Coach and Bus issue # 23

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Presidential Sweet MEET BONLUCK'S CLASSY AFFAIR

EVENT: IT-TRANS, 2016 - Germany INTERVIEW: SCANIA's Julian Gurney and Trevor O’Brien INTERNATIONAL: Irizar i8 revealed OPERATOR: Transwa TECH: VOLVO's VDS system

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001Driver’s Seat

Fabian Cotter

“...to spread the urban density of the major cities, to grow less-populated regional areas and fuel the economy that way.”

I

T’S A FUNNY OLD WORLD, indeed. And it seems to be getting crazier and crazier by the day. If it’s not us being shocked and outraged by violent global terrorist events, or upset by the twists and turns of some inherently inane reality TV show, then it’s the weird and wonderful mind-boggling stuff that sees us lap up sundry conspiracy theories - from aliens invading us to the so-called omni-present ‘illuminati’ people, or whether there’s cunning price fixing going on by our supermarkets over what we have to pay for our beloved double-choc Tim Tams and chips.

Yet while we might be quick to write off such theorists as just bored and paranoid wacky oddballs creeping around the internet, it’s amazing how you realise how they could be thinking like that in the first place when ‘normal’ things every day start to seem silly and ‘secret squirrel’ themselves. Example?

It was a simple request, really. I just wanted to (and, yes, all names will be suppressed or changed to protect the innocent) check some information for a bus-related story, if anything to cover my butt and show I’d done my own due diligence to ensure the information was accurate, relevant and confirmed. It should have been easy. It was not...

Now, it wasn’t like I was asking for secret Da Vinci codes to the Bat-cave section of NORAD or anything, nor the trivial dietary and drinking costs of some politician while they were away ‘on business’, but rather something more pertinent to commuters and voters of a pretty big transport deal.

As it’s all ‘our money’ ultimately, surely we

are entitled to know things like: how much, by when, from whom and simply why?

Anyway, I first checked out the relevant website for some answers (Maybe it’s a government one, maybe it isn’t). After an in-depth (enough) search I couldn’t find any reference to this major project – which was weird. Worse, the website layout looked and functioned like a dog’s breakfast, and so I figured I best actually ring a human and get it sorted.

Department One called, no I need to speak to Department Two. Department Two called, no I need to speak to 3. Department 3? Left a message for Department 3, they would eventually call back in 48 hours with their phone number blocked (common practice?) – so now I’m immediately expecting the scene from the movie ET where the authorities have surrounded the house, outside my front door.

“Why did they direct you to us? You need to contact the actual website people on this number.” Yep, and it’s the same number I’d already been ringing days before.

With the number dialled yet again, the cycle of polygraph-beating conviction that I needed to speak to someone else continued, until I finally got a, “I actually don’t have the authority to give you the information you seek; give us your details and someone will get back to you ASAP.” That was three weeks ago. And I’m still none the wiser.

My point is this: Whether I’m enquiring about a major transport project as a journalist or a rate-paying punter wondering how much of ‘the people’s’ money is going to whom or where, surely that information should be freely available. And if it can’t be, why so? We need to know. Why has disclosure of such facts become so seemingly clandestine and redtape restricted? I don’t want to know when an event, policy or service is launched that it cost X-amount of thousands or millions or billions of dollars – I want to know, when the wheeling and dealing is going on, who is involved and how much we might be up for beforehand.

That way we have a chance of stopping it, reducing it, or tweaking it (perhaps even increased) via public conjecture and input facilitated by decent and fair media coverage.

Well, that’s the theory anyway.

I’ll shut up now...

On a positive note, it’s good to hear the West Australian Government’s policy of Royalties for Regions – essentially where a percentage of the income from the mining industry is funnelled towards financing regional development projects – was instrumental in helping Transwa get new Volvo B11R-chassis, Irizar i6-bodied road coaches (Page 38-42). Apparently, this policy has had its detractors in that State over the years, but I’m wondering why on Earth it hasn’t been mirrored by other states to some degree at all? I mean, if forcibly syphoning off money to help fund, say, improved transport links and services to and throughout regional areas helps offer commuters and travellers a way to see more of Australia easily, where they will spend valuable tourist dollars in the short term or even love some place so much they return to work, start a business or live there for the next 50-odd years in the long term, how can that be bad?

I would have thought spreading out the urban density of the major cities – so we are all not squished up and standing on each other’s heads while paying a premium each day, month, year, lifetime to do so - to expand our less-populated regional areas and to fuel the economy that way would have been forward thinking for all Australia.

Obviously not. But I digress...

With our leading news story of an agreement forming on how we’ll universally charge our electric buses in future, this issue we also check out Bonluck’s President 2 luxury coach as our coverstory; we peruse all the happenings at the IT-TRANS 2016 commutertech show in Germany; we examine Iveco’s new ‘AmBus’ medical vehicle; scope out Irizar’s stunning new i8 flat-floor coach; and investigate Volvo’s award-winning VDS system. Plus we pay Julian Gurney and Trevor O’Brien from Scania a cheeky 60-MinutesWith visit and go for a spin in the new Renault Master Bus in Melbourne.

Until the next thrilling instalment...

Issue 023

Contents Regulars

CONTACT DETAILS PO Box 3294 Erina, NSW 2250 www.truckandbus.net.au

01 04 18 61 62 64

Enquiries Tel: 0411 099 091 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Managing Editor/Editor Fabian Cotter fabian@truckandbus.net.au Art Director Luke Melbourne www.groeningdesigns.com.au Advertising Sales E: advertising@truckandbus.net.au T: 0411 099 091 Contributing Writers Chris Smith, David Meredith, Sven-Erik Lindstrand, Allen Matzel Contributing Photographers Mark Bean, Cristian Brunelli, Jan Glovac, David Meredith, Chris Smith, Paul Jakubicki, Matthew Everingham Coach & Bus magazine is produced under license by the Truck Power Media Group Pty Ltd. ABN 85 122 374 547 six times per year and is distributed to bus and coach operators, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia.

All material contained herein including text, photography, design elements and format are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Truck Power Media Group is a member of the Copyright Agency Limited (1800 066 844).

Driver’s Seat

Editor Cotter vents some steam about facing a disturbingly clandestine process when trying to get some bus-related data. Ouch!

Up Front

We wrap up the key local and international bus and coach news that affects us as a global industry and where we are heading.

In Depth – Scania Celebrates 125 years

MILESTONE: It would be rude of us not to give a birthday shout-out when they are well deserved and Scania’s 125th anniversary is worth a cake or two. Or at least a new website.

Fabian Cotter reports.

Hot Stuff – Gadgets on the Go

If you are past Lego and Meccano then these trick gadgets on the go are hard to resist. You may not need them, but you’ll certainly want them. Or is that vice-versa?

Working Wheels

FIRST DRIVE: The van-based people-moving market is arguably becoming bigger news each day in public transport circles and the latest Renault Master Bus is poised to tap into any potential trend. Fabian Cotter headed to Melbourne for a quick drive and touch-feelie of one.

Money

We all experience rough financial times in life and those that don’t we just shouldn’t even talk to! Kidding. To navigate the rough seas of money woes you need keen financial advice, says our guru and keen sailor Paul Clitheroe.

Interview

49

60 Minutes With...

INTERVIEW: Scania Bus Australia does things a bit differently and has two of its top people in Julian Gurney and Trevor O’Brien taking care of its retail and government bus sales, respectively. Editor Cotter caught up with them in Melbourne to talk buses, turkey and Higer JV.

Editorial contributions are welcome for consideration. Contact the Editor for guidelines, fees and level of interest.

All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamp, addressed envelope for their return. We will not be held responsible for material supplied electronically.

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Busworld 2015 Kortrijk, Belgium EPIC SHOW REPORT

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BusVic 2015 Massive Show Report

Star Shining BUS TECHHigh Roller ING INNelectric RD-W Aussie DAIMLER'S AWA E! HER bus revealed!

CITARO IS FINALLY INTERVIEW: Nikki Brouwers

NEWS: Volgren Double-Deck

- Futureproof? Cheaper than diesel?

TECH: Solar Roads Concept 2015 EVENT: 61st UITP Milan, Interview: Sean Copeland Tech: Scania Mega Artic Guide: Bus Seats Operator: Metro Tasmania

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VOLGREN DOUB LE DECK

INTERVIEW: Sean Copeland

FEATURE: Higer H8200 Platinum 22/12/2015 7:34 PM

CBT21_p000_COV.indd

- VICTORIA'S SECRE T!

GUIDE: Bus Air-conditioning

TECH: Willie LCD Bus

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16/09/2015 10:09 pm

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“A ground-up new development, it is imbued with the traditional design lines and cues”

Features

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President Elect

COVERSTORY: Bus and Coach Sales Australasia has a wealth of Aussie industry know-how and experience behind its Chinese Bon Luck sales and distributorship – and the latest classy President luxury coach is helping spearhead its cause. Fabian Cotter reports.

IT-TRANS, 2016 - Germany

EVENT: The rapid advances in IT technology has impacted not just the design and performance of the latest buses and coaches, but the communication and ticketing devices that support them. Though covering public transport in general, there was much to take in for busies. Fabian Cotter checks it out.

Helping Hand

TREND: The latest weapon in the South Australian ambulance arsenal in the fight to treat more patients at once is the ingenious ‘Ambus’. A joint project of Iveco and Custom Bus Australia, could this prototype prove an industry game-changer? Fabian Cotter investigates.

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Mileage High Club

OPERATOR: Transwa does a heck of a job ensuring its road coach passengers travel such massive distances across WA and to Perth safety and as comfortably as can be. The first of 23 Volvo-Irizar i6 coaches will help that tradition continue.

Fabian Cotter reports.

Better 8 Than Never

INTERNATIONAL: Spanish manufacturer Irizar has been snapping up some major awards for design and technology over the past few years and its new flagship i8 coach looks set to grab its fair share, too. Launched recently in Europe, Fabian Cotter takes a good first look.

Willing And Stable

TECH: You know you’ve seen it all when you watch some guy do the splits atop of two reversing trucks while Enya’s haunting music plays. And when that guy is martial arts legend Jean Claude Van Damme you take Volvo’s dynamic steering system seriously. And now it’s on some Volvo coaches. Fabian Cotter checks it out.

UpFront

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EV BUS CHARGING AGREED? MASS ELECTRIC BUS use in future just got a massive endorsement after a group of European bus manufacturers agreed on an open interface for charging, recently – a move sure to affect or influence charging device parity and ubiquity on a global scale.

European bus manufacturers Volvo, Irizar, Solaris, and VDL have agreed to ensure the interoperability of electric buses with charging infrastructure provided by ABB, Heliox and Siemens.

The objective is to ensure an open interface between electric buses and charging infrastructure and to facilitate the introduction of electric bus systems in European cities.

Standardisation activities have started

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via the European body (CEN-CENELEC) and via the international organisation for standardisation (ISO/IEC). European standards are expected to come in place 2019 and international standards in 2020. However, many cities are already implementing electric bus systems now.

In order to meet the needs of these cities, these European bus manufacturers and the suppliers are cooperating by agreeing to an open, transparent and voluntary approach.

Common, preferred interfaces will be “opened-up” for all market participants and will be used for electric buses with so-called opportunity charging (fast charging at end stops) and for overnight charged electric buses. The group is

committed to contribute to European standardisation activities and to share experiences with CEN/CENELEC and ISO/IEC in order to establish a common European standard for electric bus systems.

The aim is to facilitate the transfer to electric bus systems in cities to ensure reliability and compatibility across bus brands and charging systems, it’s claimed. Other bus manufacturers and charging system suppliers are also invited to join the cooperation.

For opportunity charging, the system includes automatic contacting by a pantograph, wireless communication, contacting plates and infrastructure equipment that automatically contact

vehicles with a pantograph. For overnight charged electric buses, the fast charging standard for cars (CCS) will be used as a base for the plug and for the communication.

“It is a very important decision that has been taken by some of the most important actors on the electric bus market. The interface is open to use by all suppliers of electric buses and charging infrastructure. European cities can now rest assured that the different systems are compatible with one another and that lock-in effects are avoided. Thereby we have created the preconditions for an accelerated transfer to electric bus systems in the cities, said Håkan Agnevall, president Volvo Buses.

MILD HYBRIDS - BEST CHOICE PROPONENTS OF ‘INTERMEDIATE’ hybrid vehicles are firming to adopt ‘Mild Hybrid 48V’ vehicle technology, avoiding the arguably exorbitant cost of full-electric at present and would still meet tough emissions legislation planned for 2030, according to a new report by UK-based technology research analyst and think-tank IDTechEx. The organisation – which claims to provide independent research, business intelligence and advice to companies based on its core research activities and methodologies - recently completed “Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031”, which found that, although they are not yet in series production, 48V mild hybrid vehicles are likely to sell in huge numbers because they can meet even onerous emissions legislation in future while improving performance to close to that of traditional strong hybrids at half the cost. Indeed, much less hassle is involved because these are an incremental improvement to existing powertrains and not the new-platform, ‘born electric’ approach required to optimally introduce electric vehicles, whether strong hybrid or pure electric, it’s claimed.

“We are talking of on-road vehicles here, particularly cars, but with good potential for modernising existing trucks and buses, too,” said IDTechEx analyst Dr Peter Harrop.

“Our interviews over two years in three continents have been rounded off with many interviews across the world in 2016 and there is a near consensus that 48V systems with torque-assist reversible rotating machines can sell at a cumulative 300 million plus vehicles in the window of opportunity from mass launch in 2017 to 2031, or so when

we expect dominance of pure electric cars. The exciting thing is that new enhancements are opening up all the time, making 48V systems a more and more compelling prospect. For example, CPT switched-reluctance motor generators may eliminate the need for a DC-DC converter and silent pure electric take-off will definitely be available for many 48V vehicles, mimicking this feature in EVs. Some major automotive companies are therefore reviewing the investment they make in strong hybrid given that most of the market may now be grabbed by 48V mild hybrids and pure electric powertrains”.

