best technology,” Roxburgh said.

“Governments and operators are reviewing their procurement solutions as they transition to zero-emission buses, and those advantages are becoming clear and compelling.

“Until now, operators have been struggling to procure high-quality zero-emission vehicles. In part that’s 20

because banks have been reluctant to lend for under seven-year terms.

“One reason we started our vehicle support division was to remove this lending barrier,” he explained.

ENTIRELY DOABLE Roxburgh says his team had dedicated significant time and resources on the economics of vehicle leasing. The aim has always been to provide operators

Below: Managing director and co-founder of Electromotiv Toby Roxburgh.

“New Zealand is leading the way on zero-emission buses.”

Go Bus CEO Calum Haslop says he was excited to be leading Auckland’s move into zero-emission buses.

“Having trialled two full battery electric buses over a 12-month period and completed thorough due diligence on a number of electric and hydrogen bus deployments worldwide, we are now ready to move to a zero-emission future,” Haslop said.

“We are also rolling out electric buses in other cities in New Zealand and continue to work on hydrogen solutions as a complementary zero-emission option.”

Roxburgh says New Zealand is well ahead of many much larger countries, including Australia, when it comes to zero-emission buses.

“New Zealand is leading the way on ZEBs. We’ve been discussing more New Zealand initiatives and talking to government and other providers, and will be announcing new projects very soon,” he stated.

“The leasing side of our business is growing quickly. We’ve shown leasing works overseas and in Australia, whether you’re looking for one bus, nine buses or 100 buses.

We provide the same methodology, partnering experience and delivery for operators no matter the company or its requirements.”

AIRPORT LINK The nine buses for the new Airport Link will be used to improve transport connections and reliability between Manukau, Puhinui and Auckland Airport, including for workers accessing its employment precinct as well as the airport itself.

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BIC

MICHAEL APPS

Time to save our sector We need to encourage people to travel across Australia, not over it!

I

Michael Apps BIC executive director PO Box 6171, Kingston ACT 2604 p: 02 6247 5990 f: 02 6273 1035 e: admin@bic.asn.au

Below: One thought is a travel rebate for fares to encourage Australians to travel by coach across the nation, not over it.

t’s no newsflash to any of us that the long distance, tour, charter and express sector has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism sector is flatlining in the wake of national and international travel bans, isolation, physical distancing measures and border shut-down.

The coach sector has gone from carrying more than 500,000 passengers every day to being at a virtual standstill. The sector has no clear path to recovery with many operators forced to park up coaches, thousands of mini-bus services and 70 per cent of mum and dad operators may have to shut up shop.

Despite the current environment, many with whom I have spoken remain positive, even in the direct line of fire.

An impressive and commendable outlook, particularly when it is difficult to envisage a positive turnaround for at least 12 to 18 months. So much of our coach sector provides a domestic tourist and community services (charter) to everyday Australians. It is important to acknowledge the vital contribution of the coach sector to the local economies across cities, towns and regional centres across Australia, and the important role it can play in the recuperation of the economy.

It is important to note that a large percentage of the coach travel economy is generated from domestic tourists and local charter (e.g., sports, local groups and educational). The National Visitor Survey (NVS) year ended March 2018, clearly reflects this with 3,161,000 domestic trips that were taken by coach compared with 292,000 international visitors; 34 per cent of the total international visitors also chose to travel across Australia, to see regional Australia.

The BIC has been very busy over the past few months

“Despite the current environment, many with whom I have spoken remain positive, even in the direct line of fire.”

22

working with the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) and consulting to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A significant part of our Covid-19 work programme is providing impact reports and key recommendations.

The BIC has a number of key initiatives for the coach sector and we have written formally to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, all Premiers, Treasurers, Transport and Tourism Ministers on a number of occasions. This was recently ramped up with a national media campaign with a call to action from governments on a rescue package for our sector.

Our top three rescue proposals are: 1. Immediate financial assistance to provide a full diesel rebate (as happens in the mining sector) 2. The extension of JobKeeper for our industry beyond September. For the purposes of eligibility for government support and initiatives, the services undertaken in the regulated (government contracts) and deregulated (coach tours and charter) environments need to be considered as separate “business units” or entities 3. Consideration of a travel rebate for fares to encourage Australians to travel by coach across the nation, not over it.

This potentially will also provide a significant injection into the local economy of regional towns across Australia We have also called for cooperation and support from the National Cabinet and Departments of Education to provision a return to school tourism/excursions as part of the normal curriculum.

The BIC has also been working closely with the national Tourism Restart Taskforce (TRT) and the Tourism Chamber (ACCI) of which BIC is a member. The TRT is a committee of tourism and hospitality organisations headed up

by ACCI, Austrade, Federal Treasury and the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission. The aim of TRT is to provide advice to the Australian government. On July 4, the Taskforce reported back to the Australian government on how best to restart tourism and related operations in Australia. The report did not hold back on its review of the $125 billion tourism dollars at stake and provided a concise look at the issues across all sectors (including our coach sector) and indicated to government that “coach tourism has been decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The tourism restart plan can be downloaded from the Industry Hub (www.ozebus.com.au/covid) and is well worth your time to read. The Hub is essentially a resource centre for Industry in these times of Covid-19, but importantly contains a number of campaigns, reports and various activities that the BIC has undertaken to help Industry through this difficult period. I encourage you to share the link to the Hub (www.ozebus.com.au/covid) with your peers and associates.

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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THE ENGINE OIL THAT WORKS AS HARD AS YOU Our customers depend on Shell Rimula to protect their bus and coach fleets in the harsh Australian conditions. From long distance coaches traveling through the centre of Australia, to stop/start driving of city buses, you can trust Shell Rimula.

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Coupled with a comprehensive range to transmission, gearbox, hydraulic and differential oils as well as greases and coolants, our range of lubricants cover just about every application to keep your buses and coaches working as hard as you do.

To find out more about Shell Rimula and other quality lubricants call our technical team on 1300 134 205 or visit Shell.com.au/Rimula

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IN FOCUS

ARTICULATED ECITARO

ARTICULATED ELECTRIC CITARO LAUNCHED A fully electric articulated version of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city bus – known as the eCitaro G – has already received more than 60 ‘definite orders’, the company has announced.

T

HE NEW eCitaro G complements the electric range from Daimler Buses, marking the “next milestone on the way to locally emission-free local public transport”, it states.

With the new fully electric articulated bus, Mercedes-Benz is further expanding its role as a technological pioneer, it says; shortly after the eCitaro G’s market launch, it was confirmed it would be available with new battery technologies, such as being the first bus in its category to be equipped with innovative solid-state batteries, the company states.

The first deliveries to several European transport operators are planned for 24

this year, according to Daimler.

The ‘artic’ version comes two years after Daimler Buses presented the regular fully electric ‘solo’ eCitaro city bus, which is now a series production vehicle manufactured at the Mannheim, Germany, plant. To date, hundreds of eCitaros are now in regular operation in many European towns and cities, Daimler says.

Depending on which version is ordered, the eCitaro G can transport up to 146 passengers, the company adds.

“I am really very pleased that our Mercedes-Benz eCitaro has established itself very well since its market launch.

This shows that we are on the right track, offering products that our society wants

and that our customers can work with,” said Till Oberwörder, head of Daimler Buses.

“With the eCitaro as an articulated bus variant, we are consistently continuing the electrification of city buses: the eCitaro G will be equipped with innovative solid state batteries on request.

“In doing so, we are setting the course for sustainable and efficient passenger transport in urban centres,” Oberwörder explained.

HIGH CAPACITY The eCitaro G is being launched with the NMC variant of lithium-ion batteries that have proven their worth many times in the regular-length eCitaro version, the

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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c t t G g w f t w s

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c d lo e li a b e r a t a p t g

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company says. Yet it is expected that Mercedes-Benz will increase the performance of the eCitaro G this year by switching to a new generation of NMC batteries. This will increase capacity considerably from 292kWh to up to 396kWh; the range of the articulated bus will be increased accordingly, says Daimler.

