OFFICIAL IRISH JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUS/COACH AWARDS
Volume 12. No. 2. Summer 2016
Travel in style & comfort in the
New Iveco Daily Tourys
NEW FLEET: Mercedes-Benz • Volvo • VanHool REPORT: IRU Bus & Coach Conference, Brussels LAUNCH PAD: BYD • Wrightbus • VanHool Plus: News & Views, Global & Fleeting Shots
REVIEW: Busworld 2016, Turkey
THE PREMIER EXHIBITION FOR THE BUS & COACH INDUSTRY
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www.fleet.ie | 3
Contents Summer 2016
Fleet Bus & Coach Magazine D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)94 9372819/ 9372826 Fax: +353 (0)94 9373571 Email: enquiries@fleet.ie ISSN: 1649-9433 Managing Editor: Jarlath Sweeney Editor: Sean Murtagh Contributors: Rob Van Dieten Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Sean Murtagh, Les Kelly Administration: Denise Vahey, Paula Mullarkey Advertising: Mary Morrissey, Orla Sweeney Design: Eamon Wynne Printed in Ireland
Fleet Bus & Coach - the official Irish journal of the International Bus/Coach of the Year Awards.
4 News • €10b spending plan for transport in Dublin • Plan to tackle climate change • Local Authorities appreciating Coach tourism • EU EV bus brands agree on open interface for charging • Plus Bus Lane 6 Global • VDL & Team FAST build world’s 1st formic acid powered bus • AKIA (Turkey) – 1st EU bus to offer Allison xFE transmission • Singapore concept bus with Masats doors 8 New Fleet • Sales success for Mercedes-Benz brand • Ballincollig Coaches return to Volvo 10 Report IRU Forum – Buses & Coaches at a crossroads
16 Fleeting Shots Pen Pics featuring Wrightbus, EvoBus & Optare Group 18 Coach Biz • Great season entry for VanHool in Ireland • Upwards & onwards for Harris Group on PSV front 20 Launch Pad • BYD provides London with 1st pure EV double decker • SRM – New Routemaster from Wrightbus • Electric VanHool Trambus 22 Conductors' Stand Drivers' hours and anomalies
P5
12 Review Busworld – Istanbul, Turkey 14 Cover Strong potential for Iveco Bus with new Daily range Fleet Transport/ Fleet Car/ Green Fleet Management/ Fleet Van & Utility/ Fleet Bus & Coach/ Fleet Trailer & Body Builder/ Fleet Maritime & Caravan Cruise Ireland are published by JJDS Publications Ltd. Registered Office: D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Co. Reg. 368767 Directors: Jarlath Sweeney, Sean Murtagh.
Disclaimer: Fleet Bus & Coach Magazine management can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Fleet Bus & Coach management, save where otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the authors, contributors, Editors or publishers. The Editor reserves the right to make publishing decisions on any advertisements or editorial article submitted to the magazine and to refuse publication or to edit any editorial material as seems appropriate to him. Professional legal advice should always be sought in relation to any specific matter.
N EW
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4 | NEWS 1
€10 billion spending plan for transport in Dublin
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n the day that the national media launched a concerted attack on the ‘irresponsible demands’ of rural Independent TDs, a new €10,000,000,000 (10 Billion) Transport Plan for Dublin has been approved by the outgong/acting Transport Minister, and signed-off by the Government without any negative media comment.
Blanchardstown will get a DART service and the area will also benefit from a new BRT system plus upgrades to the N3. Finglas will get the Luas, as the crosscity line is extended north and provide a Park & Ride at the N2/M50. The DART service will be extended to Hazelhatch, serving Lucan and Cherry Orchard, while Lucan will also get a new Luas line, as will Ballyfermot. Clondalkin will not, but gets a radial bus corridor instead. Tallaght and Rathfarmaham districts will get a BRT, and the Luas Green line will be upgraded to Metro standard and extended to Bray.