The report Mild Hybrid 48V Vehicles 2016-2031 gives 15-year forecasts. “A 10-year forecast is misleading here,” explained Harrop, “because a dramatic peaking then collapse of 48V systems occurs not long after that, in our assessment”.

IDTechEx does note, though, that standards are needed not least for component interoperability and therefore economy of scale.

Nonetheless a huge potential remains given the ‘big stick’ of emissions legislation coming in that cannot be met beyond small cars by simply sticking with 12V systems. In essence, at a nominal 12V standard (14V charging at 300A) aficionados would argue you get about 3kW from a motorgenerator when adjusted for high current losses, but constrains the electrical power and torque available and, equally important, any kinetic and thermal energy recovery. Yet with a nominal 48V grid (42V charging at 300A) gives access to about 12.5kW, which makes a massive difference to powertrain efficiency and performance while the DC voltage critically remains well below the 60V level for safety.

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UpFront

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TRANSIT TENDERS FOR NEWCASTLE GIG AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST privately owned transport contractor, Transit Systems, announced its intention to jointly tender with UGL Limited for the Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) Integrated Service Offering (ISO) operating contract in Newcastle, recently.

If successfully selected, Transit Systems would take on the lead operational role responsible for the delivery of the integrated transport services in Newcastle, the company states. UGL Limited would be responsible for the specialised maintenance requirements of the light rail infrastructure and vehicles.

Transit Systems CEO Clint Feuerherdt said the company has benefited from the global experience gained by its international spin-off, Tower Transit, UK. Feuerherdt said the company’s global operations represented a portfolio of nearly 2000 operational buses, across four Australian states and territories, with an international footprint spanning

London, Cambridge and Singapore.

“We are proud to be a wholly Australian owned transport company with the experience and expertise to deliver this contract. Our business was founded on the Central Coast of NSW and it would be a great honour to return with the benefit of all that we have learned both in Australia and overseas.”

UGL CEO Ross Taylor said, “Newcastle is one of Australia’s largest cities and it is important for the community and for growth of the region that Newcastle continues to invest in its transport system and infrastructure.

“UGL has been a mainstay of the Newcastle transport industry for over 100 years with our history tracing back to the formation of A. Goninan & Co in 1899. With a proven commitment to local jobs, skills investment and capability development we are pleased to be part of an Australian team ready to deliver this important program for Newcastle and NSW,” Taylor added.

“Since expanding into London and Singapore, Transit Systems has had the opportunity to share the knowledge and experience gained both locally and internationally for the betterment of the group as a whole,” Feuerherdt said “We see this as an opportunity to bring a global transport network of experience to the Newcastle region, and to review and improve the service offerings for the community, for tax payers and for business,” he said.

Feuerherdt added that Tower Transit has equally benefited from operational excellence and a strong culture developed within its Australian business.

“By successfully expanding into London and Singapore, we have proven that our public transport philosophy works, that we are one of the best in the world at delivering a commuter system that appeals to Government, and most importantly, to the passenger.

TfNSW recently released data that placed Transit Systems as the number

one bus operator in the Sydney region for On-Time Running performance for the past five months, up to and including February, 2016.

Feuerherdt said the company aimed to service contracts locally, as evidenced by its business model which sees each contract region serviced by an independent arm of the company in that state, with its own general manager.

Transit Systems operates public bus contracts in four Australian states and territories, with a fleet of 1180 buses carrying 55 million people in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Darwin.

Tower Transit operates 650 buses in London and Cambridge and carries over 115 million passengers a year. More recently, Tower Transit was awarded the first competitively tendered bus contract in Singapore by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Tower Transit will operate 26 bus services in Singapore with an initial fleet of 380 buses.

Transit Systems CEO Clint Feuerherdt speaking at the 2014 Smithfield Depot opening in Western Sydney.

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Our vision: zero accidents with Volvo Group products

Every day millions of people around the world rely on our buses, and our job is to bring them safely to their destination.

Our vision is clear: zero accidents with Volvo Group products.

That is why our world-leading safety development focuses on advanced safety systems that support the driver, helping to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place. We are dedicated to contribute in making traffic environments safer for everyone, offering bus transport with an extremely high level of safety.

The renowned Volvo safety.

For more information about the safety features available on Volvo buses and coaches contact Volvo Bus Australia on (02) 8713 8200 or visit www.volvobuses.com

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UpFront

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VOLVO ADDS TO SALES TEAM VOLVO BUS AUSTRALIA has newly appointed Tony Browne as Regional Sales manager – Region Queensland and Northern Territory, recently. The appointment follows Tony Lowrey’s decision to pursue a different career path.

Browne’s appointment is a result of Volvo Bus Australia restructuring its sales team and base a sales manager in Queensland.

As part of the role, Browne will also take on the Northern Territory in an attempt to strengthen Volvo’s presence in the state, meaning industry veteran Ray Andrich will take control of all sales in New South Wales.

“Tony Browne has a strong blend of experience in sales, service and

application engineering. Experience in these fields allows a balanced and informed approach to customer requirements and in-field challenges,” said Sean Copeland, general manager, Volvo Bus Australia.

Although new to the bus industry, Browne is not new to the ‘Volvo Way’, the company states, as he held a previous role as sales engineer for 14 years at Volvo Trucks. Here he was responsible for providing sales support to dealers, sales staff, fleet operators and body builders throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Browne has also spent more than 10 years as a State Sales manager and time as a State Service manager in various companies.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to move into the bus division and look forward to working with our dynamic team. I will continue the excellent work already done in Queensland and the NT by my colleagues and look forward to meeting the ‘extended Volvo family’ of customers,” Browne said.

“Quality, safety and the environment are three of the best values a company can work towards. We at Volvo have adopted them and work with these values every day. I plan to actively work towards introducing new customers to these values and our fantastic product.

Partnership and support are paramount in surviving today’s market and we pride ourselves on doing this well”, he added.

, Tony Browne, Volvo Bus Australia NT sales manager – Region QLD &

Optare assumes control in Oz UK BUS MANUFACTURER Optare has announced it is in discussions with potential dealer partners in Australia and New Zealand following the termination of the company’s relationship with Patico Automotive, recently.

According to Optare, the company is expanding its presence and brand in our region, with its focus on building a comprehensive sales and after-sales network as a first step. Optare aims to confirm its new network within the next three months, it’s stated, and will provide full support for vehicles in service during the transition period, it says.

Australian bus industry identity Shannon Taylor, who has gained extensive knowledge working with the Optare product over the past few years, has joined Optare to coordinate interim sales and aftermarket support in Australia and New Zealand with full factory back-up from Optare, UK. Robert Drewery, commercial director at Optare, said: “The Optare product, with its low deployment costs and fuel-efficient design, has been extremely well received into the Australian market. We look forward to seeing further growth of our brand in Australia and New Zealand in the future.”

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UpFront

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SCANIA SIGNS UP 1000TH VEHICLE SCANIA CELEBRATED its 1000th vehicle connecting to its Scania OnBoard and Optimise platforms recently – part of its roll-out of intelligent fleet utilisation and efficiency enhancement, the company states.

Connected fleet analysis allows Scania customers full visibility regarding vehicle use and driver behaviour, and Scania’s follow-up coaching concept prolongs the benefits of efficiency tips passed on by

the Scania Master Driver Trainers, it’s claimed.

“Scania Driver Services was established to activate the full benefits of the Scania Communicator; the on-board data management centre that collects information on how the vehicle is performing and how it is being driven,” said Alexander Sundin, Scania Australia Driver Services manager.

“Not only can we pinpoint areas of

tralia Alexander Sundin, Scania Aus Driver Services manager.

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operation that can help reduce fuel use, but we can also identify opportunities to reduce driver fatigue, which reduces the potential for accidents.

“We began offering Scania OnBoard and Scania Optimise to our customers just a few months ago and the results have been exceptionally promising. We have just signed up our 1000th vehicle to the programme, which covers trucks and buses equipped with the Scania Communicator.

“The Scania Communicator has been fitted as standard for more than a year, but was available as an option earlier on,” he explained.

“We are confident the rate of adoption will continue to accelerate as fleet customers experience the full benefits of the OnBoard and Optimise programmes, which enable them to make significant

improvements to their total operating expenditure,” Sundin explained.

Five years ago, Scania introduced connectivity as standard in the European markets. Today connected customers in more than 50 countries gain access to services in order to follow up and evaluate the performance of their vehicles.

In 2015, almost 70,000 Scania connected trucks and buses were added, to bring the total today to 170,000.

“Our customers are increasingly seeing the opportunities presented by connectivity in order to improve the efficiency of their vehicle performance and therefore reduce costs. Interest is growing in line with the extension of our connected services offer,” said Mattias Lundholm, head of Scania’s Connected Services and Solutions business unit in Sweden.

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UpFront

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SCANIA UK TO MAKE WORLD-FIRST GAS DECKER THE WORLD’S FIRST Euro6 gaspowered double-decker bus has been developed by Scania (Great Britain) Limited, it’s claimed.

With assembly of the chassis in the UK by mi Vehicle Integration Limited, Leyland, in conjunction with Scania Sweden and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), the vehicle is to be transported to ADL’s Falkirk plant in Scotland for fitment of its body: an Enviro 400MMC. Based on a Scania N 280 UD4x2EB, the vehicle features Scania’s OC09 101 9-litre, five-cylinder, Euro6 dedicated gas engine driving through a ZF EcoLife six-speed fully automatic

gearbox incorporating ZF’s Topodyn automated gear selection programme fitted as standard.

The OC09 101 develops 280hp(206kW)@1900rpm and 1350Nm@1000-1400rpm – and it’s capable of operating on compressed natural gas (CNG) or biogas. When operated on biogas, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by up to 90 per cent, it’s claimed.

To meet tough Euro6 emission levels, the engine employs a three-way catalyst, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and does not require selective catalytic reduction (SCR), it’s stated.

Fitment of the vehicle’s ADL Enviro

400MMC body is scheduled to be completed by late UK Spring, 2016, after which it will do a nationwide demonstration programme.

Gas On! Scania has produced gas-powered vehicles for almost 100 years, with one of the earliest recorded examples being buses adapted to run on producer gas during the First World War years. More recently, the company has supplied in excess of 4000 gas engines for various applications in a number of countries worldwide. Included is the world’s first Euro6 gas-powered truck, which entered service with Swedish operator, Bring Logistics, in June 2013.

Today, Scania’s gas engines are designed to provide the same performance as a comparative diesel engine, it’s claimed. Power ratings for its two Euro6 units are 280hp and 340hp, with torque ratings of 1350Nm and 1600Nm, respectively.

In the UK, gas-powered Scania buses have been working since April 2013, when Reading Buses became the first operator to adopt them. To ensure a readily-available supply of fuel, an inhouse CNG filling station was installed at the company’s premises. The filling station sources its fuel from the gas main, with every litre taken being replaced by a litre of biogas, thereby effectively making Reading’s a carbonneutral operation.

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UpFront

BUSVIC 2016 REGO

NOW OPEN REGISTRATION for the 2016 BusVic Maintenance Conference and Trade Show - to be held at the Pullman Albert Park, Melbourne, on 7-8 July, is now open.

Delegates are invited to BusVic’s 62nd Maintenance Conference and Trade Show, arguably recognised by many as the bus industry’s leading exhibition, conference and networking event.

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Key features of the event include:  Maintenance, technical and management conference sessions and workshops delivered within the exhibit, all on the one level;  Dedicated school bus sessions;  Ample amount of time for delegates to interact with leading industry suppliers and be brought up to date with the latest products, services and

developments;  Catering and networking events held within the exhibit;  Premium keynote speakers and entertainers as part of the two-day conference programme, including Olympic gold-medal-winning skier Alisa Camplin AO, Mick Collis and Tom Gleeson;  An industry gala dinner held at Pullman Ballroom on July 7 and

networking drinks and canapés among the exhibit on July 8;  Plus an event app available to enable all delegates to further engage with event exhibitors and other delegates.

To register, visit the BusVic website for further event information at www. busvic.asn.au, or contact Craig Spurr on +61 3 9914 7011, +61 3 9914 7011, email cspurr@busvic.asn.au

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Air curtains for OZ? DAIMLER BUS in Germany delivered seven Mercedes-Benz Citaro Low Entry (LE) models to Franconian transport operator infra fürth verkehr gmbh fitted with its latest ‘air curtain’ technology, an innovation that could prove useful in helping beat Aussie heat.

The ingenious over-door air curtains, also known as ‘air showers’, are almost exclusively used in hot or tropical climates, the company states. Special fan units are fitted above the doors to direct the air vertically downwards at high speed. This creates an air ‘curtain’, which acts as a ‘climate separator’, preventing an exchange of heat between the interior and exterior air.

This works both on hot days when cold air-conditioned air is prevented from escaping through the open doors, and on cold days when warm air is

prevented from escaping, it’s claimed.

In more temperate climates door air curtains are just as useful as they are in tropical countries – or perhaps even more so, as they bring with them two additional safety-relevant advantages, according to Daimler. In the winter months, the air blown downwards is warm, which means that the floor area around the doors dries more quickly, enhancing passive safety in snowy and icy conditions.

Additionally, in practically any external temperature, the warm air prevents condensation from forming on the glass surfaces of the doors. This minimises misting of the windows, which is a significant safety factor particularly at door one where all-round visibility is enhanced, the company states.

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UpFront

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BY GLENN MURRAY

WHITES DIESELS TURNS 25!

THIS YEAR WHITES DIESELS celebrates its 25th anniversary - and both founders Darryl White and Rodney Hemaridis are still actively involved in day-to-day operations, imbuing the company with their collective wealth of commercial-vehicle OEM experience to this day, it’s claimed.