Alternatively, the eCitaro G can also be fitted with innovative solid-state batteries to store energy. They will be optionally available as a “second possible technology” says Daimler.

Solid-state batteries are characterised by high energy density and a particularly long service life, the company explains. Chemically, these are lithium-polymer batteries and are known as solid-state batteries because the usually liquid electrolyte is in solid form. Also, raw materials such as cobalt, nickel and manganese are not used for this type of battery, the company adds. Equipped with seven battery packs, the eCitaro G achieves a total capacity of 441kWh and thus guarantees ranges typical of city

bus operations, says Daimler.

According to the company, as the use of solid-state batteries is typically restricted for fast and thus intermediate charging, the battery technology covers other usage profiles than lithium-ion batteries (NMC). They, conversely, are ideal for fast charging whether during breaks between journeys at the depot or along the route.

That is why Mercedes-Benz is pursuing a two-fold strategy and is offering the eCitaro G with both battery technologies as an option, it says. Thus, the new eCitaro G is “a custom-made articulated bus, which flexibly adapts itself to the various operational strategies of transport companies”.

We are setting the course for sustainable and efficient passenger transport in urban centres.

INCREASING RANGE From 2022 the range of the eCitaro and eCitaro G will be increased yet again with a fuel cell as a range extender. This technology eliminates the need for intermediate charging and the complex infrastructure required for it in almost all cases, confirms Daimler.

Above: Depending on which version is ordered, the eCitaro G can transport up to 146 passengers.

Left: Equipped with seven battery packs, the eCitaro G achieves a total capacity of 441kWh. Opposite, Above: The first eCitaro G deliveries to several European transport operators are planned for this year, according to Daimler.

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IN FOCUS

CUSTOM SB50

LAST ‘CUSTOM SB50’ BUS BODY DELIVERED NSW south coast bus operator Marshall’s Moruya has received the very last ‘Custom designed and made’ SB50 bus body, ending an 11-year production run with an estimated minimum 135 units delivered across Australia.

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RACING a range of chassis brands and models since the first two examples (stock units for MercedesBenz and Hino) debuted at the 2009 Australian Bus and Coach Show that September, the school/ charter bus SB50 – along with its popular CB80 “New Generation” city bus stablemate – incorporated hundreds of high-quality new internal and external parts designed and manufactured using the

latest 3D computer-aided design techniques, including 3D computer surface modelling and automated manufacturing techniques.

Such production requirements arguably led to Custom needing to streamline and expand its operations, necessitating its move from Smithfield, NSW, to a new plant in Villawood in 2010. Once there (and eventually under ADL ownership), ‘Custom Coaches’ would be able to commence using its new five-axis laser tube cutter – the ‘most

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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sophisticated version in Australia’ – and a central part of production for the new models, it was reported at the time.

THE LAST ONE Specifically in 2020, Marshall’s Bus & Coach has now technically purchased the first and last Custom SB50 school bus bodies in combination with Mercedes-Benz XBC1626 chassis. And the latter is overall the last SB50 ever to be built by the now Scott Dunn-owned Custom Bus Group.

Four years ago in 2016, Marshall’s was notified of a pending NSW government Category 3 replacement and undertook discussions with Mercedes-Benz in regards to which options might be available to fulfil this requirement, it explains.

At the time, Mercedes-Benz was preparing to add its new XBC1626 to its ‘portal’ offerings as a Category 3 option, with Marshall’s Bus and Coach becoming the first bus operator to purchase an XBC1626 – and the first to order one with a Custom SB50 body, Custom confirms.

Since then, Marshall’s Bus and Coach has purchased a further 10 Mercedes-Benz O500RFs with SB50 bodies, plus two more XBC1626 chassis also with SB50 bodies.

END OF AN ERA Speaking about the delivery of the very last Custom SB50, Marshall’s Bus & Coach Company Pty Ltd director Peter Marshall said: “Marshall’s was very excited to receive the first SB50 on a Mercedes XBC chassis in 2016 and four years on we remain excited to have the last.

“We continue to receive positive feedback on the striking nature of the SB50s in our fleet.

“Whilst we eagerly await a closer look at the design of the new Custom-Denning body, we are sad to see the SB50 go.

“Over the years Marshall’s Bus

always been appreciated,” he explained.

ABOUT MARSHALL’S Marshall’s Bus & Coach Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated business, which has been serving the Moruya, NSW, area for the past 20 years, it states.

It offers 22 school services daily, servicing the area from Bodalla and Moruya, including Tuross Head and South Head Moruya for pick-up and delivery to schools in Bodalla, Moruya and Broulee, it explains.

Marshall’s operates modern seat-belted coaches to any destination, it says.

We continue to receive positive feedback on the striking nature of the SB50s in our fleet. & Coach has developed a reputation for being one of the most professionally operated bus businesses in the country,” he stated.

“The styling and build quality offered by Custom continues to be of the highest standard available. The fact that the product is Australian made and the company has a good knowledge of what local operators need has

The company specialises in school charter work from the South Coast to Canberra and Sydney. It is also available for excursions in Canberra, picking up from Canberra Airport as it is ACT Accredited, it confirms.

Marshall’s also specialises in travel to shows in Sydney and Canberra for group or individual bookings, it adds.

NB: Custom SB30 and SB400 bodies were also still available in 2009.

Above: Marshall’s Bus & Coach Company Pty Ltd director Peter Marshall (L) receives the last SB50-bodied bus from Mick Neskes, national sales manager, Custom Bus Group.

Right: “The styling and build quality offered

by Custom continues to be of the highest standard available,” said Peter Marshall. busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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IN FOCUS

VENTURA SCANIA

SLIDE-OUT WHEELCHAIR LIFT KEY Leading Victorian bus operator Ventura has added eight new Scania Touring school and charter coaches to its fleet, with a luggage-spacesaving slide-out wheelchair lift a highlight, the company has announced.

Above: Four of the vehicles will be based at Monbulk, near Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges.

Below: Long-serving driver Roy Beattie says the new Touring was very smooth to drive and the ZF automatic transmission provided a refined travelling experience.

Opposite, Below: A benefit of the slideout wheelchair lift is not eat into luggage space.

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URCHASED for use from Ventura’s outerurban depots, four of the vehicles will be based at the hilly and picturesque village of Monbulk on the edge of Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges, Scania confirms.

The 57-seaters all feature powered wheelchair lifts above the rear wheels on the kerb-side, and a capacity for carrying two wheelchairs internally with the loss of four rows of seats on the left aisle, it explains.

The seats, though, have been designed to be easily removed

and stored at the depot while a bespoke wheelchair-lashing system has been designed and the chairs’ occupants are secured with three-point seat belts for additional safety, Scania explains.

Although freshly commissioned, the Touring coaches have been welcomed quickly into Ventura’s Monbulk fleet, it adds.

LUGGAGE CAPACITY Long-serving driver Roy Beattie says the new Touring was very smooth to drive and the ZF automatic transmission provided a refined travelling experience for the passengers.

“It is more comfortable for drivers and passengers, and the braking system is very well calibrated, too. I recently did a school camp run and the luggage all fitted – and we had a lot of it,” he said of the Scania Touring’s 9 cubic metre luggage capacity.

“The school kids were really

happy to be driven around in a new bus and one that’s smart and quiet,” he said.

A benefit of the slide-out wheelchair lift design is that is does not eat into precious luggage space as previous lift mechanisms have, Scania explains.

LATEST TECH Further driver assistance technologies have also made a positive impression on Beattie, he says.

“I was previously driving a 2000-model manual transmission Scania bus and the difference is significant. There’s so much more technology on these new vehicles, such as Lane Departure Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control, but also nice features such as a heated driver’s seat, which gets hot very quickly and no doubt will be very popular in the winter.