The National Transport Authority’s Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016-2035 includes €10 billion of capital spending which includes expansion of the DART and Luas lines and the introduction of the much talked about BRT - Bus Rapid Transit system. North Dublin and Swords is to get the €2.4 billion Metro North, new bus corridors, two high-capacity rail lines on the Drogheda line, and updates to the distributor roads in Swords and Donabate. The intersection
at Clarehall will also be modified. Navan is not to get a commuter rail line as the National Transport Authority stated that the demand is there, but instead will get a bus hub. As the Maynooth Line is electrified and level crossings removed,
Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority said on the major infrastructural projects: “Th is is the first time that a strategic map of transport planning for the decades ahead has been set down on a statutory basis - it gives a firm basis to all agencies involved in planning for the future development of this region.”
Double collective passenger land transport to tackle climate change
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by 2025 and 10% less car traffic per year. For every European, it would represent only 1 more trip out of 20 made by bus or train instead of the private car.
Calculations made by independent scientists showed that doubling the use of collective land transport modes in the EU will result in at least 500 million tonnes less CO2 emitted
Gesine Meissner, ALDE coordinator for the Transport Committee of the European Parliament and member of the ECMF, said “Decarbonising transport is a challenge one has to take up from many different angles, the development of cleaner vehicles or incentives through road pricing for example. But we should not forget obvious instruments like simply transporting passengers together instead of everyone using their private car. A very simple mean of increasing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.”
s European Transport and Environment Ministers have met to discuss ‘green mobility’ in Amsterdam, the European Citizens Mobility Forum (ECMF) has called for a holistic vision to reduce green house gases and tackle climate change. The ECMF urges EU decision makers to adopt the objective of doubling the use of collective land transport in the EU. This is the shortest and cheapest way for society to reduce the carbon footprint of passenger transport.
Local Authorities appreciating Coach Tourism
Yves Mannaerts, IRU Vice-President, added: “It is now time for policy-makers at all levels to take the right decisions and unlock the unused potential of collective land transport, including buses, coaches and taxis which will allow the EU to become a global sustainable mobility leader and offer European people the best collective land transport service in the world.” ECMF, created in 2014, has articulated its vision in a 10-year action programme on doubling the use of collective land transport in the EU published last year. It proposes a set of measurable policy and business objectives and a list of clearly identified actions.
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coach tourism, the Local Authority reacted in a most proactive way by placing a warden on patrol solely to monitor coach bays every weekend going forward.
Weekends were proving a major issue for coach drivers, however with exemplary understanding of the value business brought into Kilkenny by
“We totally commend those County Councils who are making great strides to accommodate coach tourism, and include our thanks especially to Clare (Ennis) and to Kerry County Councils for their cooperation with Irish coach drivers and with operators. We continuously strive to engage others in the practicalities of parking for large
nd now, a good news story.... “Well done to Kilkenny County Council's Roads Engineer, Dermot Maher for listening to coach drivers and operators regarding the need for policing the 'Coach Parking Bays' on The Parade in Kilkenny City,” commented Caoimhe Moloney, Group Operations Director, Pierce Kavanagh Coaches.
FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
NEWS 11 | 5
European electric bus manufacturers agree on an open interface for charging
BUS LANE Coach & Bus Show 2016
The 2016 Coach & Bus Show in association with Campion Insurance takes place in the RDS Simmonscourt on the 12/13 November next. At the launch of the 9th staging of the event, Kevin Traynor, National Director of the Coach, Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC), on behalf of the organisers, stated: “There is already significant interest from exhibitors with regard to booking stands at the Show.”
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ou r Eu ropea n bus manufacturers Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo have agreed to collaborate with the compatibilty of their 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 a more streamlined introduction of electric bus systems in European cities. The public transport community is preparing for electric buses in Europe and standardization activities have started via the European body (CENCENELEC) and via the international organization for standardization (ISO/ IEC). European standards are expected to come in place 2019 and international standards in 2020. However, many cities are implementing electric bus systems
currently. In order to meet the needs of these cities, the above listed bus producers have together with charging system suppliers agreed 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. Other bus manufacturers and charging system suppliers are 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.