The Australia-wide based company says it focusses on three key things to be successful:  Australia-wide delivery in as little as 1 hour – it operates no fewer than seven distribution points around the country, so if a part is in stock you’ll get it fast anywhere from one hour to one day, depending on where you are and when you order;  A 12-month warranty - any bus or coach parts bought from Whites Diesels are protected by a full 12-month warranty (Unless the manufacturer’s warranty is longer, in which case theirs applies); and  Its 25 years’ experience – started in 1991, Whites Diesels has been supplying genuine bus and truck parts ever since, for top brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Scania, MAN and Renault, it’s stated.

Darryl White started out as the second-hand parts manager for a

competitor in 1991, but it was during the recession and profits were down.

“I offered to buy the business and they agreed,” he said.

But things were tight. “I had $10,000 and couldn’t even afford statements. I had to put white stickers on borrowed ones,” White explained. “But I worked 15-hour days and paid the business off in 18 months.”

That’s not bad considering that six months after launch his local supplier said no more wholesale prices.

It was make or break time, so White did something that would define the company’s entire future.

“I got on a plane, went to a trade-fair in Germany and sourced all my own parts suppliers,” he said.

Co-founder Rodney Hemaridis’s start was just as humble. After a decade in parts at Mercedes-Benz and some after-market suppliers, he was working in Sydney buying second-hand parts from White. In 1998, they joined forces and opened Whites Diesels NSW. “The first month, I worked out of my car and we earned $400,” said Hemaridis . “But the next month, we leased a

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shed. The month after that, we hired another salesman. Each month things got better.”

The secret to their success? Both founders agree avoiding debt was important: “Our office equipment and cars were all second-hand,” Hemaridis said. “Plus we didn’t spend millions on stock on day one; we bought gradually as we went.”

They also agreed on the importance of re-investing in the business: “Profit went into stock, new shelving and new computers,” explained Hemaridis.

Above all, both swear by customer service. “The first person the customer

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speaks to has to be professional and knowledgeable,” said White.

“Proactive advice too,” Hemaridis added. “While you’re doing that clutch, you’ll need a rear seal and a runner, and you’ll probably need to change the bushes in your clutch fork.’ That sort of thing.”

Ultimately, pivotal to the company’s 25-year success is that they both know their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re more interested in doing a good job than being in control, they say.

For further information contact 1300 657 645, or visit www.whitesdiesels. com.au

Darryl White and Rodney Hemaridis, founders of Whites Diesels Australia.

8:29 pm

Manufacturer Milestone

Scania: 125 Years of Innovation

Scania is treating itself in 2016 to some well-earned birthday cheer with a new-look website to help commemorate a very special anniversary: 125 Years of Innovation. And the major transformation and development of its online presence looks suitably stylish and comprehensive. Coach & Bus Editor Fabian Cotter reports.

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fter 125 years of innovation, if companies were humans they’d be well entitled to a little delicious birthday cake – the extra calories be damned, many would say.

The Swedish commercial vehicle giant’s recent online revamp couldn’t have come at a better time as it tries to capture everything about itself past, present and future in an accessible digital way.

According to the company, the new website has a clear focus on news, images and videos about Scania’s operations, businesses and transport solutions from around the world.

“We continue to strengthen our online channels,” said Staffan

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Ekengren, head of Scania Newsdesk. “As a global company, we know the importance of a strong digital presence to reach our customers and other stakeholders.”

“Over the past year it became increasingly evident that our newsroom has increasingly become the primary focal point for stories and the gateway to social media,” added Erica Zandelin, head of Online Governance and Solutions at Scania. “We have now adapted to that development and combined our corporate and current information.”

Yet the company is quick to point out that the new website is “a comprehensive arena for information not just about Scania, but also about developments within the transport and logistics fields - with a significant

focus on sustainability”.

“Much of the long-lasting information on the new corporate site will be perceived as more dynamic since we link information on, for example, sustainability to current and previous stories that exemplify different aspects of the transport and logistics industry,” said Zandelin.

Now, though there will be readers more interested in future transport solutions in its new innovation section, with Scania celebrating its 125th anniversary the site provides comprehensive history buff content for its fans.

And they are out there...

Scania is one of the leading busbuilding brands in the world today; it’s survived hostile take-over attempts and financial crises since

its foundation in Sweden in 1891, the company states.

From privately owned wagonbuilding back then to modern manufacturer of thousands of connected commercial vehicles, Scania’s 125 years has seen it become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. It employs some 44,000 people, and operates in about 100 countries. Headquartered in Södertälje, Sweden, approximately 10,500 people work there having come from all over the world.

The new Scania Group website can be found at www.scania.com/group, or for more detailed information visit www.scania.com/global.

PAST BLAST Though motoring rapidly progressed in Sweden during the 1920s, horsedrawn sleds were still the most efficient mode of transport during the icy, snowy wintertime.

The Swedish Post Office, with its obligation to deliver mail and carry passengers in sparsely populated regions, discussed three possible means of solving this. The first

was specially built motor sleds, the second was to keep the roads open by means of snow-ploughs. And the third alternative – and the one adopted by the Post Office – was to build “automobiles capable of negotiating snow-covered winter roads, as well as summer roads, and of operating in thaw conditions.”

Aided by the visionary postmaster-

general Julius Juhlin and the inventiveness of the Post Office’s own technical expert Ernst Nyberg, Scania-Vabis designed and built 15 innovative post buses in 1922-1923.

Two of Nyberg’s inventions made the post bus unique: track-drive and steered skids on the front wheels – inspired by a Citroën desert vehicle – and the second was fresh air heated

by the exhaust system to heat the passenger compartment, a feature boasted by few vehicles of the day: The idea became widely copied since Nyberg neglected to apply for a patent, it’s claimed.

The post bus was instrumental in keeping the northern Swedish interior permanently open in winter, the company states.

125 YEARS … AND COUNTING 1891: The privately owned wagonbuilding company Vabis is established in Södertälje and sets about producing open goods wagons and transport wagons. Some 20 years later, Scania-Vabis is created through the amalgamation of Vabis with the Malmöbased, privately owned machinemanufacturing company Scania.

1923: Scania-Vabis designer August Nilsson develops a four-cylinder, overhead-valve engine. The engine’s power and reliability are of major benefit in trucks and buses.

1936: Scania-Vabis develops its first diesel engine, something that

impresses the trade press during test drives. “To my surprise, I could hardly hear the engine,” wrote one journalist.

“However, I certainly felt its effect as the bus shot forward like an arrow.”

1961: Scania-Vabis builds on its success in Brazil, opening its first ever production facility outside Sweden in São Bernardo do Campo, near São Paulo.

1969: Scania introduces a 350hp, 14-litre V8 turbocharged engine. It is the most powerful truck motor in Europe at the time and pioneers Scania’s low-rev philosophy with a high-torque output at low engine

speeds, it’s claimed.

1980: Scania launches the 2-series, the first modular commercial vehicle range.

1988: The new 3-series is launched and the following year takes the International Truck of the Year award.

Scania is now able to tailor trucks according to customer specifications.

1995: The 4-series is launched and the following year also receives the International Truck of the Year award.

2000: Scania’s millionth vehicle made.

2003: Scania’s Young European Truck Driver competition starts.

2009: Scania launches the Scania Touring, a new coach built in

partnership with Chinese bus bodybuilder Higer. Scania and Higer join forces to produce buses in China for the world market - a pioneering step forward in bus manufacturing.

2010: Boasting 730hp, Scania’s new V8 engine is the most powerful in the world without having to compromise on fuel efficiency, it’s stated.

2011: Two years before it becomes legally compulsory, Scania introduces Europe’s first Euro6 truck.

2013: New Streamline models for longdistance transport are launched.

2015: Scania delivers its 150,000th truck with activated connectivity.

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Coverstory

Photography: Cristian Brunelli

PRESIDENT ELECT A re-interpretation of the breed and more than a bit of Aussie bus-industry know-how has seen Chinese-based but Australian-imbued bus builder Bonluck produce the latest classy version of its popular President product. Daubed in Candy Apple Green at BusVic 2015, we had to take a quick look. Coach & Bus editor Fabian Cotter reports.

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ould this be a story about a quiet little bus that stood all by its lonesome in some dark and dingy corner of a major commercial vehicle show hoping it might get seen? No. No, it’s not! This is a story of a brand-spankingnew Bonluck (BLK) President 2 ‘1600’ coach - resplendent in a gorgeous bright Hyundai green - virtually plonked smack bang in the middle of a hall basking in its own limelight and subliminally shouting out ‘Look at me, Kimmy! Look at me!’ to hundreds of passers-by at the Melbourne 2015 BusVic Maintenance Conference and Expo. And you know what?

That’s just what they did. And so did we.

Indeed, it was hard to ignore the modern and classy lines of this particular 12.35m, 48-seat luxury coach that did its own thing among the

slew of other stunning high-end machinery that lined the halls and walkways of the show.

Offset with a high-gloss black roof look that slides itself down onto the grille at the front and cheekily flicks itself up back at the tail, the cool blueish luminescence of the funky interior LEDs caught more than a few passing eyes and sucked us in like moths to a flame. And with our wings outstretched, ‘flipper-flappering’ at seemingly warp speed, Coach & Bus magazine floated on over to take a better look.

“The President range has been around for a number of years, but we changed its bodystyling last June and we released it at the 2015 Melbourne show,” said Rodd Hood, joint director and owner of Bonluck’s Australian importer and distributor Bus & Coach Sales Australasia (BCSA), based in Yatala,

Queensland.

“We painted it green to create attention and it certainly did that, and the response from that show onwards was very good. It’s been very exciting from a lot of operators, who were predominantly European vehicle buyers. My business partner, Athol McKinnon, and I went to visit a few European bus shows [earlier] and that’s probably what kicked off our our new [President] shape. We had a look at what the trends were with interior and exterior styling and that’s how we created the President 2,” he explained.

“It took Bonluck probably about 6 months only from once our ideas were all pulled together until the vehicle came off line, which is a very quick turnaround,” he added. “That’s the kind of speed and flexibility they offer us.”

“...allows a vehicle like the President 2 to suit a lot more applications, whether it be a school bus, a charter bus, a daytour bus, or extended-touring vehicle.”

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According to Hood, BSCA has been dealing with Bonluck since 2008 – a boutique builder as opposed to a lot of other manufacturers who come from China, he says. Bonluck builds about 3000-4000 buses per year whereas, he says, others talk about doing 40,000 – 50,000.

“The good part of Bonluck is that they are very flexible in their builds for what they do for Australia. They actually sell off the back of what we do in Australia to other countries, too, because 70 per cent of Bonluck’s business is for export, so the balance is for their local market,” Hood explained.

“They do focus on high-end, high-quality vehicles out of their factory and with Australia probably having the most stringent design rules in the world, they use the Australian market to sell their other products to the UK, America,

Dubai and a host of other countries.

“Even though we are relatively low volume for them, they use our expertise to help them take their products further. And that’s probably why we’ve got the edge on others, as well, because of their flexibility. The product that we actually get here in Australia is our product, it’s not their product imposed on us, which happens with other manufacturers,” he said.

Hood says it’s “our design chassis, it’s our design body” and that the Bonluck buses and coaches for this region are built to exactly how Australian customers choose, with the components they want.

“We are an Australian company; actually all we are doing is what we have done in the past - which was manufacture here in Australia - but now we are just manufacturing

 Good power from the Cummins ISL 360 allows the President 2 to clip along at good pace. And looks great doing it, too.

overseas because it’s a very labour intensive product, so the savings are in labour costs.

The components we source are the same components, or very similar components, that a lot of the other major manufacturers use here in Australia, or that European chassis suppliers use in their own vehicles and we just have those fitted to our vehicles for Australia.”

The President is a very popular vehicle in BSCA’s model mix, says Hood, and more so now with the implementation in some Australian states of the increased axle weight to 18 tonne, which allows a vehicle like the President 2 to suit a lot more applications, whether it be a school bus, a charter bus, a day-tour bus, extended-touring vehicle because of the increased allowable carrying capacity.

BUS SPECS MAKE: Bonluck (BCSA) MODEL: President 2 ‘1600’ ENGINE: Cummins Euro5 (ADR 80/03) ISL 360 diesel, six-cylinder, four-stroke 8.9L inline six; water cooling and direct injection; turbocharged with intercooler. POWER – 268kW@2100rpm. TORQUE – 1600Nm@1200-1400rpm; 28v 140ah alternator, 12v 200ah x2 batteries.

TRANSMISSION: Allison T390R six- speed automatic with retarder.

CHASSIS: Monocoque space-frame chassis, rearmount engine.

AXLES: Front - independent suspension, max. load 7500kg. Rear - Meritor full-floating type, max. load 13000kg.

SUSPENSION: Air suspension 2 + 4 bellows, front and rear swaybars.

BRAKES: Wabco ABS, dual-circuit air system, disc brakes (EBS optional) WHEELS: Alcoa polished 8.25x22.5-inch rims.

TYRES: 295/80R 22.50-inch ‘Double Coin’ tubeless STEERING: ZF model 8098, adjustable column (height and rake) BODY: 12360mm x 2500mm x 3670mm. Fibreglass front and rear header panels; one-piece fibreglass roof; fibreglass stretch panels; Australian ‘Supagal’ steel frame. SEATING: 45-59 three-point safety belt passenger seats complying with ADR 68; CVG air-ride driver’s seat with automatic reset MISC.: Fuel – 400L, GVM – 18,000kg; dark-tint saloon glass; quick-release gas struts lift wheelarches; electric front drivers blinds OPTIONS: LCD Monitors; AXIS DVD, amplifier entertainment system; VDO tachograph; reversing camera with monitor to dash area; interior surveillance system; toilet and hand drier; curtains; carpet to saloon door; sliding windows; underfloor wheelchair loader; school bus flashing lights and signage; aluminium bullbar; fold-down windscreen protector; fleet colours; mine-site spec centre door; metro-type seat (max. capacity - 59)

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 Jewelled LEDs help offset the stylish headlights with aplomb.