“We also have a dual-radio system so we can have the passengers and driver listening to different stations, although I have made a playlist for my school run and play that through the system,” Beattie explained.

“The new buses have plenty of power and, even when fully loaded, they are getting up the steep hills around here very easily.

The bus also cruises at high speed very nicely. I took a charter to Philip Island recently and the bus sits very securely at 85–90km/h.

“It’s a dream to drive. It’s like the bus becomes an extension of you; it’s very predictable,” Beattie said.

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the new bus has been well received by school kids on his runs.

“They’re impressed with it and happy to be on an upgraded bus – and for a driver over six-foot-tall like me, the driver area is very accommodating,” Staggard said.

“The switches are all in the right place, there’s plenty of space and the mirrors are good, so it’s easy to drive.”

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NATURAL FIT Speaking exclusively to ABC magazine (www.busnews.com.au), Julian Gurney, director of sales for Scania Buses and Engines, said: “The Scania Touring has been quickly accepted into the school and charter bus market in Australia.

“We have gone to great lengths to specify the Touring with the highest output in terms of power and torque that the ZF six-speed auto could handle.

For our 9.0-litre five-cylinder engine that is 360hp [268kW] and 1,700Nm. “We’re also offering our 13.0-litre six-cylinder engine at 360hp, but with additional torque, peaking at 1,850Nm, making these two combinations the clear winner when it comes to driveability, reduced fuel consumption and total cost of ownership (TCO),” Gurney explained.

“Scania has engineered the Touring to be reliable in service, extremely

For a driver over six-foot-tall like me, the driver area is very accommodating. durable especially in arduous driving environments, and with the benefit of mass production, consistent quality of manufacture leads to greater in-service uptime, which is crucial to our customers.

“With a pipeline of product on stream from the factory, we’re able to offer reduced delivery times. We also offer the additional advantage of fitting locally sourced seating to operator preference, bringing the best of both worlds.”

ABOUT VENTURA Ventura Bus Lines is the largest provider of public bus transport services in Melbourne, it states.

Its fleet of 883 buses operates across 141 routes out of 12 depots and move, on average, 36 million people each year, it explains.

TAILORED DELIVERY Gurney adds that the Scania ‘from bumper-to-bumper’ concept, plus its nationwide network company-owned branches and authorised dealers, delivers a single point of contact for operators throughout the extensive working life of these vehicles.

“Scania Touring has been a success in Australia from day one, and its inclusion as part of the Ventura fleet for school and charter work is a perfect example of how Scania tailors its products to meet its customers’ needs,” he stated. busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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COVERSTORY

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VOLVO-VOLGREN E-BUS

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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TOP CAT

Brand fans have long awaited news of when leading European e-bus tech might start to seep into Australasian market waters.

Volvo’s massive Transperth supply order and CAT bus system is where this Swede will pounce first. We speak exclusively with Volvo Bus Australia’s David Mead about all things electric bus.

WORDS FABIAN COTTER IMAGES VOLVO, VOLGREN + ABC MAGAZINE

busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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COVERSTORY

VOLVO-VOLGREN E-BUS

e-buses with 2.5m-wide locally made Volgren bodies – as part of its existing 900-bus supply agreement signed in March 2019, with Western Australia Public Transport Authority (PTA) operator Transperth, was pretty huge. And given it didn’t bang on about that damned coronavirus was probably an added bonus, too! Good news for once, it seemed.

The first of these Perth-bound buses is planned to make its debut to an international audience at the 2021 UITP Global Public Transport Summit, Volvo explained.

Following this event, at some stage this first Volvo-Volgren e-bus and three others like it will make their way to Western

The 4x2 Volvo electric chassis allows for vehicles to be built with a full low floor. This allows for greater accessibility to passengers to provide a true city bus experience.

I

t will take a bit of time, but they will get here. Volvo’s bringing in some Australiafriendly electric bus tech matched to a suitable Volgren body and it will eventually be used on a Perth CAT bus route by early 2022.

That’s the short of it.

The long of it? We’ll get to see one of four of these e-buses much sooner – relatively – at the 2021 UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Melbourne, scheduled to be held in the middle to very late of next year.

When ABC magazine published online a 10.00am embargoed announcement about the Volvo electric buses on Thursday, July 2 earlier this month (might have been 9.59am and 46 seconds … but hey, who’s counting, right?) stating these Volvos were coming next year, the reader response was pretty intense, it must be stated.

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Top: Staff will be trained on using the new electric buses.

Above: Why the delay?

“When we bring a product to market we know it must be able to work for 25 years in Australian conditions,” said David Mead.

Not like ‘tattoo a Volvo badge on the forehead and ride an oversized wooden Dala horse in the middle of an Ikea store singing ABBA’s 1970s hit Mamma Mia’ or anything – but pretty close nonetheless.

The breaking news that Volvo will deliver its first ever electric buses into Australia – four

Australia to begin necessary integration efforts prior to commencing operation in early 2022 – as expected by both Volvo and the PTA, they confirmed.

How this all came about was because the March 2019 Volvo-PTA agreement includes provisions for the introduction of alternative-powered vehicles

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NITTY-GRITTY ABC magazine contacted Volvo Bus Australia’s Mead for more in-depth info about the new e-buses and what it would and could mean in writing further e-bus business in the Australasian market.

We know Volvo has electric buses operating elsewhere in the world, so will the Aussie version be a new layout and design or based on pre-existing tech?

“The Volvo electric chassis is based on established Volvo technology already implemented in Europe. Volvo Buses have long been recognised as a leader in electro-mobility and sustainable public transport. The Volvo electric driveline has been well proven as the backbone for Volvo’s complete electric buses in Europe, where they have been in operation since 2015,” Mead confirmed.

In terms of dimensions, what length can the Volvo electric chassis be built to?

“The Volvo electric chassis can be built from 10.8 to 12.5 metres in Australia and can be fitted with a locally manufactured fully ADR-compliant 2.5m-wide body – optimised for Australian conditions.”

How many electric motors does it have?

“The Volvo electric chassis can be customised to have one or two electric motors connected to a two-speed transmission.

The choice is based on the type of operation the bus will be in. Maximum power output is 1x or 2x 200kW [motors] and maximum torque is 1,900Nm at the driven axle. This is optimised to ensure a good driving performance of the vehicle,” Mead said.

Crucially, which type of batteries does the Volvo electric chassis use?

“The Volvo electric chassis comes with Lithium-ion batteries, with a maximum of five batteries providing up to 470kWh storage capacity. The bus driveline runs on a traction voltage system with a nominal voltage of 600V DC. The traction voltage system is also used to power various auxiliary loads, such as the air compressor and the air conditioning compressor. The energy for the traction voltage system is stored in the lithium-ion batteries located on the roof of the bus. The battery can be charged externally and on-board by regenerating energy released during braking,” he explained.

So what about the floor layout, we asked…

“The 4x2 Volvo electric chassis allows for vehicles to be built with a full low floor. This allows for greater accessibility to passengers to provide a true city bus experience.”

What charging system can you have on the Volvo electric?

“Each bus can operate either using the fast-charge system with Combined Charging System (CCS) for in-depot charging and/or pantographs (Opportunity Charging) either on-route or at the end stations,” he said.

With the PTA deal and the now late-2021 we hear UITP event essentially a showcase for Volvo’s localised e-bus tech, when will the Volvo electric chassis be available to purchase in Australia by other operators?

“The chassis will be commercially available at the end of 2022. Volvo is happy to begin discussions with customers at any time. The team at Volvo Buses Australia would welcome the opportunity to discuss future electric bus projects,” he said.

Arguably, there will be many Volvo fans asking why such a delay in bringing its e-bus technology here to the Australian market. Was it for good reason or no reason?