The Gala Dinner, which is the social highlight of the Show weekend, takes place in the Ballsbridge Hotel on the evening of Saturday, 12 November. Tickets can be purchased from Cheryl on 042 932 2023/0872573417 or email Cherylhalpenny@ gmail.com
Euro Bus Expo 2016 Euro Bus Expo 2016, returns to the NEC Birmingham on 1-3 November with its biggest edition yet, with 97% of exhibition space booked. Supported by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) trade association, the free-toattend three-day biennial event will feature nearly 300 sector leading exhibitors representing every link of the supply chain - from the latest ‘must have’ vehicles (over 100 will be on display), vehicle interiors, accessories and workshop equipment, to IT solutions, training, legislation updates, and essential business services. Over 9,500 key industry buyers and decision makers from across Europe are expected to attend.
numbers of visiting tourists, and remind Councils in every county that coach tourism brings its rewards in additional revenue to their areas. It also feeds back into the general tourism aspect by showing Ireland is a friendly and cooperative country for both Irish and foreign operators to engage in coach holidays, both for the home market and for visitors from abroad,” explained Caoimhe. “We hope that in the future by engaging in dedicated parking areas, Councils will cooperate with the industry in making tourism easier for coach drivers and operators.”
www.fleet.ie
6 | GLOBAL
VDL & Team FAST build world's first formic acid powered city bus
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DL Bus & Coach is collaborating with Team FAST, a group of students from Eindhoven University of Technology to produce the world's first city bus that runs on formic acid. Team FAST initially presented a model car that runs on formic acid in January.
Formic acid, or methanoic acid, is a chemical substance that also occurs in nature. As a chemical product it is used for various applications. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology have discovered a way to quickly and efficiently transform hydrogen into liquid formic acid and back again into hydrogen. Formic acid as liquid energy e bus that will become the world's first formic acid-powered “We have liquefied electricity,” explained Th can be stored and transported much is a 12m VDL Citea Electric. Tim van Lohuizen of Team FAST, “and more easily than hydrogen. Existing we look forward to the challenge of further one of these promising new technologies,” fi lling stations can be used for the energy developing our system for use in buses said Menno Kleingeld, Managing Director supply, because a bus that runs on formic with VDL Bus & Coach. VDL Enabling Transport Solutions (VDL acid does not need to be recharged, but ETS). VDL ETS focuses on the strategic rather fi lls up with formic acid, like fi lling “We are constantly looking for new importance of E-Mobility and carries out a tank with diesel. This means no emission technologies that make it easier to extend all pre-development projects in the area of harmful gases and a much greater the range of zero emission transportation. of innovative transport solutions within range than what is currently common for The conversion of formic acid to hydrogen is VDL Group. vehicles with alternative powertrains.
AKIA (Turkey) – 1st EU bus producer to offer Allison xFE transmission
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ews from Istanbul, Turkey is that AKIA has became the first bus manufacturer in Europe to feature an Allison xFE transmission. Designed for lowest possible fuel consumption economy, Allison’s xFE models also deliver significantly increased torque converter lock up operation.
powered by a Mercedes-Benz Euro 6 engine that delivers 1200Nm and 220kW (300hp). Tests with the new xFE models have demonstrated up to 7% fuel economy improvements.
The Allison T 3375 xFE fully automatic transmission will be offered in the AKIA Ultra LF model, a 12-metre citybus
Allison now offers three new xFE models outside North America – the T 3280 xFE, T 3325 xFE and T 3375 xFE transmissions.
Singapore concept-bus with Masats doors
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he Land Transport Authority (LTA), which plans and manages public transport in Singapore, has presented two doubledecker bus concepts which ref lect what the transport of the future will be like. Both vehicles, one developed by ADL and the other with a MAN chassis produced
by the Malaysian company Gemilang, were presented at the Singapore Bus Carnival, boasting innovative features such as USB ports for each passenger, voice information displays, and systems to detect driver fatigue. Access to double-decker buses is difficult when there is a large volume of passengers. They normally only have two doors which means queues get formed when entering and exiting.
mechanisms and doors for passenger transport and special vehicles, participated in the development of the MAN Lion's City DDL, for which a 3-door concept was chosen with one wide front sliding door and two sliding doors near the middle of the vehicle. The third door is exclusively designed for top-deck passengers, allowing faster exits without interferences from passengers leaving the lower deck.