“...it’s a very multi-purpose type vehicle that can be easily changed to suit that particular client application.”

 With that flooring, leather-seat colouring and LED ambiance it really is a soothing place to be.

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 Let’s face it, a lot of automotive ‘woodgrain’ trim looks incongruous and nasty. The President 2’s driver’s areas looks a treat and felt comfy, too.

“This is also very cost effective in our case against spending another $70,000-80,000 more for a three-axle coach – as the only reason a majority of people are buying a threeaxle coach is for additional carrying capacity axle-weight wise. So now you have two axles allowing us to do that.”

This allows the President to be used for a multitude of roles – even though BSCA offers other premium products like the Senator 12, which is its school charter bus based on the same chassis as the coach. The reason? A form of ‘standardisation’ in an operator’s fleet who might need to run both, so they are not having two [different] models of vehicle within the fleet. And a lot of those items are also passed onto the President 3 three-axle coach, as well, he says.

So what sets BSCA apart from other Australian distributors of ‘Chinese buses’?

Hood is quick to point out: “We are the only importer in Australia that still uses Australian galvanised steel to build our vehicles overseas, for both chassis and body. Our steel comes from Australian tube mills in Brisbane, we send it to Bonluck in China and they assemble the bus. A lot of other people use steel from other countries in various shapes or sizes,and then we also still offer – as part of our model line-up - a stainless steel option if people require it,

and that stainless steel comes form Bentler in Germany.”

Since last July BSCA has delivered more than 20 Presidents in various shapes and it recently landed its first 14.5m coach that’s going into charter-coach operation with a very high seating capacity, the company states.

Aside from the 12.35m, 48-seat President 2 version pictured, there’s a 10.8m and a 13.2m President 2, as well.

“The Presidents are spread out all over the place, from inbound tour operators to TrainLink (Countrylink previously) in NSW like the V-Line in Melbourne, so we’ve got them operating on 7 days per week, 365 days a year services.

It just goes into a multitude of different type operations. They could be out there doing mine work in WA, Qld, NT, Tasmania – we’ve got them in every state, so it’s a very multi-purpose type vehicle that can be easily changed to suit that particular client application,” Hood said.

New-design President 2 variants typically include: Australian ‘Super Gal’ galvanised steel chassis and body frame; 48 leather passenger seats plus driver; Cummins ISL 360 engine; Wabco EBS braking system; Thoreb Multiplex wiring system; Zinder wheelchair lift; a toilet; electric swing doors; separate driver’s air conditioning; wood-grain timber floor; multifunction steering wheel; electric pantograph bin

’ BON APPETIT – BCSA JOINT DIRECTOR and owner Rodd Hood starting his career completing an Automotive Engineering trade course with Detroit Diesel in Sydney, and then moved onto the sales division of Denning in 1985. He has years’ experience in the bus and coach industry, ranging from holding a Certificate of Transport Management, Automotive Engineering Trade and Post Trade Diesel courses, to joint owner and director of BCSA. His other joint-owner and director Athol McKinnon recently celebrated 50 years in the industry, starting his apprenticeship as a coach and motor body builder at Denning. He worked for MCA, then Australian Autobus previously. In 2013 he received the QBIC Outstanding Contribution Award.

The company employs 24 people here in Australia and also has Australian staff who live in China full time, who look after quality, design and certification.

BCSA is an Australian-owned and operated company, providing Australia and New Zealand with quality passenger-carrying vehicle options, it’s stated. Established in 2006, BCSA has sold more than 800 vehicles nationwide.

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1 Electric pantograph bin

doors are optional, but very convenient to have.

2 Driver controls neatly laid out

and easily to hand. doors; and a fully automated fire-suppression system.

“The Zinder wheelchair lift is a brand Bonluck uses,” Hood said. “It’s an upright, swing-out type wheelchair lift. The benefits of that over a cartridge lift is it uses less bin capacity and only had two micro switches on it, so from a maintenance point of view it’s a very simplistictype wheelchair lift. It has a hydraulic override, so if anything ever failed you still have a manual use. And obviously there again it’s very attractively priced for an operator.”

He added, “Our doors are manual top-hinge lift up doors, but we also do have an airoperated pantograph door option as well (fitted to the green bus). We are not forcing anyone to use what we might think might be right,” he explained. “The public is still indicting they like a choice of both so that’s what we offer.”

And with a philosophy to allow its customers to take its buses and coaches around any region to the preferred service centres of a customer’s choice – which BCSA will fully support (meaning they are not ‘forcing’ them to take a damaged or broken-down vehicle hundreds or thousands of kilometres away), the Bonluck brand in this region certainly has its following.

“We have a certain clientele that follow us and [they’re] obviously from past relationships, but there’s a lot of newer relationships as well, Hood explained. “There’s our ability to give the operator a vehicle with a massive amount of Australian input with high-quality components sourced from all around the world at, you can say, a very attractive and affordable price.” he said. “And that’s what sets us apart from some of our competitors.”

“It took Bonluck probably about 6 months only from once our [new design] ideas were all pulled together until the vehicle came off line.”

Classy and curved tail-lights punctuate the President 2’s rear, with distinct muscular edges rising above.

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OTHER GOODIES? BCSA was approached by AAT Kings to build them a specialised day-tour vehicle, which their marketing people had seen overseas. BCSA approached the Bonluck factory and within three months the StarGazer ‘glass roof’ coaches were built.

They’ve been in operation with AAT Kings for around 18 months to date.

The company also supplies a 28-seat bus right through to 12m, 14.5m, and articulated buses – 10 of which are operating for Brisbane Bus Lines for the past two years.

In terms of midi-buses, BCSA recently released its latest Cooper, which is a 28-seat, toilet-equipped midi-bus or a 33-, 37- passenger-seat 8.8m midi-bus / midi-coach. It now features independent suspension, different axles, fibreglass stretch panels – plus a whole host of next-generation components, it’s claimed.

Showtime

IT-TRANS 2016 It’s the biggest show of its kind devoted to transportation and technology from a commuter User Experience (UX) point of view, attracting some of the largest and leading companies and experts from around the world. The fifth bi-annual ITTRANS 2016 event kicked off in Karlsruhe, Germany, recently and so Coach & Bus checks it out. Editor Fabian Cotter reports.

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T

ime is a benchmark by which all commuter transport must be measured. Time in terms in how long it takes to deliver passengers safely, how comfortable and enjoyable the journey is during that time, and overall how quick and convenient it was for a ticket purchaser. Anything that mars the experience of that ‘time’, either by unappealing sight, sound, feel and smell (yep, smell), or by using more time than is required by the trip is what will always help keep public transport and, in turn, bus and coach travel as second or third choices when up against cars, rail and planes.

Helping streamline and maximise the time aspect of such travel experience is the rapid advances in technology that affects ticketing, GPS and general data gathering for the commuter, all helping to empower them and make them feel ‘at ease’ with using such transportation means.

At the massive enterprise that is the 2016 IT-TRANS International Conference and Exhibition, held every two years and most recently in Germany March 1-3, a mindboggling array of the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos and the geniuses behind them gathered to discuss what is available to transport operators globally right now and

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what may well come in future.

Touted as promoting smart travellers in smart systems, IT-TRANS 2016 is the leading conference and exhibition on IT solutions in public transport, it’s claimed. As well as the core programme topics, including e-ticketing, passenger information systems, fare management and smart cards, IT-TRANS 2016 featured examples of how IT enables the greater integration of public transport within the wider urban environment, taking a close look at smart cities, new mobility service providers, traffic management and integrated mobility platforms.

And it is here punters got an exclusive preview of the trends and highlights in IT that will help shape the future of public transport.

These days, few can ignore the rapidly growing influence that IT (Information Technology) has on public and urban transport.

It defines and manages our systems, operations and services, plus has a crucial effect on travellers’ behaviour and expectations.

They key message at IT-TRANS 2016 was that emerging IT technologies are transforming the relationship between public transport and its customers.

Rapid urbanisation, the insatiable rise of the smart phone and the sharing economy are all

changing the way that people are using public transport and their expectations of it and the sector is already rising to the challenge, it was claimed.

“Public transport needs IT tools to enable us to be smarter and to better match supply to demand,” commented UITP secretary general, Alain Flausch. “We need to embrace the IT revolution to lead the pack and become the backbone of urban mobility through the use of all these new tools”.

Though public transport will remain the ‘backbone’ in cities, it will need to develop inter-modal platforms and integrate new mobility players. This to truly reply to customers’ needs and ensure that ride-selling services are just part of the picture and not the only show in town.

“In public transport, we had been used to [just] telling people about our services … until Uber came along,” said Rahul Kumar, senior vice president at Transdev. “We need to [go further and] be much more dynamic in providing solutions for customer’s journeys”.

There was also a shared feeling that whilst private autonomous cars are just over the horizon, they will be unable to offer an answer to the congestion our cities face. The only real solution will be shared, electric and probably

“...taking a close look at smart cities, new mobility service providers, traffic management and integrated mobility platforms..”

1 Britta Wirtz, managing director of IT-TRANS co-organiser KMK. 2 More accurate and up-to-date bus scheduling information via

smartphone is increasingly crucial.

3 IT-TRANS, 2016 had quite a turnout this year.

4 A range of exhibitors displayed the latest ticketing and data

devices available now, or soon to come.

5 MAIN CONFERENCE THEMES 1. Enhancing the customer experience; 2. Data for smart businesses and services; 3. Urban transport in Smart Cities; 4. Integrated mobility platforms: PT and new mobility services; 5. Intermodal Transport Control Systems.

autonomous vehicles.

“The world’s population cannot continue to drive around in their automobiles, it is just not going to work,” said IT-TRANS 2016 keynote speaker and US mobility visionary, Gabe Klein. “Ownership is dead in many ways: shared mobility and public transport are the future and Ford probably won’t be making cars in 50 years”.

“We are very satisfied with this year’s IT-TRANS. Record numbers on visitors and exhibitors and a bigger share of international participants prove that the fifth edition of the event has firmly established Karlsruhe as a global hub for digital solutions in public transport,” said Britta Wirtz, managing director of co-organiser KMK. The biennial event attracted almost 500 conference delegates and 210 exhibitors (up from 162 exhibitors in 2014) from 34 countries as well as 5000 visitors (up 36 per cent), bringing together leaders of the IT industry and the public transport sector together with new players and providers of digital services.

IT-TRANS aficionados predict that, “the explosion in the volume of available data is expected to accompany greater intelligence in the management of systems and customer relations. It will increase the

need for interoperable solutions, as well as for smarter and integrated systems, whether it be for network management, information or ticketing. Relations with customers and travellers will therefore also change.”

At the 2016 event, a key focus was the ‘smart travellers in smart systems’, where the sector meets to exchange, discuss and invent IT solutions to further support the growth of public and sustainable urban transport, it’s claimed.

The show, overall,was a great way to connect leaders and decision-makers with the vibrant world of start-ups and SMEs, which “are in the vanguard of new developments and interactions with other sectors”.

Other beneficiaries participating at the event were operators, authorities and the greater industry,which could “seize upon and locally implement innovative solutions”, organisers state.

The global event attracted some of the leading forward thinkers across the planet, whose wisdom, postulations and conjecture about the impact of new technologies on the public transport realm was warmly received.

Experts form transport operators, business, politics, government, research and development presented innovative solutions and their implementation during 15

conference sessions.

A highlight of the opening was the keynote speech from American mobility expert Gabe Klein, whose book - Start-up City - outlines how the gap between dynamic start-ups and the public sector can be closed in order to introduce new forms of urban mobility more quickly.

Plenary sessions then discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the public transport sector in the wake of increasing digitisation: How is digitisation reshaping relations with public transport customers?

Which strategies are available for the release and dissemination of travel data and what are the conditions for the successful provision of data? What do emerging technologies, such as automated vehicles, hold for current and future actors in public transport?

High-level speakers at such sessions included Masaki Ogata, UITP president and vice-chairman, East Japan Railway Company; Rosina Howe-Teo, group director, Innovation and InfoComm Technology of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore; and Nir Erez, CEO of the Israeli start-up Moovit.

At the heart of the Conference’s innovation sessions on current trends and future markets they looked at new opportunities developing through information and communication

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technologies.

Speakers presented on innovations in key areas such as e-ticketing, fare collection, passenger information systems, ITCS and smart cards. They also gave examples of how information technologies allow for greater integration of public transport in urban areas, with the focus on smart cities and smart mobility.

Susanne Schatzinger, project Leader at the Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart, spoke about visions for the taxi of the future. Lyon-based mobility and research consultant Catherine Bouteiller dealt with data analysis tools in public transport, whereas Arjan van Andel, director of business development at the Canadian software company Giro Inc. spoke about integrating journey planning options for new mobility services.

“We are delighted to see this popularity, especially from abroad, and it emphasises the international relevance of IT-TRANS”, said Wirtz.

“For the first time, we [had] exhibitors from Japan, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, and Estonia, among others.”

With digitisation of public transport as a core topic, IT-TRANS precisely meets the requirements of numerous transport companies which have put digitisation on the very top of their agenda for 2016, added Wirtz.

“It is causing us to rethink the way in which our sector relates and connects to other modes, the city and its customers”, explained Jarl Eliassen, expert for information and ticketing at the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), co-organiser of ITTRANS.

“Digitalisation makes it possible to bring together a number of actors and modes.

It allows operators and authorities to fully integrate additional services, including new mobility services, in their competencies and portfolios or to develop / support the development of integrated mobility platforms.”