“Volvo Bus has been in the Australian market for almost 50 years. When we bring a product to market we know it must be able to work for 25 years in Australian conditions; we want to ensure we are ready to work with local body builders who know the market, we know it must stand up to the hot Australian summers and we know operators expect any Volvo product to deliver industry-leading uptime,” Mead stated, adamantly.

“We know that this means we have a little bit more work to do. But when we hit the roads of Perth we won’t be trialling the technology – we will be showing our electric offering in a commercial operation from day one!”

busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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COVERSTORY

VOLVO-VOLGREN E-BUS

TRIALING NEW TECHNOLOGY The buses will be operated for the PTA by Swan Transit in Joondalup, Perth’s primary urban centre in the northern suburbs. They will join the existing Central Area Transit System (CAT) in Joondalup, which are zero-fare routes, Volvo explains.

Introducing alternate technologies is nothing new for PTA and Volvo; when Volvo came to market with its hybrid buses in 2013, the two parties conducted a successful trial of the bus in Perth – which not only allowed Volvo to prove the concept, but grow hybrid bus sales across Australia, it said.

“Trialling new, green technology is a great use of our public transport network, already one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get around Perth,” said Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.

“This is the first time we have trialled electric buses on a CAT route and I’m excited to see what commuters think about this new technology,” she said.

Above: The first VolvoVolgren electric buses will be running CAT routes in Perth, early 2022.

Opposite, Above + Below: Volgren CEO Thiago Deiro says Volgren was immensely proud the first zero-emission bus to hit the streets of Perth would carry a Volgren body; (ABC ‘Artist’s impression’ rear).

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into the Perth public transport bus network when the technology became available in Volvo’s Australian bus product line, explained Volvo.

“We are excited to be partnering with PTA in Perth for our first electric buses in Australia,” said David Mead, vice president Volvo Buses Asia Pacific and acting general manager for Volvo Buses Australia.

“Our relationship with the PTA now spans over a decade and in years to come the city of Perth will indeed be a Volvo city with 100 per cent of the bus fleet being Volvo.

“Volvo’s contract with PTA included a technology roadmap that allowed PTA to access diesel, self-charging electric and battery-electric vehicles over time.

“PTA can access the variety of tools

available to them and match the technology to the route and need,” Mead explained.

BUS MAKE-UP As Volvo explains, the units will be all-electric 11.7-metre long, 2.5-metre-wide vehicles with local Australian bodies designed and built by Volgren Australia.

Whilst these units will be the first of their kind for Volvo in the Asia-Pacific region, the chassis are based on established Volvo technology already implemented in Europe, it states.

“Volvo Buses have long been recognised as a leader in electro-mobility and sustainable public transport,” Mead said.

“The Volvo electric driveline has been

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BODY ROCK

We’ll do our best to surpass the high-quality standards requested by PTA.

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Chief executive officer of Volgren, Thiago Deiro, says the VolvoVolgren e-bus was a major new milestone in a partnership spanning four decades.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Volvo on their first electric bus for Australia. Both engineering and design teams have been working together on this project to deliver the very best solution to the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA).

“This is one of the important builds in this company’s long history because we’re working with technology that will be used for many decades to come.”

Deiro says Volgren has partnered with the PTA since 1999 and was immensely proud that the first zero-emission bus to hit the streets of Perth would carry a Volgren body.

“Our connection to the PTA – and to Western Australian public transport – is one of the longest and most successful in the history of the Australian bus industry, and it’s a partnership that we’ve never taken for granted.

“We’ll do our best to surpass the high-quality standards requested by PTA.” The first four units will be built in Dandenong; however, Deiro envisions a time when Volgren’s Perth facility will be making zero-emission buses for use on Western Australian roads.

“I’m confident that PTA will be delighted with the VolgrenVolvo product. I hope I’m not being presumptuous when I say it’s just a matter of time before we see new orders flowing from Perth.

“If and when those orders come, the Malaga site is ready to add volume and build electrics. We’ve got skilled people there and the physical capacity; there’s no need of any big change in the layout, so it’s just a matter of providing new tooling and training for our personnel.”

The Malaga manufacturing facility is quickly becoming an economic hub, connected to more than 140 businesses, many of them small West Australian-run ventures.

Volgren estimates there are approximately 150 West Australians employed outside the company in the local supply chain as a direct result of the work Volgren creates.

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COVERSTORY

VOLVO-VOLGREN E-BUS

The Volvo electric chassis is based on established Volvo technology already implemented in Europe.

Above: “Volvo Buses have long been recognised as a leader in electromobility and sustainable public transport,” said David Mead.

Below: The lithium-ion batteries are located on the roof of the bus.

Specs MAKE: Volvo MODEL: Electric Chassis Concept LENGTH: 11m - 12.5m DRIVELINE: One or two electric motors, two-speed transmission; Power (max.) – 1x or 2x 200kW, Torque (max.) – 1,900Nm at the driven axle BATTERIES: Lithium-ion, up to 470kWh capacity CHASSIS: Full low-floor CHARGING: CCS system

well proven as the backbone for our complete electric buses in Europe, where they have been in operation since 2015. “ delivering the product in chassis form, we can work with long-term partners such as Volgren to assemble the bus here in Australia.

“It also has allowed us to create new climate options for the vehicle, more suited to Australian conditions” he added.

LONG-TERM PLANNING While handover of the first

38

electric buses to the PTA is not scheduled until late next year, the planning is well underway, Volvo confirms. Implementing electric vehicles involves many more stakeholders than a traditional bus sale – with Volvo saying the planning for this project started last year.

“This project is about much more than the buses. We have worked with the PTA on a number of areas including simulating the routes to create our charging strategy, charging infrastructure, understanding capital works needs in the depot, training of staff, safety elements, certification and standards compliance. That means we are creating a scalable, end-to-end implementation plan that can be replicated in the future,” explained Mead.

The company points out that whilst Volvo has extensive experience in electric buses, full commercialisation of the localised electric bus solution for Australia will not be until 2022.

AND NOW THE WAIT… So these are the timeframes we are looking at and the machinations that need to happen before we get to see the Volvo-Volgren e-buses in the flesh on home soil and then in eventual service in Perth, WA, by early 2022.

Like any good cat on the hunt, it’s taken its time, slowly and silently and patiently slinking up and assessing and testing and checking the Australasian market, waiting for the right time to pounce.

There’ll be more than a few operators eagerly watching to see how this PTA delivery pans out – and so too other European electric bus manufacturers, as well. And let’s not forget the Australian e-bus making entities and current Asian manufacturers that are here now or have emerged.

Yup, interesting electric-bus times ahead… Stay tuned.

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OPERATOR

MT GRAVATT BUS SERVICE

“The hard task was firstly to acquire the funds to purchase the bus... And, secondly, to be accepted as a woman working in a totally male industry,” explained MTG GM Rob Brooker about the bus company’s female founder, Del Cole, and the start of her success.

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STRENGTH OF A WOMAN Women in business often still do it tough these days as they endeavour to smash that seemingly ubiquitous ‘glass ceiling’.

Rewind more than 45 years ago, that ceiling might as well have been made of concrete.

Queensland’s Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel is proof Del Cole took her jackhammer to it.

WORDS FABIAN COTTER IMAGES NATHAN DUFF

N

ineteen seventy four was a very different business world to what it is today – and given 2020’s largely unexpected turn of events (though conspiracy theorists will say contrived) there’s much about those old times that many will be longing for. Yet, for many women then, the path to commercial success for themselves was far from easy.

Behind many successful businesses of today – if you dig a little deeper into them – will be the stories of tough, determined, intelligent and passionate women who basically couldn’t and didn’t take no for an answer when it came to pursuing their business dreams and ideas – often brought about through a need to fulfil them.

‘Necessity being the mother of invention’ a suitably gender-specific metaphoric pun to explain it all here, perhaps?