The two buses reflected new door concepts for better flowing and more comfortable access. Masats, the Spanish passenger transport company that manufactures electric and pneumatic aluminum FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie
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8 | NEW FLEET
Sales success for Mercedes-Benz brand in Ireland
C
onquest sales and repeat orders from Irish operators marked recent successful deals conducted by EvoBus (UK) Ltd for Mercedes-Benz Coach Sales. Ardcavan and Joe Moroney Coaches were first time buyers, while Eirebus has come back for more from the ‘triple-star’ brand. Family run Ardcavan, based in Wexford town, has over 45 years’ experience, and benefits from being located just 15km from the Rosslare Europort. The operator runs a daily service from Wexford to Limerick, Maynooth and Dublin. With an interest in maintaining its reputation for excellence, Ardcavan has recently taken delivery of its first Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, built to a generous Touring specification that seats 49 passengers in stylish Travel Star Eco upholstery with leather headrests. Power on the new Tourismo Touring is provided by the Mercedes-Benz OM 470, 290 kW engine, coupled to a 6-speed ZF Ecolife automatic transmission. A comprehensive safety specification, including an Advanced Emergency Braking System, a Lane Departure Warning System, and 3-point seatbelts ensure passengers on the new Tourismo Touring travel in
complete safety. Another newcomer to the German brand is Joe Moroney Coaches which has taken delivery of its first Mercedes-Benz Tourismo and Tourismo M. Located in the busy seaside resort of Bray in County Wicklow, Joe Moroney Coaches is a luxury private hire operator. Established in 1966, it has built a well-deserved reputation for providing a reliable and high quality service. The operator’s modern fleet is approved by Bord Fáilte, and is offered for use on day excursions, extended holiday tours and provides a weekend service between Limerick, Cork and Ennis Colleges.
Power on both coaches is provided by Mercedes-Benz OM 470, 290kW engines, paired with 6-speed ZF Ecolife automatic transmissions. Due to the outstanding performance of four Mercedes-Benz Tourismos purchased in 2015, Eirebus, from Blanchardstown, Dublin has since taken delivery of its first two Tourismo Ms which will be joining its Leger Silver Service fleet. Seating 53 in leather-fabric Luxline upholstery, passengers on the operator’s new Tourismo Ms benefit from the added comforts of arm and foot rests with fold out trays. Power is again provided by efficient and powerful Mercedes-Benz OM 470, 290 kW engines paired with 6-speed ZF EcoLife automatic transmissions.
The Tourismo is built to a generous Touring specification and the Tourismo M is built to a well-equipped Travel specification.
With a modern fleet of over 45 luxury coaches, ranging in capacity from 16 to 53 seats, the operator offers its renowned travel services for use on private hire, day excursions and extended holiday tours throughout the breath-taking Irish countryside.
The Tourismo seats 53 in Travel Star Eco upholstery with leather headrests. Seating for 59 is provided on the Tourismo M in Travel Star Eco upholstery. Passengers will enjoy the spacious and ergonomic design of the Tourismo M's interior, which is enhanced by the additional comfort features of pleated privacy curtains, full air conditioning and tinted PARSOL privacy glass.
Ballincollig Coaches return to Volvo
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allincollig Coaches, County Cork has taken delivery of a new Volvo B11R Euro 6 coach to add to its growing fleet. Pleased with the operational performance of its existing B11R, company owner of Ballincollig Coaches, Donal O’Callaghan went for the same model with Jonckheere bodywork when looking to expand the fleet. “We needed a new 53-seater for our fleet to work on our increasingly busy tour programme in Ireland and FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
B11R we purchased last year,” explained Donal.