The vast amount of data generated through digitisation will additionally enable public transport companies to improve operations in administration, vehicle fleet and infrastructure and, above all, specifically address customer expectations, it’s stated.

“People want to reach their destination efficiently and flexibly. Multi-modal is the simplest way to achieve this”, said Christophe Fondrier, managing director of highQ Professional Services GmbH, Stuttgart.

Technological development allows today’s road users to make a new decision every second and to choose the best possible option for the current situation. “Mobility is a service”, underlined Fondrier. It is increasingly available through mediums such as cards and mobile devices. Easily accessible, interoperable, climate neutral, multi-modal, with multioptional methods of payment, it’s stated. And a pilot project that puts this vision into practice is currently being rolled out in Stuttgart.

“With Stuttgart Services – as a pilot project of the Baden-Württemberg electro-mobility shop window – we have paired 23 partners from all mobility sectors, different carsharing providers, pedelec and bike rentals, with urban services in what is called the “polygo” card. The card is ready to launch.”

At IT-TRANS, highQ demonstrated this best

practice example, amongst other things.

Integration of services and distribution systems is becoming increasingly important; cards or other mediums which the customer already possesses – like EMV-based contactless credit cards – increasingly simplify the ticket purchasing process, it was stated.

“This is one of the essential prerequisites for attractive public transport”, said Klaus Janke, executive director of Karlsruhe-based INIT. The support of best price calculation solutions sparing passengers the search for the right fare makes the use of public transport much easier, especially for occasional customers.

Janke agrees that integrating services and distribution systems across different modes of transport is becoming increasingly important.

“That means that a traveller is able to leave home by bike, lock it at a designated shelter, board a bus, and transfer to a train – all by using the same e-ticketing medium and without spending one further thought.” At the moment, INIT is implementing a ticketing project that offers passengers a multitude of alternative ticket purchasing options – with cash or by card, with a smart card, contactless credit card or smartphone – for the public transit agency in Portland/Oregon.

“The growth of IT tools in public transport and the opportunities offered by our increasingly connected cities is a major trend affecting public transport and how it interacts with other transport modes, the city and its customers,” explained UITP secretary general, Flausch.

“IT-TRANS 2016 plays both a key role in spurring innovation and guiding the sector in these rapidly changing times.”

“... a great way to connect [IT and transport] leaders and decision-makers with the vibrant world of start-ups and SMEs.” IT-TRANS is massive and a mustvisit event for those punters keen to observe the evolving tech behind the commuter-transport experience.

032 www.truckandbus.net.au

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Industry Trend

HELPING HAND A

mbulance people are good people.

When on the job their thorough professionalism and calming, soothing methodology and mindsets when administering first-aid in critical medical emergency situations is often, quite literally, the difference between life and death for the patient – or at least the avoidance of serious long-term injury.

The on-road mobile units – which for years have consisted of a range of different branded

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customised vans, SUVs or motorcycles - are often the first to reach accident and crime scenes and hopefully have enough medicines and equipment on board to treat as many patients as possible.

With these Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicles only able to fit one stretcher or ‘gurney’, an array of strategies along the process needs to be followed to ensure maximum help for maximum people.

From the moment the emergency telephone

number is called, the objective is to assess how many people are injured (or deceased), to what extend those injuries seem to be, and from that the dispatcher can determine how many vehicles need to be sent. Often multiple ‘back-up’ vehicles are sent just in case, but depending on the situation – technically and in extreme cases - an ambulance can fit about four or five patients inside, though three to four is perhaps a better bet.

The driver, or Emergency Medical Technician

Medical emergencies in South Australia just got a whole lot closer to being resolved quicker and more efficiently thanks to a new ‘Ambulance Bus’ being trialled there that can carry up to 12 patients. The specialist Iveco-Custom Bus vehicle is a Southern Hemisphere first and there’s the promise of more to come. Coach & Bus magazine editor Fabian Cotter reports.

(EMT), can be accompanied by paramedics on board in ALS mode, or in the minimum there will be just two EMTs in Basic Life Support (BLS) mode for various types of call-outs.

With the patients triaged, a critically ill patient would get the stretcher and non-critically ill patients could fit in the back on the bench next to the stretcher, or on the seat behind the driver’s seat, if needs be. But again, the service is pretty good at assessing how many vehicles need to be sent out to help.

The world, though, is an ever-changing place – or at least it has changed since certain events took place. Whether it is a mega nightmare like 9/11 or even just thousands of kids popping God-knows-what kind of pills at massive music festivals then walking around like zombies after, there’s arguably been a growing need for ambulance staff to treat even more people at once than ever. And something the size of the ‘Ambus’ bus has proven to be ideal, which can hold six stretchered and six seated patients.

“For those kind of mass-casualty events this is going to be an incredibly important resource,” said South Australian Health Minister Jack Snelling MP. South Australian Ambulance Service spokesman Andy Long added: “We will be able to carry multiple patients in one vehicle rather than using several ambulances each carrying a single patient.”

Minister Snelling added: “More importantly those individual ambulances can remain on site

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1

“...there’s arguably been a growing need for ambulance staff to treat even more people at once than ever.”

SA AMBULANCE FAST FACTS: The new Iveco-Custom Bus Ambulance joins the South Australian organisation’s existing fleet of: 226 ambulances (stretcher-carrying vehicles), which include Mercedes Sprinters, Toyota Troopys and Ford Diesel 4x2s; 146 other vehicles, including command and single-response vehicles; 11SPRINT bicycles; and 2 MRU motorbikes.

036 www.truckandbus.net.au

in areas where there is a disaster.”

Costing around A$250,000 and touted as the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the 23-metre Iveco Delta Graduate Chassis (4x2) was locally designed and manufactured in Melbourne. Above the chassis sits a Custom Bus SB50 charter body with the ambulance fit-out by Mader International of Tasmania.

This prototype vehicle eventuated after initial enquiries by the South Australian Ambulance Service, which needed to meet a range of crucial customer requirements. SA Ambulance then sent out a tender and after several meetings between Iveco and SA Ambulance on what was needed and what the company could offer, further meetings then included the body builder and ambulance fit-out supplier.

The concept was thus created.

With Custom and Iveco already having a good working relationship in terms of bodies on chassis, a product was delivered to Mader Tasmania for the final body construction and ambulance fit-out application. And as expected, a fire-suppression system and other safety requirements were fitted prior to the official handover to the SA Ambulance Service last December.

2 1 The new ‘Ambus’ can hold six stretchered and six seated

patients or staff.

2 Not a bad exterior look; it would certainly stand out on the road.

3 It may look bit dyslexic at first, but all will be revealed in

your rear-view mirror.

3

So what does it offer above the norm and how can it help improve an ambulance service?

The special vehicle is designed to carry no fewer than six stretchered patients at any one time, along with the same number of supporting staff including doctors and nurses. This means it can carry patients at all levels of care and is fitted out with all the normal ambulance appliances and sundry equipment, as required. It can be used as a rapid response unit for major accidents, where multiple patient injuries and transportation is needed.

According to Iveco, following an initial review by the customer, it is Iveco Buses’s intention to work with all relevant ambulance bodies throughout Australia, following any successful trial in South Australia. It states the application sets new grounds in the Australian Emergency Services industry and the company looks forward to liaising with all emergency services bodies throughout Australia regarding this exciting new concept.

“Hopefully, it starts to set a bit of a trend in the Ambulance sector,” said Long. The South Australian ‘Ambus’ is due for full-time service from April, 2016.

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038 www.truckandbus.net.au

MILEAGE HIGH CLUB When your State is the combined size of Alaska and Texas you have more than a few kilometres to cover when transporting commuters up, down, left and right across it. Transwa started its fleet update recently and gave Volvo and Irizar the nod.

Coach & Bus Editor Fabian Cotter reports.

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R

egardless of how bad at mathematics you may be, even without a trusty calculator at hand you quickly realise the rough scope of an answer when the input values are mindbogglingly obvious to begin with. Example?

To better understand the idea of long-distance coach travel in Western Australia – a state that is 2.646 Million km2 and with a capital city of only 5386 km2 – you don’t have to be Scooby-Do to work out that’s a lot of hours people will need to be sitting in their seats along, at times, quite rough roads in cars or coaches, so you’d pray they were comfy, cool and passenger friendly.

And let’s just forget ‘warm’ for a moment because Western Australia’s annual mean temperature in 2015 was 0.96 °C aboveaverage - ranking as the second-highest - since comparable temperature records commenced in 1910, closely following the warmest year in 2013.

The point is you can’t mess about when it comes to choosing quality coaches to move people back and forth towards such distant destinations in such ‘sweatingly’ tough conditions. In fact, with many other Aussie States having similarly daunting travel prerequisites to consider when coach fleets are being chosen, arguably operators around the world may well do themselves a favour and monitor what type of gear is being used across this country to appreciate how good – or not – they are.

In West Oz’s case, government department Transwa recently received the first or 23 new world-class modern ‘road coaches’ to help update their fleet and it chose Volvo B11Rs under Irizar i6 bodies.

Transwa operates four regional rail services (Australind, Prospector, MerredinLink and AvonLink) and a fleet of coaches to regional WA, servicing a massive 240 locations. Transwa runs 130 weekly scheduled coach services and carries about 210,000 passengers a year; the average Transwa road coach passenger travels more than 300km per journey. Every year Transwa undertakes market research to find out what its customers think of its services and this market research is used to help Transwa improve the way services are delivered and to better meet and exceed customers’ expectations, it’s stated.

The delivery is part of a $16.3 million investment in regional public transport services and the road coaches were funded by $15.1 million in Royalties for Regions funding, with a further $1.2m to be generated by the sale of the 22 existing coaches.

Western Australia Transport Minister Dean

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Nalder MP said the vehicles would make long trips more comfortable and safer for passengers.

“A number of new features have been introduced in the coaches, which were built

by Volvo Bus Australia in a joint venture with Spanish company Irizar,” Minister Nalder said.

“The average Transwa road coach passenger travels more than 300km per journey, which is why it was important to get the design right, with new seats, individual sound-systems and USB ports providing an aeroplane-like experience.

“The 56-seat luxury coaches are fully accessible, air conditioned, provide on-board entertainment, have eight CCTV cameras for passenger safety and security, toilet facilities, and built-in GPS and satellite/mobile driver communication systems, so that drivers won’t have to rely on mobile phone coverage to communicate with operations staff.”

Regional Development Minister Terry Redman added that the replacement programme would provide regional residents and tourists with even better and safer access to the rest of WA. “Transwa’s fleet travels to 240 regional communities, providing links with regional towns, many of which would otherwise be accessible only by car,” Mr Redman said.

“These new road coaches will ensure those who cannot or choose not to drive the long distances between the city and the regions have accessible, comfortable and convenient public transport options into the future.”

So why the upgrade? Transwa road coaches are some of the hardest-working vehicles in the Public Transport Authority’s fleet, by virtue of the vast distances they need to travel, the organisation states. The existing coaches, which were brought onto the system in 200304, have travelled an average of 1.6 Million kilometres in their lifetime. This equates to approximately 130,000 kilometres per year over their working life.

While a family car, or even a Transperth bus, can still be serviceable after around a decade, to ensure the reliability and safety standards of Transwa coaches remain high, replacing these hard-working vehicles – which while still operational and had already undergone extensive refurbishment – was considered a prudent investment, Transwa says. And the old coaches will be sold at auction, with the $1.2m in proceeds to be put towards the purchase of the new coaches. Coaches are often sold to interstate buyers and to private coach companies, so there’s a bargain to be had for discerning purchasers.

 Long trips inland or along the beautiful West Aussie coast - the new road coaches should prove ideal.

BUS SPECS MAKE: Volvo MODEL: B11R Coach BODY: Irizar i6 ENGINE: Volvo D11C in-line 6-cylinder Euro5 diesel. Power – 450hp; Torque – 16002150Nm; Volvo EMS. TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift 12-speed automated gear-changing system with integrated retarder.

CHASSIS: 6x2, RHD (Aust. spec); independent and rigid front suspension; third steered axle; Frame – C-profile beams with flat, builder-friendly surface.

SUSPENSION: Electronically controlled air suspension, independent front; Front and rear stabilisers; Rear axle – Volvo singlereduction axle and diff lock.

BRAKES: Twin-circuit system; Volvo disc brakes combined with EBS 5-controlled ABS/ ASR functions and ESP. WHEELS/TYRES: Steel or aluminium rims; Front - 275/70 R22.5-inch, rear - 295/80 R22.5-inch Bridgestone tyres.

INTERIOR: 56-seat luxury seats; Irizar air conditioned; on-board DVD entertainment; eight CCTV cameras; toilet facilities; built-in GPS and satellite/mobile driver communication system.

MISC.: Fire-detection and suppression system includes smoke detectors in the coach saloon, toilet and in luggage compartment; refrigerated drinking water, baby change tables (in toilets).

“The average Transwa road coach passenger travels more than 300km per journey.”

WHAT IS TRANSWA?

1 1 It looks as stylish as it does practical and comfy. Volvo I-Shift

will come in hand on the long journeys.

3 Armrest-mounted audio controls adds to the aircraft-type experience.

3

2 2 When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. Irizar i6-spec toilet

offers good space - and comforting relief.

4 Thank God it’s not just one TV screen right up the front so rear-

seated passengers have to squint like buggery to see it.

4

The Public Transport Authority (PTA) is responsible for: Rail, bus and ferry services in the metropolitan area (Transperth); Public transport services in regional centres; Coach and rail passenger services to regional areas (Transwa); School bus services; Designing, building and maintaining transport infrastructure.

The PTA was established in July 2003 and brought together Transperth, School Bus Services and local regional bus services (all previously operating under the Department of Planning and Infrastructure) and WA Government Railways (a separate entity).

The PTA was created to clarify the function of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure as a landand-transport planning authority, while consolidating the responsibility for delivery of public transport with the PTA. The PTA’s vision is stated to be to “increase the use of public transport through the provision of customerfocussed, safe and cost-effective passenger transport services”.