In the Australasian bus community, standouts like Del Cole, who started Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel in 1974, probably only now are having their achievements fully appreciated, given it takes time for retrospective reflection to truly highlight and celebrate them. busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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OPERATOR

MT GRAVATT BUS SERVICE

So how did it start and what was the inspiration for it all? ABC magazine spoke with MTG general manager Rob Brooker, who explained: “It wasn’t easy in 1974 to find some way to supplement the family income when you have three small children and a newborn baby. So, thinking outside the square, Del Cole bought the local school bus; she reasoned that her three children would be dropped at their primary school and the baby would travel in a bassinette under the driver’s seat.

“The easy task was driving a crash-box Austin. The hard task was firstly to acquire the funds to purchase the bus as it was against Commonwealth Bank policy to lend money to a woman in business – ‘Too risky!’ they said. And, secondly, to be accepted as a woman working in a totally male industry.

“With perseverance, Del became the first woman in Australia to become an accredited bus operator,” he said.

FLEET AND STAFF In terms of bus product, Brooker says over a period of many years 42

MTG has tried and tested numerous brands and the current fleet consists of Volvo, MAN and Scania.

“Throughout the past eight years we have received good service and very reliable, economical and reasonably priced options from Scania resulting in the majority of purchases since 2012 being a variety of body makes and designs on Scania engine/chassis combinations,” he said.

As for the staff, he says being a family business since 1974, to this day, “Del still considers all employees part of the Mt Gravatt family”.

“When recruiting, we look for people who care, have great customer service skills and who like to be a part of a team environment.

“Management works hard to ensure all employees enjoy coming to work and being part of a team that achieves great things every day,” he added.

CORONAVIRUS STRATEGY With the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic having caused much havoc for many in the Australasian bus community, if not the industry as a whole around the word, just

how has Mt Gravatt handled it?

“A large portion of our business operates school charters and seniors’ charters, so when Queensland schools closed and virtually all destinations frequented by our seniors’ groups closed, that portion of our business stopped overnight,” Brooker said.

“Mt Gravatt implemented numerous and significant cost-cutting measures in a strategy to accommodate no-one losing their job, which has been successful to date.

“We’ve just started to receive new bookings for school charters and we hope to be able to have our seniors’ groups out on their adventures again before the end of the year.”

In March 2020, MTG contacted numerous suppliers to request a ‘stand down’ of on-going supply for the fleet, which were not going to be used for the foreseeable future. This included bus finance, bus insurance, bus digital two-way radio service and bus telematics services, which effectively reduced the on-going cost of the affected fleet significantly, Brooker explained.

“By mid-May, when Queensland

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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A T m p b S a o H m fl y fr

R P d t t w h b c s

The easy task was driving a crash-box Austin. The hard task was firstly to acquire the funds to purchase the bus.

Above: The company’s most recent bus purchases have been a 13.2m Scania/i6 Irizar and a couple of Scania A30 Higers, with the majority of the fleet in recent years hailing from Scania.

Right: Part of the drivers’ duties is to keep the fleet in tip top condition, with additional hygiene measures brought in to combat virus spread.

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OPERATOR

MT GRAVATT BUS SERVICE

positions when Covid-19 hit, so we immediately ceased the recruitment process. Assuming we don’t have any setbacks with the virus and restrictions continue to be lifted, we hope to restart our recruitment for these positions in the near future,” he said.

BUS CLEANING

With perseverance, Del became the first woman in Australia to become an accredited bus operator.

Above: MTG began in 1974 by Del Cole.

Below: The Scania Touring coach stood out with its large luggage bins, good towing capacity and a flexible seating arrangement.

Opposite: A variety of measures were implemented to cut costs as the impact of the pandemic hit, allowing MTG to continue employing all of its staff.

schools were back to full attendance, we had re-instated almost half of our stood-down fleet and we are optimistic that the remaining charter fleet will be back into service in mid-July to coincide with the commencement of the third school term,” he adds.

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT With many companies needing to let staff go or stagger working hours, did MTG do the same or what roles changed?

“Our staff numbers have dropped off slightly as we were recruiting for a couple of

Mt Gravatt says it has always prided itself in the cleanliness and presentation of its fleet and its clientele expects nothing less.

Brooker explained: “We don’t employ cleaners; instead our drivers are required to keep the fleet presented to the highest of standards, so when Covid-19 demanded we have additional hygiene requirements it was a fairly smooth process to provide equipment to our drivers. This came with the instructions to sanitise all grab rails, hard surfaces, etc. each time the bus emptied of customers.

“Having a second depot available to us, we were able to separate almost 50 per cent of the driving staff, so that if there were an infection we wouldn’t have to isolate the entire business and could meet our contractual obligations.

“Of course, we were able to have high-risk employees, including our managing director, work from home – and everyone else has been required to

practice social distancing, good hygiene and common sense throughout this difficult time,” he said.

According to Brooker, when management approached the staff with a plan for no-one to lose their job, it meant everyone would have to make some form of sacrifice for their colleagues.

“Every single person within the business was prepared to make those sacrifices and it is a credit 44

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t t a d h

S

R u a w t t

e

to our wonderful drivers and staff that they displayed such selflessness and team spirit toward one another during such an unpredictable period,” he said proudly.

SCANIA TOURING Recently, the company picked up a new Scania Touring coach to add to its comprehensive fleet. So what was it that attracted Mt Gravatt to purchasing such a vehicle for the services?

“We have been steadily growing our charter business for a few years and we’ve identified that an economic coach with large luggage bins, good towing capacity and a flexible seating arrangement would work for almost all of our client’s requirements,” he said.

“We had already picked up a 13.2m Scania/i6 Irizar and a couple of Scania A30 Higers, so when you’re happy with the engine/chassis component and that brand offers a body that is fully

supported it became a no-brainer once we were able to agree the right price.”

GOVERNMENT HELP Certain operators and sections of the bus community have been reaching out for government help at all levels during this horrible ‘new normal’. Has any help been enough?

“As a business, both the [Queensland] state and federal governments have provided some busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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OPERATOR

MT GRAVATT BUS SERVICE

reliability and providing a service

It is a credit to our wonderful drivers and staff that they displayed such selflessness and team spirit toward one another during such an unpredictable period. really good support that MTG has taken advantage of to help keep the team together and gainfully employed, but personally I am very concerned that the on-going restrictions may over compensate the health risks at the cost of so many jobs and businesses,” Brooker stated.

“I really feel for those

operators more focused in the tourism sector, as with both state and national borders closed it’s hard to imagine what the future would look like for them.”

ABOUT MTG The managing director of Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel, Del Cole, says the company’s philosophy of dependability,

Above: New bookings for school charters have started to come back in, and the company hopes to restart its seniors’ tours later in the year.

Left: Started as a family business, MTG continues to focus on employee wellbeing and strong teamwork.

46

that the employees can be proud of is at the heart of her bus company’s success.

The business commenced in 1974 with one bus and one school run. From those humble beginnings, Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel now has a fleet of 40 vehicles ranging from 13 seats to 83-seat capacity and employs a staff of 60 people, it states.

In December 2012, the company relocated to a purpose-built, state-of-theart bus and coach depot at Underwood, Queensland, it explains. This new depot had been a project that Cole and her team worked tirelessly on since 2010 and they are justifiably proud of this milestone in the growth of the business, the company says.

The business holds a Translink contract and provides the Queensland state government with Translink services for the local area right through to the Brisbane CBD, it confirms. MTG also carries in excess 2000 students to and from school daily, as well as providing local and interstate charter services for schools, seniors, events and local community groups, it says.

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2016 HINO 616 300 SERIES

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WANT TO ADVERTISE? CALL 03 9567 4154

Bookings for next issue close on August 13th 2020

Yutong Bus Centre Melbourne CK

NEW

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IN

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GREAT VALUE. CALL NOW

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NEW

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D12

D9

57 Seats, Cummins ISB8.9E, 360hp, School Bus with through bins, ABS, ASR, EBS, ECAS and many more features.

39 Seats, Cummins ISB6, 250hp, School Bus with through bins, ABS, ASR, EBS, ECAS and many more features.

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IN

A premium vehicle that looks as good on the outside as it does in. Here, passengers receive more spacious luggage compartments, reduced noise ride comfort and high-end audio/visuals, while the driver enjoys greater manoeuvrability and performance. The T12 also features customisable seating options to suit your needs.

Exceptional ride comfort with Mercedes Benz engine with reduced noise 11.97L displacement and up to 1850N/m torque Bosch A/V system with DVD/CD Optimised ZF automatic Seats 53 Coach transmission and rear axle ratio Seats 57 School Bous 3 11m capacity luggage Seats 53 With Wheelchair Lift compartments

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2016 YUTONG Goanna

27 Seats, Cummins ISBe5 160hp, DVD/TV, Curtains, Alloy, Tow Bar optional, Great little mini-bus.

IN

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D7

Lou Riccardi | 0411426 148 | vicsales@yutong.com.au

24 Grasslands Avenue, Craigieburn VIC 3064

FOR SALE – PENDING NEW VEHICLE DELIVERIES WHEELCHAIR EQUIPPED

$200,000 +GST

2014 SCANIA K480EB

Irizar i6 3900, Diesel – Euro 5, 12spd Opti-Cruise, Currently 475,000kms, 50 McConnell full-leather Recliners, 2 x LCD Monitors, Reversing Camera, Electronic Destination, CCTV Cameras, Wheel-Chair Lift, Centre Door with Downstairs Toilet, Parcel Racks with Airline Lockers, Faux Timber Floor & Fridge. Delivered in existing AWC painted fleet colours.

$320,000 +GST

ABC-HH-5210495-TS-365

2009 SCANIA K480EB Coach Design – Alpine High Deck, Diesel – Euro 4, 12 spd Opti-Cruise, Currently 787,000kms, 50 McConnell Cloth Recliners, LCD Monitor, DVD player, Reversing Camera, Electronic Destination, Centre Door with Downstairs Toilet, Parcel Racks, Full Carpet Floor & Fridge.

Delivered in all white.

Australia Wide Coaches Richard Dawes: 0412 034 337 Stefan Robinson: 0416 646 006 busnews.com.au JULY 2020 ABC

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DELIVERIES

JUNE 2020

i s

Solid bus and coach deliveries spike in June The Australian bus market’s rollercoaster ride in 2020 continues, exclusive ABC data reveals.

T

he usual end-of-financial year rush has seen Australian bus and coach deliveries jump a remarkable 83 per cent month-on-month to finish on 146 for June.

It’s the fifth consecutive month where deliveries have fluctuated between double and triple figures in a Covidimpacted 2020, marking the second-highest figure for the year – behind January’s 172 – though June traditionally represents a bump in the market.

In the chassis sector it was Scania reigning with 46 deliveries, the Swede’s yearly best, driven in particular by a significant Transdev order. Interestingly, regular market leader Volvo’s 28 matched last month as its equal lowest for the year. Better news for Mercedes-Benz breaking the 20-delivery barrier and setting a yearly high of 22. Australian Bus Corporation’s (ABC’s) Bustech brand also broke new ground in 2020 with 15 deliveries. BCI returned to double figures for the first time since February, and Hino’s seven deliveries also made June its busiest month of the year.

A few yearly highs also followed for the bodies

sector, including Volgren’s 48, incorporating two from subsidiary Supportrans. ABC’s figure of 34 included peaks of 20 from Bustech and 11 from Precision Buses.

Thermo King is used to being the market leader for airconditioner deliveries, but its 88 represented more than a doubling on last month’s tally, and 21 more than its previous best for the year. In fact, it occupied more than 60 per cent of the sector, with MCC the next best and the only other brand to exceed double figures.

A surprise in the state chart as one of the main players, New South Wales, only occupied 10 per cent of the market, well behind Victoria (33 per cent), Western Australia (24 per cent) and Queensland (19 per cent).

Please note all data is as supplied from manufacturers, with their involvement at their discretion.

It’s the fifth consecutive month where deliveries have fluctuated between double and triple figures in a Covid-impacted 2020.

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S

I b e y 1 a

0.

VOLREN 46 ABC* 34 BCI 23 EXPRESS COACHES 7 IRIZAR 6 COACH DESIGN 5 BONLUCK 4 JBUS 4 YUTONG 4 P&D COACHWORKS 3 SCANIA HIGER 3 VOLGREN/SUPPORTRANS 2 CHALLENGER 1 CUSTOM BUS 1 GEMILANG 1 OMNIBUS 1

End of financial year is a usually busy time in the market and this seems reflected in the June, 2020, result.

7%

SALES BY BODY A few yearly highs also followed for the bodies sector, including Volgren’s 48, incorporating two from subsidiary Supportrans. ABC’s figure of 34 included peaks of 20 from Bustech and 11 from Precision Buses.

TOST 1

3% TAS

% 3%1NT SA

33% VIC

ACT

10% NSW

%

SALES BY AIR-CONDITIONER

Thermo King is used to being the market leader for airconditioner deliveries, but its 88 represented more than a doubling on last month’s tally, and 21 more than its previous best for the year. In fact, it occupied more than 60 per cent of the sector, with MCC the next best and the only other brand to exceed double figures.

Thermo King MCC Coachair Hispacold Spheros

Percentage by

REGION

88 12 9 9 8

Denso Valeo Cling-Yutong Konvekta Lou Air

19% QLD

7 5 4 3 1 SCANIA 46

24%

VOLVO 28

WA

MERC-BENZ 22 ABC (BUSTECH) 15 BCI 13 HINO 7

Sales by chassis

BONLUCK 4 MAN 4

In the chassis sector it was Scania reigning with 46 deliveries, the Swede’s yearly best, driven in particular by a significant Transdev order. Interestingly, regular market leader Volvo’s 28 matched last month as its equal lowest for the year. Better news for Mercedes-Benz breaking the 20-delivery barrier and setting a yearly high of 22. Australian Bus Corporation’s (ABC’s) Bustech brand also broke new ground in 2020 with 15 deliveries. BCI returned to double figures for the first time since February, and Hino’s seven deliveries also made June its busiest month of the year.

YUTONG 4 IVECO 2 CHALLENGER 1

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JUNE 2020

MANUFACTURER, OPERATOR & LOCATION AUST BUS CORP* (*Bustech/Precision/Elphinstone)

BCI

BONLUCK

CHALLENGER HINO

IVECO MAN MERCEDES-BENZ

SCANIA

VOLVO

YUTONG

Kinetic (Sunbus) Transit Systems Kinetic (Surfside Buslines) Metrotas Go West Newmont Mining Wirlu-Murra Sainty’s North East Bus Service Goldrush Tours Lee's Coaches Fallon's Bus Service Young's Bus Service Polleys Coaches N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Redbus Services Buslink Darwin Fallons Cooma Coaches N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A AAT Kings Coach Company Ballarat Coachlines CDC Sunshine Dept. Of Public Transport Infrastructure Gosel Bus Company Hornibrook Bus Lines Hornibrook Bus Lines Irizar Asia Pacific McCoskers Bus Service McHarry's Bus Lines McPhee's Fuel & Buslines Mooroopna Passenger Service Transdev Melbourne Transport Canberra Operations WBL WBL West Warwick Coaches Wimmera Roadways Irizar Asia Pacific Perth Transport Authorities Brisbane City Council CDC Victoria Irizar Asia Pacific Buslines Group Buslines Group Clarks Logan City Dions (Seapost) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