Transwa is one of four major service systems in Western Australia, operating four regional rail services (Australind, Prospector, MerredinLink and AvonLink) and a fleet of coaches to regional WA. Transwa services 240 locations.

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 Award-winning Irizar i6 body on Volvo B11R chassis looks the goods with Transwa livery flair.

“...each new road coach costs approximately $600,000 with 12 coaches to be replaced in 2015-16 and 11 in 2016-17.”

To ensure the new coaches improve reliability, comfort and safety for all regional road coach passengers, Transwa found the B11R matched to i6 body package offered

by Volvo Bus Australia and Irizar Asia Pacific, respectively, ticked all their boxes – and then some. In brief, each new road coach costs approximately $600,000 with 12 coaches to be replaced in 2015-16 and 11 in 2016-17.

Transwa is quick to point out that it is continually monitoring patronage and travel trends and adjusts their services accordingly.

At this time there are no plans to make significant changes to Transwa services, as existing patronage does not demonstrate a need to increase services.

The majority of funding for this project ($15.1m) came from Royalties for Regions,

042 www.truckandbus.net.au

with none of the funds coming from the PTA budget - except for the $1.2m raised from the sale of the existing road coach fleet.

Ensuring the regions – particularly people who cannot or choose not to drive the long distances between country towns and the city of Perth – have access to long-haul, safe public transport services is only fair considering the ample public transport options city residents can use. The current coaches are approaching the end of their lifespan and, while replacing them is expensive, it is an investment in ensuring the ongoing reliability of the fleet.

Key advantages of these vehicles over previously used coaches in the fleet include: the built-in GPS navigation and driver communication system, which enables

drivers to view important messages - like notifications of detours or road closures - from communication directly with Transwa staff; be more manoeuvrable due to the steerable rear axle; and are more environmentally friendly by meeting Euro5 emissions standards.

Also a fire-detection and suppression system has been fitted to the new fleet, which includes smoke detectors in the coach saloon, toilet and in the luggage compartment.

The road coach contract was put out for competitive tender by the Public Transport Authority (PTA). Volvo Bus Australia, in partnership with Irizar Asia Pacific, were selected as the preferred proponents because “they had the extensive expertise required to deliver the project, and provide the best value for money,” according to Transwa.

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BETTER 8 THAN NEVER When you have opera singers, interpretive dancers and circusperforming juggler types at your product launch you’d best hope it was something pretty special being revealed. By all accounts, the recently debuted Irizar i8 flat-floor coach is all that and much more. Coach & Bus editor Fabian Cotter checks out the Spanish marque’s latest flagship.

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I

t takes a lot to grab attention for any set time at an event the size of Busworld Kortrijk 2015 in Belgium, but that’s just what Irizar managed to do judging by the feedback its latest i8 luxury coach received after the out-there theatrics of the abovementioned artists during an unveiling event late last year.

At the moment onlookers would have realised it wasn’t a very weird episode of Europe’s Got Talent or such, the reality that the company was about to show off one very special type of vehicle probably kicked in. And with the success that the i6 has been for Irizar, it needed to be.

Touted as the company’s new ‘flagship’, the stunning Irizar i8 dropped more than a few jaws once the covers came off at the show.

A ground-up new development, it is imbued with the traditional design lines and cues, but enhances them in an arguably more muscular and distinctive way. And the result is gorgeous!

Where some have criticised the i6 – 2011’s Spanish Coach of the Year - for having a bit of a grumpy grasshopper-type face (they’ve probably watched a few too many re-runs of A Bug’s Life maybe), the i8’s heard that

gossip, gone to the gym, cut out the carbs from its diet, pumped some iron and ‘cut up for summer’. Few would be brave enough to mention any insect jokes to this bad boy’s face, that’s for sure.

Said to incorporate the latest manufacturing and design techniques the i8 - which recently was crowned 2016 Spanish Coach of the Year - is more efficient and safer to operate than its forebears, and will be available as a body-only unit or fully integral outfit ... in Europe that is.

Our queries to Irizar Asia Pacific as whether it could and would be coming to Australasian shores, or whether anyone here had put the feelers out for it yet could not be confirmed by the company. Still, given the increasing awareness of the brand in this region it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Following on from the Century-replacing popular PB range of the past 15 years or so – whose design was influenced by UK-based firm Arup Design and Research (ADR); yes, of Sydney Opera House fame - the new i8 is a great-looking machine aimed at the extremes of the upper market just above the i6, targeting niche uber-luxury operators.

As an integral chassis and body unit, the

European version of the i8 comes with a DAF MX13 13-litre, common-rail engine pumping out either 340kW@1450-1700rpm with peak torque 2300Nm@1000-1450rpm, or 375kW with torque increased to 2500Nm - SCR, EGR and a DPF filter used on each. And operators of these will be needing to change oil at recommended 100,000km intervals.

In terms of transmission, at first only a ZF AS-Tronic 12-speed automated manual will be offered, but later in 2016 a fully automatic ZF EcoLife gearbox will get the nod for the 340kW version only. ZF was chosen for the axles; the RL82EC is employed in the front independent system and for the tag axle, matched to an AV132 with a diff ratio of 2.93:1 as the drive axle. The steering is also ZF and VSE, while Wabco does the braking and suspension systems featuring ECAS/EBS3, AEBS, ABS, ASR and ESP. Knorr-Bremse ventilated discs and calipers all ‘round, Vibracoustic air bellows and Koni shocks take care of the rest.

Other highlights include: lane-departure warning (LDW), driver fatigue detector (DFD), adaptive cruise control (ACC), Continental VDO-KYBES 24v multiplex system, Alcoa Durabright Black Tag wheels and 470-litre

“...it is expected a range of manufacturers’ chassis will be selected for use by Australasian customers if and when this stunning new high-end coach lands.”

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diesel and 40-litre AdBlue tanks.

However, with the i8 a flat-floor body option as well, it is expected a range of manufacturers’ chassis will be selected for use

by Australasian customers if and when this stunning new high-end coach lands.

Visually, although the roof height is set at 3.80m excluding any air-conditioning unit, lengthways there are two options currently available in right-hand drive: three-axle 13.22m and 14.07m versions. There are shorter (12.4m two-axle) and longer (14.98m tri-axle) i8s shown in left-hand drive, but whether demand for those ever eventuates for this region – if it comes – are yet to be seen.

Yet that’s just the sizing. With the ultra-highcomfort-seeking traveller in mind, operators may well need to properly assess the need for an i8 over the already luxurious and goodlooking i6s that can be specc’d to be more than capable of fulfilling any of that demand here.

According to the company it aims to offer the highest level of personalisation, with the flexibility of three bathroom designs available, offers of 2+2, 2+1 and 1+1 seating for the level floor, new seat designs with a choice of two upholstery types, an array of multimedia

systems and probably more interior fabrics and colours offered than you can poke a Musk Stick at.

The point is the i8, though, was to be a “unique technological masterpiece”, as Irizar in Europe chose to use as its launch slogan, and so if anything it needed to look like it, too, otherwise what’s the point some would argue.

Those hopping aboard will find a widened front-door area for ease of access, where they will enviously pass a sublimely inviting driver’s area. Really, it’s that good it could well entice people to quite their day jobs just to become an i8 coach driver – or some to quit and just re-apply for the role just for the thrill of it. The stylish curvature of the instrument panel cowl, as it sweeps its way almost seamelessly across from the main dash area and rounding out past the driver and then beyond towards the rear is just beautiful. Whomever originally penned that earned their money, a packet of chicken chicks and a fizzy drink of their choice that day (Actually, it was UK-based Jerry Chung Design LTD, but we’ll get to that soon).

Like some cove in a coastal cliff-face shrouded by a peak of the rock above, it seems to cast enough shadow over the LCD

instrument panel and other displays, buttons and switches but not overbearingly so. The steering wheel itself appears fittingly highbrow, its silver highlights framing a raft of tillermounted controls. Everything else seems wellplaced, ergonomic, colour-co-ordinated and, generally, purposeful and user-friendly.

Turning to your left the rest of the cabin awaits. As director Jerry Chung himself explained: “When it comes to the interior, a warm luxurious and high-tech ambience was the primary focus. We wanted to create a sense of occasion as you enter the coach and to give a lasting impression at the end of the journey.”

“A wide-screen TV and information area dominates the front roof. Purposefully designed jewellery LED down-lighters help to make the entrance more inviting. The characterful luggage area with its contrasting material of light and dark sets up the roof area, lit by the innovative and integrated LED strip lighting that are now part of the Irizar values. The PSU has been purposely developed for the i8 that not only looks futuristic, but also highly functional in use. The seats have also been specifically designed, with adaptation built in for the three-

DOUBLE AWARDS IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR for Irizar thus far, winning two major wards at the same time, one with its new i8 as 2016 Spanish Coach of the Year and the other snaring 2016’s Environmentally Friendly Industrial Vehicle of the Year Award for its i2e electric bus.

Run by transport sector magazines Transporte 3 and Viajeros, they reward the “excellence of the new bus and coach models and are recognised as the nation’s [Spain] most important awards in the bus and coach category.”

After thoroughly analysing the safety, reliability, economy and efficiency of the candidates, the jury – comprising entrepreneurs from the passenger and transport sector, technical specialists and experts in the automotive field – name the above two Irizar vehicles the respective winners.

www.truckandbus.net.au 047

BUS SPECS MAKE: Irizar MODEL: i8 (flat-floor integral coach) ENGINE: DAF MX13 13-litre, common-rail; POWER – 340kW@1450-1700rpm, TORQUE - 2300Nm@1000-1450rpm, or 375kW with 2500Nm; both with SCR, EGR and a DPF filter.

TRANSMISSION: ZF AS-Tronic 12-speed automated manual (fully automatic ZF EcoLife gearbox for 340kW to come).

SUSPENSION: ZF RL82EC for front independent system and tag axle, matched to AV132 with diff ratio of 2.93:1 as drive axle; Vibracoustic air bellows, Koni shocks.

STEERING: ZF and VSE BRAKES: Wabco system with ECAS/EBS3, AEBS, ABS, ASR and ESP. Knorr-Bremse ventilated discs and calipers.

WHEELS: Alcoa Durabright Black Tag wheels INTERIOR: Luggage space - 13.5cubic metres (14.07m model); magazine nets, seatback tables, three point comfort belts (optional); side displacement and armrests are all offered along with optional USB charging boxes and top end entertainment systems including seatback screens with their attendant on-demand content.

MISC.: Fuel – 470L diesel, 40L AdBlue; lane-departure warning (LDW), driver fatigue detector (DFD), adaptive cruise control (ACC); G7 ultra-tinted double-glazed side windows; Continental VDO-KYBES 24v multiplex system; driver’s bunk; Spheros pre-heater; aircraft-style lockers; auto light and rain sensors; MMI integrated multi-media system with command joystick, integrated touchscreen.

point seat belts and TV monitor and various accessories. Matching the theme of the interior, the sculptural form and the elegant sew trim lines of the seat works cohesively,” he said.

Similarly, the i8 overall offers “exceptional prestige and comfort to its users as well as giving a memorable and exhilarating experience”. And you get that straight away from its physical presence. Chung explained: “Standing as the ‘top of the range’ product from Irizar, the i8 further evolves the identity and character of the brand. The overall surfaces are taut and muscular, even to some extent daring, but with a feline quality. There is a harmonious interplay between the soft surfaces and the crisp feature lines, creating dramatic highlights and beautiful reflections.

“The front is very dynamic, characterised by the signature ‘V’ shape metal jewellery feature; enhanced with those dramatically and bespoke designed full LED headlamps. Above the lamps, the highlight reflection runs all the

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“... the stunning Irizar i8 dropped more than a few jaws once the covers came off at the show.” way ‘round to the side and through to the rear, creating a first-of-its-kind, dramatic and daring unique cross-section.”

The result? “A look that is radically different to the average coach; the i8 achieves a style that is more akin to passenger cars.”

“Rewriting the rule book of the front windscreen design, we have created a revolutionary shape which integrates harmoniously with the new signature roof, which boasts the hallmark roof air intakes.

The front top corner marker lamps are newly developed and integrate behind the front

screen, giving a clean, futuristic appearance.”

“The rear is no less impressive, continuing the same aggressive surfacing, highlighted by the stainless steel window jewellery, which is echoed into the engine cooling vents. The rear LED lamps have been specially developed for the i8, with styles not dissimilar from the very best of automotive design. Finishing the rear is the integrated roof spoiler, sculpturally blended into the D pillar and housing the centrally mounted rear-view camera. It altogether expresses a confident, artistic and elegant character,” Chung concluded.

Spotlight On

P ART 1 60mins with...

Julian Gurney and Trevor O’Brien

National Manager Bus – Retail, and National Manager Bus – Government, Scania Australia Swedish giant Scania is a quintessential ‘Euro’ marque with a solid relationship these days with Higer in China, in terms of bus manufacture. In Australia, a unique split management role takes care of the retail and government sides of business. Coach & Bus editor Fabian Cotter caught up with them both in Melbourne, recently, to hear what product strategy may unfold. www.truckandbus.net.au 049

Q

Gentlemen, thanks for taking the time to chat to us at Coach & Bus magazine. Firstly, could you please give is a bit of background on you both in terms of how you landed at these roles with Scania and how long you’ve been in them?

JG: “My first role with Scania was in 2004 as a Bus & Coach account manager working for the Victorian branch in a retail sales environment. Prior to joining Scania I was involved with sales in the medical wholesale and capital equipment market for 13 years.

“I was looking to move into something more in tune with my out-of-work interests – namely anything mechanical! I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the role, working alongside John Gillies and reporting to our national manager, Trevor O’Brien. After nearly six years in the role I knew I needed to expand my skill-set into other areas of the industry.