QLD NSW QLD TAS WA WA WA TAS WA TAS VIC QLD QLD VIC SA ACT NSW QLD QLD NSW NSW NT VIC NSW WA QLD VIC VIC VIC VIC WA VIC WA NSW QLD VIC VIC VIC VIC SA QLD QLD QLD VIC NSW VIC VIC VIC VIC ACT VIC VIC QLD VIC VIC WA QLD VIC QLD NSW NSW QLD NSW WA WA WA NSW NSW

ENGINES

TRANSMISSIO

UNITS

DELIVERIES

CHASSIS (Model)

BODY BUILDER

HP*

Rear / Front

Emissions standard

A: Automatic M: Manual AS: Auto-Shif O: Opticruise

4 2 6 3 2 2 5 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 4 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 14 8 2 2 1 1 2 9 3 5 1 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1

Bustech MDI Bustech CDI Bustech XDI Bustech XDI Fleetmaster Fleetmaster Fleetmaster Classmaster Fleetmaster Citystar President 10 Senator 12 President 2 V10 GT Poncho Poncho Poncho RN8J RN8J 921 Metro LE A66 14.250 HOCL RR8 19.320 IC RC2 19.320 LE E5 OC500RF E5 1936 OC500RF E5 1936 OC500LE E6 OC500RF E5 1936 OC500LE E6 OC500LE OC500RF E5 1936 OC500RF E5 1936 OC500RF E5 1936 XBC OC500RF E5 1936 OC500RF E5 1936 K 440 EB6X2*4 K 400 IB4X2 K 310 UB4X2 K 320 UB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 320 UB4X2 K 320 UB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 310 UB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 360 IB4X2 K 320 UB4X2 K 320 UB4X2 K 310 UB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 K 310 IB4X2 B8R B8RLE B8RLE Art B5LH B11R B8R B8RLE B8RLE B8RLE B8R D12 D12 D12 T12

Bustech Bustech Bustech Elphinstone BCI BCI BCI BCI BCI Bonluck Bonluck Bonluck Bonluck Challenger JBUS JBUS JBUS P&D Coachworks P&D Coachworks P&D Coachworks Bustech Volgren Coach Design Volgren Omnibus Gemilang Volgren Express Coaches Express Coaches Volgren BCI Express Coaches BCI Custom Bus Irizar Coach Design Coach Design Coach Design Volgren Precision Buses Irizar Volgren Volgren Irizar Scania Higer A30 Express Coaches Scania Higer A30 Scania Higer Touring Volgren Precision Buses Express Coaches Volgren/Supportrans Express Coaches Coach Design Irizar Volgren Volgren Volgren Irizar Bustech Bustech Bustech Volgren TOST Yutong Yutong Yutong Yutong

340 340 340 300 320 320 320 320 320 320 300 320 320 300 185 185 185 285 286 205 N/A 250 320 320 360 360 300 360 360 299 360 360 360 260 360 360 440 400 310 320 310 320 320 310 310 310 310 360 320 320 310 310 310 310 330 320 320 240 450 330 330 320 320 330 360 360 360 350

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R F R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 N/A Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5

A A A A A A A A A A A A A AS A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A O O A A A A A A A A A O A A A A A A A A A AS AS A A A A A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Austr 56

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Emissions standard

A: Automatic M: Manual AS: Auto-Shift O: Opticruise

Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 N/A Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 6 Euro 6 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5

A A A A A A A A A A A A A AS A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A O O A A A A A A A A A O A A A A A A A A A AS AS A A A A A N/A N/A N/A N/A

TRANS MAKE ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF Allison ZF Allison Allison Allison Allison Cummins Aisin Aisin Aisin ZF ZF Aisin Allison ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF Allison ZF ZF Scania Scania ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF Scania ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF Volvo Volvo ZF ZF ZF ZF ZF Allison Allison Allison ZF

NUMBER OF SEATS

AXLES

TRANSMISSION

BODY LENGTH

AIR-CON (Brand)

Fixed Coach

Recliners

Metro

2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.5 10.06 12.5 12.5 10.5 8 8 8 12 12 7.99 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 13.5 13.5 12.5 13.5 13.5 12.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 12.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 12.5 12 12.5 12.3 12.5 12.5 13 12.3 12.5 12.3 12.3 12.5 12.5 12.3 12 12.3 11 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 10-12.9 12.4 12.4 12.4 12.4

Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King MCC MCC MCC Thermo King MCC Spheros Spheros Themo King Spheros Thermo King Denso Denso Denso Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Denso Coachair Lou Air Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Coachair Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Hispacold Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Coachair Hispacold Hispacold Spheros Spheros Hispacold Konvekta Coachair Konvekta Konvekta Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Hispacold Thermo King Spheros Valeo Hispacold Thermo King Thermo King Thermo King Denso Thermoking Cling-Yutong Cling-Yutong Cling-Yutong Cling-Yutong

43 93 52 52

– – – –

– – –

55 55 55

– – – –

55

– – – – – – – – –

–

48

(metres)

57

57 45 18 18 18 57 57 34 52 33 57 33 57 61 47 57 48 45

–

41

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

–

53

–

53

57

–

57 57 57

– – –

– – – –

49 49

57

– –

57 57

–

49 57

– –

50 57 57 45 57

– – – –

50

– – –

57 57 57 57 53

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

X

– – – – – – – – –

–

59

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

41 42

–

44 44

– –

41

– –

44 41

– – – – –

41 X 40

– –

50 50 43

– – – – –

APPLICATION Long Distance

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – x

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Charter

City or Route

– – – –

X X X X

X X X

– – –

–

X

X

–

–

X

X

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

X

–

X

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X

– – –

X

– – – – – X X

– –

School

– – – – – – – – –

– – – –

X X X X X

X X X

– – –

– – –

X X X

X X

– –

–

X

X

–

– –

X X

– –

X X

X

X

– – –

X

– – – –

X X

–

X X

–

– –

X

– –

X X

–

X

– –

X

– –

– –

x x

– –

x

– – – –

X X X

x

x x x

X X X

– –

X X X

– – – – –

–

– – – –

– – – – –

X

– – –

X

– –

X X

SEATING

SEAT BELTS

Styleride Styleride Styleride Styleride Sege Sege Sege Sege Sege Fainsa Fainsa APM Sege Fansia Styleride Styleride McConnell Styleride Styleride Styleride Styleride McConnell McConnell McConnell McConnell Styleride McConnell McConnell Styleride McConnell Sege Styleride Sege Styleride McConnell McConnell Sege McConnell McConnell Styleride McConnell Custom Bus McConnell McConnell McConnell McConnell McConnell Styleride McConnell McConnell Styleride Styleride McConnell Styleride McConnell McConnell McConnell McConnell N/A Styleride Styleride Styleride N/A McConnell N/A N/A N/A N/A

N N N N Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y Y N Y N N Y Y N N Y Y N N N Y N N Y N Y N N Y Y Y N N Y N N Y Y N Y N N N N Y Y Y Y N N N Y Y N N N Y Y Y Y Y

*Australian Bus Corporation (ABC) comprises Bustech (16), Precision Buses (10) and Elphinstone (2). Volgren’s count includes two units from its partnership with Supportrans.

busnews.com.au July 2020 ABC

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DRIVEN

MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL 58

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U

The new MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5 has been designed for the school run, but has been built with a luxury coach feel. It more than proved its mettle in wet and wintery conditions on a recent test out of the Penske home base in Wacol, Qld. WORDS AND IMAGES PAUL ALDRIDGE

sually a trip to Queensland will mean a stint of warmer, fine weather, but today’s visit to test drive the new RR8 at Penske headquarters in Wacol, just outside Brisbane, gave us a new spin on ‘the show must go on’. To say it was pretty miserable is an understatement, but the RR8 stood out straight away as looking more like a smart coach than school bus. This one’s off to Cowan’s Bus Services in Sandy Hollow, NSW, to be part of the school bus fleet, painted in its company colours: a royal blue tail end, the Southern Cross and distinctive large logo across the front.