“Joining the crew at Heritage Finance as a finance executive was a fantastic opportunity to work with a dynamic team that had contacts all over the country, enabling me to meet and get to know operators from NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. Most importantly I met a lot of operators who weren’t just Scania owners, but [owned] Volvo, Mercedes, Iveco and other brands of vehicles.

“In 2012 the Scania Bus & Coach department was split into Retail and Government operations to better reflect the focus the business had taken and I was grateful for the opportunity to take up the role as National Manager Bus & Coach – Retail.

TO’B: “I am a longer-term Scania employee clocking up 34 years in January 2016! I am happy to say I have been involved with bus for 32 of these years. I have spent time in sales, tenders and contracts etc. and ended up taking over as national manager for Bus in 2004. “As Jules said, we split the role in 2012 as government business is very different to retail and you need to manage them slightly differently to be able to deliver

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maximum value for all parties.”

Q

In your opinions, how is the Australian bus market different from those in other regions and what are the strengths and weaknesses of it in comparison? Where does the Australian bus market sit in the grand scheme of the global Scania bus-sales landscape? Is this a good thing and why / why not?

“...we have a strong voice and good communication with the factory, something we work hard to promote and protect.”

JG: “The mature nature of the Aussie bus market makes for fairly consistent annual sales volumes. This is a real bonus for the industry as it allows for good planning of bus manufacturing capacity. This helps enormously given the lead times from Europe (16 weeks from order-to-delivery for chassis).

Our relationship with our body builders is paramount and we work closely with their production schedulers to ensure chassis and body slots are in tune.

“It is completely the opposite scenario in Asia where the need for public transport is growing at a very fast pace. We have seen some huge volumes required for vehicles in Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar and, even recently, at the 2015 BIC Conference, the Singapore Land Transport Authority advised it was looking to put on another 450 buses over the next year or so to cope with demand.

“Scania Australia consistently ranks within the top 10 markets for Scania globally for sales volumes, so we are an integral part of their business. We recently had Hakan Bjork, our sales director for Key Accounts out in Australia in recognition of the work we are doing with our large, locally owned operators as well as our international partners.”

T’OB: “What this means for us is we have a strong voice and good communication with the factory, something we work hard to promote and protect.”

JG: “Scania Australia is at the forefront of the industry when it comes to our Total Transport Solutions portfolio and we have sent locally produced videos back

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to Sweden on our Driver Training and Optimise programme for them to use as a basis for their activities.

The Australian bus industry is very highly regarded for its professionalism by our sales and marketing team back at the factory in Södertälje, Sweden.”

T’OB: “The age profile of the fleets and the maximum life are probably the biggest differences to Europe and a lot of the world.

This means the bodies especially must be built to last and Scania are here for the long term to support the buses.”

Q

How is the Scania-Higer joint venture going? What key product from it is meeting collective expectations, or what has not eventuated as predicted? How can this situation be rectified and what directives are in place to address this?

JG: “The joint venture with Higer is going extremely well – the Scania A30 and the Scania Touring are being sold all over the world. Australia and Norway (extreme ends of the planet!) provide the two largest markets for the Scania-Higer A30s. Scania Australia [had] over 250 units on the road by the end of 2015. Germany, France and South Africa have been huge recipients of the Scania Touring.

“The factory has taken on board the feedback from the Australian industry and our last batch of vehicles included all the small modifications identified by our clients and subcomponent suppliers, to make the vehicles even more suited to Australian operations.

“We fit locally supplied seats, stone guards, school lights, bullbars, DVD players on arrival. We have had fantastic support from the local suppliers and their after-sales support is appreciated by all.

“We carry both Scania Opticruise semiautomated manual boxes and ZF sixspeed automatic boxes - and determining the correct ratio of each type to carry as stock was a challenge initially, but now we have a better understanding of market requirements.”

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Q

As per the above, what has been the reaction in the Australia marketplace to Scania product made in China, given that many companies often still report buyer reticence towards buying ‘European’ product that isn’t actually made in Europe?

How intense is the situation, or is not as much of an issue these days from Scania’s viewpoint? How are these perceptions changing towards Chinese-made buses and how has Scania gone about facilitating this?

JG: “In 2004 when I started in the industry there were no ‘Chinese buses’ … just like in the ‘60s there were no ‘Japanese cars’.

The joint ventures with the European OEMs has seen a marked improvement in quality of the finished product as the European OEMs work collaboratively with the Chinese manufacturers to put product into the ‘Eurocentric’ markets (Europe, South Africa and Oceania) that will perform as per these clients’ expectations.

“For Scania, our JV with Higer has meant that we consider the whole vehicle a ‘Scania’ – from bumper-to-bumper. We hold the parts and we are responsible for the whole vehicle – giving our client’s peace-ofmind that a global organisation will support the vehicle for its life-cycle. Given the volatility of the local bus-building industry over the past decade this certainly provides a high level of security to our clients.”

Q

There will always be comparisons by customers to product released from Scania and Volvo, given Sweden is the spiritual home to both. How relevant is that comparison in the modern age given the raft of other European bus manufacturers to compete with, or is the rivalry at the cornerstone of the Scania sales strategy in all markets? If so, how does it differentiate itself from others?

JG: “The cornerstone of our sales strategy lies within the product itself. Scania bus chassis share around 80 per cent of their parts with our truck division. Our Industrial and Marine Division also shares the same engine architecture, giving us a distinct

advantage when it comes to commonality across the range.

“Utilisation of this shared arrangement means that our major 9.0-litre and 13.0-litre engine and gearbox components, as well as all our fast-moving consumable parts (fuel and oil filters) are the same as the trucks.

More parts availability means less downtime – less downtime equals better results on the client’s bottom line.”

Q

On that note, we’ve seen in this market Volvo’s first Euro6 articulated bus in use in Perth and more recently it, in conjunction with Volgren, trialled its latest double-deck bus in Victoria. Is this the type of product Scania could and should have brought into this country, or is the demand not strong enough to justify such Scania product here?

What product options could Scania bring in if a strong market for them exists?

T’OB: “Euro6 is mainstream product for us these days; we have delivered 40 units to ACTION already and three into the Adelaide fleet with more to come. Global demand and volumes drive any industrial/manufacturing company, as investment and development costs are substantial.

“The recent revival of interest in deckers is interesting. There is no doubt they have a place in the market where there is a suitable route and passenger volumes. The basic task of moving people from A to B remains a cost to the respective states. We all look [for] efficiency gains from higher capacity vehicles and the 14.5m concept still stacks up well on a cost-per-seat basis.”

“Everyone can grab some parts and make a hybrid, but the true cost is revealed over the life of the bus.”

Q

Tell us about Scania’s Euro6 technology and why customers should, or shouldn’t, wait for its mandatory legal use here for them to start buying such product now. How is it different to Euro6 engine technology from other manufacturers and how is it evolving?

T’OB: “The swap to Euro6 is easy as most depots have urea (AdBlue) these days for Euro5.

“The package we offer is SCR-only and this

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helps with weight and engine bay design, etc.

“There is a price premium for the step-up to Euro6, but as we replace older fleets, the premium is a small top-up to get the best available vehicle emissions in the world and help keep our cities clean.”

Q

What is Scania’s position on hybrid and electric buses globally and what scope is there for the latest Scania product tackling these technologies to come to Australia?

How is it leading others in this regard and how can operators benefit from choosing such for their fleets?

“The Australian bus industry is very highly regarded for its professionalism.”

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T’OB: “Scania has its own philosophy on hybrids and they need to be financially viable as well as environmentally viable.

“Everyone can grab some parts and make a hybrid, but the true cost is revealed over the life of the bus.

“Sometimes the cost is less important to the emissions in some cases, but it is very much horses for courses.

“In a big fleet hybrids need to be flexible enough to do any service, or they can turn into a liability as fleets and service demands evolve.

“I am sure we will be all driving electric buses some time into the future, but it is a way off yet. Buses will still be the backbone of any system as they have the flexibility to respond and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.” [End of Part 1...]

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Futureproof

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WILLING AND STABLE A steering stability system that revolutionised the Volvo truck world has finally made it onto a range of the Swedish marque’s high-end coaches. Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS) aims to give drivers better control and thus make their jobs a whole lot easier. Will it set new commercial vehicle benchmarks? Coach & Bus editor Fabian Cotter finds out.

www.truckandbus.net.au 057

1

I

2

3

t was late 2013 when Volvo Trucks famously debuted its Dynamic Steering system to a gob-smacked global audience by way of martial arts movie icon Jean Claude Van Damme gradually doing the splits atop the wing mirrors of two brand new gold Volvo FM trucks – backwards.

Without any real way of confirming it, but let’s just call it a hunch, about 99.63 per cent of all males watching the stylish TV commercial – and X amount of some women folk probably - simultaneously winced in pain empathetically as the two trucks increasingly diverged away from each other, bridged only by Van Damme’s horizontally outstretched legs. Ouch!

Fast forward to late 2015 and while it’s taken most of us that amount of time to recover from the groin nightmares – just – the technology is finally being rolled out in Europe on Volvo 9500, 9700 and 9900 coach chassis with 8-litre and 11-litre Euro6 engines.

So, is the technology new? For commercial vehicles it relatively is, yes. But technically no as it’s been around for certain (Citroen and Maserati) passenger cars since the 1970s, and SEATs in the ‘Naughties’. Yet as Volvo Trucks engineer Jan-Inge Svensson explains

“...reduces the risk of wear and tear in muscles 4

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the idea behind variable-assist power steering probably has its greatest application in aiding drivers of much larger trucks and buses than it did for just cars.

“The VDS system was something that was in the air. People at the passenger car side started to work on active steering and we though ‘Why not do it for trucks? It would be even more beneficial [for trucks] than for passenger cars,” he explained.

“There are three features of Volvo Dynamic Steering that are beneficial for the driver.

The first one is the low steering wheel force required at low speed, the second one is the disturbance reaction, and the third one is the steering wheel ‘returnability’ when reversing.”

“On a regular truck [or bus] without Volvo Dynamic Steering I have to work much more when I am manoeuvring the truck at low speed, so [VDS] takes away a lot of the work that the driver normally has to do.”

“The steering wheel force required to manoeuvre a truck at low speed is a lot less with Volvo Dynamic Steering; it’s about 20 per cent if I compare [it] with a regular truck.

“Also when I reverse it requires very little effort to steer the vehicle; I can let the steering

wheel slide back in my hands.

“The driver is relaxed when [they are] reversing.

He will make fewer mistakes and it will reduce the risk of accidents,” Svensson said.

In terms of ‘absorption’ of road bumps and undulations as they would normally filter through via steering feedback, he explained: “Imagine we are in a timber truck in a forest.

Since the road is very uneven it’s very beneficial to have the disturbance reaction.

Volvo Dynamic Steering will keep the front wheels straight if the driver doesn’t apply any torque to the steering wheel. The software is controlling the electric motor about 2000 pounds per second, so it’s very responsive to external disturbances,” he said.

“It’s quite an amazing feature. It’s much faster than most systems in the truck world.”

When the company started integrating the VDS feature onto some of its coaches in Europe late 2015 – an announcement that was made at Busworld 2015 in Kortrijk, Belgium - in addition to it substantially improving directional stability, comfort and safety it claimed the system also significantly reduces the risk of occupational injury.

“Volvo Dynamic Steering has been a feature

of Volvo’s trucks since 2013, and the system is rated highly. Now we want to give our bus customers the same opportunity to benefit from improved work environment and road safety,” explained Peter Danielsson, head of vehicle features and safety at Volvo Buses.

In essence, compensating automatically for uneven road surfaces, Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS) eliminates vibrations and steering kick, making driving significantly easier and more comfortable, it’s claimed. When driving at low speeds, steering wheel inertia is reduced by around 75 per cent, which also makes reversing much easier. The system also facilitates steering, with the wheel automatically returning to centre when the driver’s grip is loosened somewhat. At high speeds, the bus maintains consistent direction, even on poor road surfaces, the company states.

“Fewer manual steering wheel movements and less vibration reduce the risk of wear and tear in muscles and joints, which means drivers don’t get so tired. Feeling more relaxed and able to remain focused during their whole shift, they also drive more safely,” he added.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health in the Transport Sector study by the

and joints, meaning drivers don’t get so tired.”  ...On a B11R, RFS VDS.

 ... And on a B11R, IFS VDS.

1 The Volvo VDS system aims to give coach

drivers as much stability and control as possible, with ease.

2 Action hero Jean Claude Van Damme about to ‘assume the position’, while new FM trucks drive backwards.

3 VDS will first appear on European Volvo 9500, 9700 and 9900 coaches.

4 VDS was promoted at Busworld, Kortrijk, 2015 on a 9900 coach, but it is available in two versions, as shown [left and above].

www.truckandbus.net.au 059

1 VDS has just been released on

European coaches only at this stage.

2 We hope it heads down here, too.

It will be interesting to monitor any long-terms gains, in terms of health and safety.

3 The steering wheels easily returns to centre without any torque involvement from the driver, hence less effort.

1

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in 2011, 54 per cent of women and 37 per cent of men active in the European transport sector suffer from muscular and skeletal complaints.

For drivers of heavy-duty vehicles, discomfort is often concentrated on the back, shoulders and neck, something corroborated by Volvo’s own research the company states.

“Volvo Dynamic Steering is a significant, major step on the road towards a better work environment for all drivers of heavy-duty vehicles,” added Danielsson.

So how does it work, technically? VDS is based on a conventional mechanical steering

system, where a steering shaft links up to a steering gear. The hydraulic servo-system generates power, which the driver needs to turn the bus’s road wheels. The Volvo system utilises an electrically operated motor, attached to the steering shaft. Working in tandem with the hydraulic power steering, the electric motor is modulated by the electronic control unit thousands of times a second.

At low speeds the electric motor generates additional power while at high speeds the steering is automatically regulated, compensating for irregularities that pass up to the steering wheel, from grooves or hollows in

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3

the road surface, for example.

Volvo Dynamic Steering won the ‘Safety’ category when the prestigious European Coach & Bus Week (ECW) competition ended at the 2015 Busworld, Kortrijk, show.

Will it have much of an impact if and when the technology arrives here in Australasia – particularly on crappy Australian roads? That is yet to be seen though it will be interesting to get driver feedback on how buses with or without it feel to drive - not just in the short term, but over longer periods to gauge real-world improvements in pain and fatigue reduction.

Hot Stuff

By Fabian Cotter

Gadgets on the go

We’ve scoured the globe for all the latest gadgets and gizmos for when you are on the go.

Kanoa Bluetooth Earphones

WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

Bluetooth Wireless Earphones Kanoa Approx. USD$300rrp www.getkanoa.com

Perhaps it was inevitable that ‘wirelessness’ would be the new black for anything that a range of various manufacturer could think of, bar wireless biscuits, golf balls and tampons, but wireless Bluetooth earphones solve a whole range of problems for devout audiophiles.

The Kanoa earphones are engineered to musical perfection, it’s claimed. And while we are yet to sample the high fidelity itself, crappy $2 shop earphones are pretty good so so how bad could these wireless Bluetooth ones be? In fact, their claimed audio prowess might actually

play second fiddle to many buyers who are just enamoured to have ‘wireless’ and ‘Bluetooth’ earphone – which spells uber convenience.

The company states the Kanoa earphones provide “perfectly synchronised and incredibly low-latency sound directly to your ears at a distance of up to 33 feet from any Bluetooth 3.0-4.0 enabled device/phone/player.” Rock on!

In terms of aesthetics, they look funky as heck, so no worries there.

They are said to fit securely and comfortably in your ear, giving you the freedom of movement you have

always deserved. Mix and match our various silicon jackets and ear tips to custom-fit your ears.

They’ve integrated the latest in audio technology (drivers, codecs, chipsets) and arranged them within the device to deliver beautiful sound straight to your ears, it’s claimed. You can even customtune the music through The App/ Equaliser. Bonus!

They charge up in the case provided, hold 4-6 hours of playtime and are fully charged in under 1.5 hours and are IP68 water-resistant rated. Cool tech – ‘get it india’!

HDFX 360 Smartphone Lenses Portable DSLR-type lenses you can attached your smartphone to take amazing – or at least better – pics is either the cleverest stuff since sliced bread saving thousands of dollars, or the most pointless exercise in amateur lenswork ever and still won’t save you from getting flamed on any photography enthusiast forum worth its salt.

As the product is aimed purely and smartphone users first, we are confident the masses will totally see the value in having a range of lenses they can quickly clip onto their phone to get that ultimate selfie or Instagram-

wooing landscape pic that sends it into meltdown.

The HDFX 360 is a set of three (more available as per cost) claimed high-performance camera lenses that fit over smartphones to add different visual effects and enhancements to your pics.

As stated, the HDFX 360 was designed by professional photographers who didn’t want to sacrifice quality and creativity in their everyday snapshots. It uses German-designed precision lenses that allow for precise, highfunctioning internal construction distinct in professional DSLR photography. This allows – in

theory - your mobile device to operate just as if it were a pro unit. Features include: scratchresistant aspheric lens (protect against dust and water); free microfibre cleaning kit and quickfasten clip; life-like photos and HD Videos; shoot all focal lengths; 180-degree field of view with the fish eye lens; 20x optical zoom with the macro lens; and fully auto-focus and auto-stabilisation compatible, it’s claimed.

All HDFX360 lenses are Ultra Multi Coated™ to enhance contrast in all light conditions allowing for great photos even indoors in low light.

WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

Smartphone DSLR Lenses HDFX Approx. USD$224rrp Www.hdfx360.com

MagMount 360

WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

MagMount Window and Dash Mount Cygnett Approx. AUD$29.95rrp www.cygnett.com

There’s a range of in-vehicle smartphone holders on the market, but few boast being able to affix themselves to a windscreen and a dash, so that draws a bit more attention to the Cygnett MagMount 360 Dash & Window Car Mount, as far as we are concerned. It combines the most convenient way to attach your phone securely in your car with the ability to take it anywhere. According to

the company, you just place your phone on the magnet and it stays put – simple enough but a big claim nonetheless given the habit of many products popping off into your lap over the first reasonable bump.

With an ultra-compact form, the MagMount 360 takes up little space in your car and features an incredibly strong hold that’s always reliable, even on rough roads, the company states.

It mounts quickly and securely to a window or dash by placing the included metal inset between phone and case for secure fitting.

Other features include: rotating 360 degrees, a magnetic mount for secure positioning, it can hold a device up to 450g and can handle a maximum in-car temperature of 80 degrees C. And, of course, it works with all universal smartphones, including iPhone and Samsungs.

Working Wheels

Master Blaster The latest player in the emerging van-based people-moving market is Renault with its 12-seat passenger Master Bus and it comes at a feature-laden price with Euro underpinnings that buyers might find hard to ignore. Will it pip a few competitors at the post? Fabian Cotter reports.

T

he lines are definitely blurring. It’s becoming a commercial vehicle grey area, for sure. While light bus and van-based people movers might be looked at as distinct niche products that have little to do with larger-type buses and vehicles, this might look convenient on internal manufacturer paperwork, but it’s arguably becoming an issue for a cashed-up market questioning just what type of products they have been really needing and buying up until now.

‘Micro transit’ is a term being bandied about key transportation circles around the world, which could see Uber-like service strategies help organically spread the use of the light van against traditional ‘midibuses’ and other shuttlelike services.

With reports companies Stateside like www. chariotsf.com / www.ridechariot.com are gaining popularity and forging a new commuter market, it is giving certain bus operators and transport companies a glimpse into the type of vehicles

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that might really be needed to meet demand in future. And ‘buses’ like the Renault Master Bus are throwing their hats into that ring with gusto.

Touted as a high-quality, high-value, 12seat passenger bus and based on the Master L3H2 long wheelbase van, the front-wheel drive Master Bus uses the same diesel 2.3-litre 110kW/350Nm Euro5-compliant engine mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission, which has been available in the van versions since 2012.

Coach & Bus magazine was flown to Melbourne recently to check one out in the flesh and overall came away impressed. Negatives?

Sure. But just niggly ones. A grab handle above on the A-pillar would help the driver get in, my left knee kept touching the gear-shift housing – though that might have had more to do with me not adjusting the seat beforehand (in a bit of a hurry; still, giraffe-leggers be advised), and there’s that slight hesitation by the AMT box when changing gears, but otherwise it’s

a great overall package. At a steady 100km/h cruise on the freeway the engine is revving at only 1980rpm – a real pleasure - and the test weights at the back helped give real-world feedback on the competent suspension and 16-inch Michelin rubber’s feel. It featured a full complement of active and passive safety features as standard, plus a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, cruise control and speed limiter, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, Hillstart Assist and Grip X-Tend – a traction enhancer for slippery surfaces, it’s claimed.

First impressions? It’s a great looking unit with a stylish front face imbued with a bit of healthy ‘attitude’, and as she’s visually a wee bit tall at 2475mm and a tad long in the tail (depending on the which variant you end up with, there are more to come) it actually looks more bus like than ‘just a ‘van’. And that’s a good thing.

Once inside, as a passenger you’ll be delighted with the ample headroom – an impressive 1880mm – while wider seats combine with

Plenty of rear cargo space makes the Master Bus ideal for quick shuttle runs. Rear barn doors open 270 degrees for convenience.

2 Passengers will love the style and feel inside.

It gets even better with the forthcoming Luxury Pack.

3 It’s a real pleasure to drive this vehicle. The front cabin is comfy and classy.

1

plentiful legroom for a spacious passenger environment. The seating layout is 3/2/2-1/4 with a centre aisle that affords easy access. Seatbelts are at each position, as well as two seats with ISOFIX connections and child-seat top tether straps, in accordance with ADRs. Rated at 3.9-tonne GVM, the 12-seater can hold a payload of 1252kg (passengers and their luggage), while the 2.5-tonne towing capacity is identical to that of commercial versions. Notably, the luggage area is 3.5m3 – greater than that of a standard Renault Kangoo van. And if that’s not enough the roof is rated to carry 200kg, including the rack.

Access is at the forefront of the design with a left-side sliding door as standard, plus dual rear barn doors that conveniently open 270 degrees back towards the body for easy loading.

Aussie summers beware as it has a rear interior air-conditioning compartment with the blower unit located over the luggage bay, which nicely complements the front-mounted standard

“It’s a greatlooking unit with a stylish front face imbued with a bit of healthy ‘attitude’.”  On the road, Renault Master Bus felt great to drive along the highways and byways around Victoria’s Mount Macedon.

1 van system. A funky anti-UV glazed emergency roof hatch lets in more light at day and cool ‘star viewing’ at night – that should put the noisy kids to sleep no worries.

There’s also reclining seat backs for the two middle rows; hard-wearing vinyl flooring; original equipment-quality interior trim mouldings; durable, soft and attractive two-tone grey jacquard fabric seat facings that match the front seats; and a very smart auto-slide side step below the sliding door.

Available now is the Premium Pack, which adds an electrically powered sliding left-hand side door; auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers; R-Link enhanced sat-nav touchscreen; hands-free entry; four handy USB charging sockets; LED roof lighting … for impromptu discos; side and rear window curtains … discos again maybe; premium carpet; and reclining rear row seats.

The Luxury Pack arrives later in 2016 and additionally includes leather upholstery for all

BUS SPECS MAKE: Renault MODEL: Master Bus 12-seater L3H2 ENGINE: Euro5 2.3L, four-cylinder 150AMT turbocharged and intercooled direct-injection diesel.

POWER – 110kW@3500rpm, TORQUE - 350Nm@1500-2850rpm.

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed automated manual transmission DIMENSIONS: 6.2m long, 2.47m wide (2.07m wide with mirrors folded), 200mm ground clearance, 15.7m turning circle kerb-to-kerb.

MISC.: Fuel – 100L; optional factory-fit ISRI drivers seat; All seats with retractable three-point seatbelts and headrests; ceiling-mounted ,strip lighting, LED modules illuminating centre aisle optional (LED module located near the floor by sliding door aperture); 4x USB double charging points in Premium and Luxury Packs; on-board fire extinguisher and emergency-access hammers fitted.

PRICE: From $59,990, plus on road costs; Premium Pack - $3590 RRP, Luxury Pack - $7990 RRP

seats; lane departure warning; storage under the front passenger seat; an alarm; automatic high/low beam headlight function; and dark tinted windows.

The cost? Renault Master Bus is list priced from $59,990, plus on road costs. The whole shebang? Try the Premium Pack at $3590 RRP and the Luxury Pack at $7990 RRP extra.

A price is still to be confirmed for a version in development without seats or elevated floor, suitable for converters to install wheelchair access equipment.

Available in a choice of seven solid or three metallic colours, the Renault Master Bus is covered by a three-year/200,000km warranty (extendable to four or five years); 24-hour roadside assistance (warranty period); cappedprice servicing (first three scheduled services at $349 each) with service intervals up to 30,000km apart.

Toyota, with its HiAce Commuter and Coaster, needs to keep an eye on this one carefully.

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www.truckandbus.net.au 063

064Money Matters

Paul Clitheroe PREPARING FOR VOLATILE TIMES

H

ow does a 60-something financial planner hailing from Griffith,

NSW, claim success in one of the world’s toughest ocean races? The

answer is with careful planning. It’s the same key ingredient for successful investing.

Let me explain. Last Boxing Day when most Australians were polishing off leftover ham and turkey, I was with the rest of the crew on board my yacht Balance as part of

a 100-strong fleet contesting the 2015 Rolex Sydney-Hobart yacht race.

The conditions out on the water were incredibly volatile. A number of boats didn’t even make it out of Sydney Harbour, and the first night saw the entire fleet smashed by a solid southerly buster.

If you’ve never been out on the open water at night during a fierce storm, believe me, it can be truly frightening. The boat bangs and crashes up and down waves. Everyone gets soaked and several of the crew copped a dose of sea sickness.

And yet, a few days later, we sailed into

Hobart finishing seventh on line honours and winning the race overall on handicap.

Now I have to admit that in yachting, as in life, a fair degree of luck helped us

along. But we would not have survived the exceptionally volatile conditions without considerable preparation. The investment world is also dishing up volatile conditions this year and investors need to make their own preparations to navigate what could

be a challenging period. The most effective solution is diversification.

Regular readers will know I’ve been banging on about the merits of diversification for years. The good news is that it’s never been easier to achieve portfolio diversification – and at remarkably little cost.

If you’re happy to track index returns, fund managers like Vanguard can provide exposure to Australian and global equities for less than 1 per cent.

There’s a wide selection of exchange traded funds (ETFs) listed on our Securities Exchange, which let you invest indirectly in

specific asset classes, geographic regions or even individual countries. Better yet, the

fees are tiny – in some cases as low as 0.05 per cent.

Another important way to manage volatility is by surrounding yourself with experts. It was a big contributing factor to the success of Balance in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart race. Extensive practice and experience had made each crew member an expert on the boat and, when the pressure was on, that expertise really shone through.

A reputable financial adviser can work with you to chart a course for volatile times.

Having a tailored financial plan in place can

provide a valuable focal point during periods of uncertainty, and help you stay on track to achieve your long-term goals.

Photo: Courtesy of www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

“There’s a wide selection of exchange traded funds (ETFs) listed on our Securities Exchange, which let you invest indirectly in specific asset classes, geographic regions or even individual countries.”

064 www.truckandbus.net.au

Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money magazine.

Visit www.paulsmoney.com.au for more information.

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