Mark Nichols, regional sales manager for MAN Bus at Penske Australia, was happy to take this brand new RR8 with only 96 kilometres on the clock out for a drive to show just how good it drives in the really miserable conditions.

Asked if this was the first collaboration with Coach Design he explained: “No, we’ve been building with Coach Design since Penske started in Brisbane; they’re only half an hour away in Archerfield so it’s ideal. We’ve always got a quite a few on build with them at any time, we have a big relationship with them.”

Regarding any specific requests Cowan’s asked for, Nichols commented: “Other than the colours and livery it’s just what they ordered through the panel. They wanted a MAN chassis because they’ve always had MANs for quite a few years now, and they want a Coach Design body and this combo worked in their favour to get the 10.5-metre build because there’s no other OEM that can do this at the moment. Being a school bus, it has all the school lights and everything as required by Transport for New South Wales for Category Three. It has all fire suppression gear, tyre pressure monitoring, everything that’s required.”

This isn’t just a one-off, either, he added, saying that the 10.5m, up-to-45-seat bus fills a hole in the growing Category Three market.

This particular model can go from a 35-seat and be pushed up to a 45-seater.

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DRIVEN

MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5

O

L f d m t a b t t h

t g e ju c m in

Top: MAN says driving the new RR8 will feel more like driving a small coach than a school bus.

Above: This particular model can go from a 35seat and be pushed up to a 45-seater.

Right: There are two bin doors and the area is made to feel more roomy with the fuel tanks being moved right back.

60

“We’ve already sold a few more,” he said. “Quinn’s Buses have ordered one.”

For the all-important turnaround time for an order like this, Nichols explained: “If we have the chassis in stock, it’s just a four-month build time to get it pre-delivery and everything like that. If we’ve got to order the chassis you’re looking at six months to seven months max in total.” Not too bad, four months if the chassis is in stock.

Regarding driver comfort, “all MAN chassis are quiet, really nice to drive”, he pointed out. “It works every day; it’s been made to work every day. You’ll find it’s no

different to driving a coach. It’s the same seat you’re sitting in, same dash that you sit at; you’ll feel like you’re driving a coach, a small coach, and not a school bus.

“The warranty on this model is two years for the MAN chassis, so one year complete and a second year for the driveline and two for the Coach Design body as well.

Servicing is at a confident 45,000 service intervals for the 290, if you go up to the 320 horsepower [239kW], it’s a different engine, they have 60,000 intervals, big intervals, we really stand by them all,” said Nichols. Asked what kilometres are covered, because sometimes the kilometres are the ruling factor not the timeframe, he replied: “The RR8 has unlimited kilometres warranty so you just get in and go.”

Last big question – the price: “You’re looking at roughly just under 400K, say 380 to 400K,” Nichols said.

“Most importantly, MAN is reliable, does the work and gives extended service intervals. It’s telling to have 45- and 60,000 intervals and MAN wouldn’t offer it if these buses didn’t work hard.”

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ON THE ROAD Leaving Penske’s site at Wacol, we’re off for one wet test drive. Then again, test driving a school bus in these conditions might be a good thing as we are going to get a feel for how the RR8 handles and drives in bad conditions. We might be one wet driver and videographer today, but the run will certainly give us a true drive, just like us school bus drivers have to experience all the time.

Nichols had pointed out before we left that the MANs are a great quiet drive; get on board and close the door and everything is impressively quiet. You can just hear the engine and aircon – internal cabin noise great. It’s often small or the minor things that make a big difference in driver and passenger comfort.

The door on this model is a glide-away

door. Nichols says this is the model door used on MAN school buses with the plug door used on the coaches. It was certainly windy and the door was sufficient to keep the noise down inside.

The Euro 5 MAN D0836 LOH 64 upright in-line six-cylinder has 213kW/290hp@2,300rpm. Nichols had spoken in depth about the torque and the importance of torque in the power performance. Straight away, you can feel it’s got power.

At the first roundabout and already it just wants to take off. It’s only a 290, but it’s all about the torque. It’s a really busy roundabout and you need to get in and away – the RR8 certainly does that.

The rear view camera is good – having vision of what’s behind is a useful feature even when not reversing. As a school

It works every day; it’s been made to work every day. You’ll find it’s no different to driving a coach.

bus driver, knowing what’s going on all around your vehicle is important for passenger safety.

In bad weather conditions it is good to know that all the safety features are there. The four wheel discs have self-adjusting calipers and integral wear pad sensors and the electronic braking system (EBS) incorporates an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and anti-spin regulator (ASR) for traction control.

We did some sharp corners in the pouring rain and the brakes handled it all perfectly. There was a slight bit of understeer, which you would expect from brand new tyres.

The visibility out of the windscreen is great. It’s a split screen and this gives no hindrance at all. The mirrors also worked well – it wasn’t clear if they were standard MAN mirrors, but no complaints about any part of the vehicle.

For the blind spot down the bottom there’s a switch that the driver can adjust to move the blind spot viewing point.

If the driver wants to look at the front of the bus, they can roll it right down

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DRIVEN

MAN RR8 IC 19.290 E5

This combo worked in their favour to get the 10.5-metre build because there’s no other OEM that can do this at the moment.

Specs MAKE: MAN MODEL: RR8 IC 19.290 E5 DIMENSIONS: Length – 10.5m, Width – 2.5m ENGINE: Euro 5 MAN D0836 LOH 64 upright in-line six-cylinder; 213kW/290hp at 2,300 rpm TORQUE: 1,100Nm@1,2001,750rpm WEIGHT: 9.5 tonne TRANSMISSION: ZF six-speed Ecolife automatic AXLES: Front – MAN VOK08-B-06 rigid front axle with two combination air spring damper modules and maintenance-free wheel bearings; Rear – Hypoid type HY1350-B03 with narrow track rear air suspension, rear stabiliser bar and maintenancefree wheel bearings STEERING: ZF Servocom 8098, adjustable steering column BODY: Coach Design FUEL TANK: 300L; option for 2x 200L MISC.: EBS, ABS, ASR, optional electronic stability program

62

Above: A rear-view camera provides valuable visibility.

Below: Euro 5 MAN D0836 LOH 64 upright in-line six-cylinder has 213kW/290hp@ 2,300rpm.

and they can even get really good vision of the front wheel on both sides. This feature would be handy when you’re manoeuvring and you want to see what your wheels are doing.

There often can be tricky or tight places that this would be useful in. Say you go to a sporting complex for the first time with a bus load of kids and drop off access is really tight – sometimes you can need to get out and check what’s going on, but these mirrors can

do that for you. This would be particularly good in conditions like today when you definitely don’t want to be outside.

Another area found to be really clever and well thought out was the bin area; it has a surprisingly high level attention to detail.

At only 10.5m long, the RR8 still has a really good useable bin space of about 10 square metres, which is more than ample for its needs. There are two bin doors and the area is made to feel more roomy with the fuel tanks being moved right back.

This is meant to be a school bus, but the finish to this bin area was high detail.

It has a tough coated surface, but what is particularly good is that all of the electrical componentry is located here instead of the standard front of bus or in the wheel arches.

For servicing and diagnostics, etc., the placement is ideal: out of the weather and really easy to access. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this placement is one that we see other manufacturers take on board.

Ease of servicing has been really well provided for; you always know a bus is going to be successful when all parts of its operation have been considered.

It’s one thing to look great and drive perfectly, but if speed and ease of maintenance hasn’t been a priority in the design and build, it will be a bus that won’t have longevity and repeat customers.

The RR8 passes this test.

Indeed, the RR8 is built to be a school bus, a route bus, a bus for small charter work, but it does have a small luxury coach feel. The colour combinations used and fit-out are really smart and its looks will stand the test of time.

With 290hp and 1,100Nm it might not sound like a powerful bus, but having that shorter body length with 41 seats means that the power-to-weight combo is excellent.

Any driver would be more than happy to have this bus on their route.

ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au

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