the UK. We operate around 20 coaches, of which more than half are Volvo, and have experienced great success from the
“Working with our Volvo Retail Bus & Coach Sales Manager, Dave Porter, meant the whole process was as smooth as ever from order through to delivery. In addition, we also know that we will get the aftersales service we require from our local Volvo dealership, McCarthy Commercials in Watergrasshill, Co, Cork,” he added. Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie
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10 | REPORT
IRU Forum - Buses & Coaches at a crossroads Eurolines: Long Distance Coach Lines:- Lessons and Opportunities – A Global Prospective
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russels, Belgium: The InternationalRoadTransport Union (IRU) recently held its annual Forum with the topic on this occasion being ‘Buses & Coaches at a Crossroads: Long Distance and Innovation’. Jarlath Sweeney was present for Fleet Bus & Coach.
order to expand network and destinations. To prove that coach travel is great value, demonstrate [this] through comparison/ aggregate websites.”
The first series of presentations covered the topic ‘Long Distance Coach Lines: Economic Lessons and Business Opportunities’.
Passenger Transport: Problems and policy options From a legislator’s perspective, Castlebar, County Mayo native Ray Malanaphy and his colleagues in the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) at the EU Commission are constantly researching and reporting on the state of play within the Bus & Coach sectors.
Rui Silva, Vice President of Eurolines outlined the threats and opportunities that liberalisation brings. Looking at the issue from the customer’s perspective he noted “Coach market liberalisations across Europe have already improved standards and choice through Smartphone connectivity, GPS coach tracking, free WiFi onboard, improved comfort with better entertainment and catering on-board plus more routes and lower fares.” Putting this aspect of the coach industry into perspective, Mr. Silva exampled that since France and Germany opened their markets various benefits have materialised, such as much higher collective marketing leading to increased public awareness of coach travel with higher volumes of passengers. Then in cautionary mode, Rui stated that complacency could mean that the coach industry is neglecting to recognise the need to change and adapt work practices in order to compete effectively. The industry needs political support both locally and nationally to invest in improving infrastructure for international coach travel, i.e. modernising bus/coach station facilities, better coach access to city centre locations, and inclusion within inter-modal and transport strategies. “Price reductions must be sustainable with regulatory controls to prevent predatory pricing, for example, offering fares below cost to gain market share. Opportunities lie in better marketing and communication integration between international coach and national bus service partnerships in FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
Founded in 1985, Eurolines travels to 500+ destinations across 27 European countries.
In a nutshell, an un-level playing field exists on international services, with unfair competition on national markets due to a lack of common rules across EU Member States and divergent market models among Member States, according to Ray. Explaining why and how he said; “Domestic regular coach services do not adequately meet the need of the users due to protection of rail services and/or incumbent operators, as well as restrictions in the access to the market for domestic regular services.” From survey findings, Ray broke down these aforementioned points further – “Due to discriminatory access to terminals at national level in some Member States and the lack of EU legislation governing the operation of terminals, together with sub-optional integration of coach services into the transport chain, domestic coach operators do not meet the needs of users.” Regarding regulations, Ray mentioned that the authorising procedure for international regular services and cabotage operations remains too cumbersome and time consuming. The liberalisation of the Italian longdistance bus market Paolo Beria, from the TRASPOL Research Centre on Transport Policy presented the
first results, opportunities and concerns following the first year of open competition within the Italian long distance coach/bus markets. “Before 2014, an extensive network existed in the south with direct connections between the main cities and numerous dispersed towns and villages, usually unconnected with train. Almost nothing existed within the north,” stated Paolo. “Since 1 January 2014, the transitory period from exclusive concessions to nonexclusive authorisations has ended. Now, the authorisation regime allows head-on competition on any route, connecting three or more regions, with competition with train services also allowed,” he added. In just one year across liberalisation, there was an overall increase of 33% from 286 to 380 in the number of routes and lines offered, with weekly frequencies increasing from 1,421 to 1,973 (+38%). Paolo mentioned that initially 19 operators launched new connections, but that 10 closed existing routes/services and that 23 did not change services. “Larger firms increased supply while the closures were limited to smaller companies. Some small firms have doubled their services or even more,” he said. On the changing geography, Paolo emphasised that excluding a small decrease in the south, all geographical relations have increased significantly. “The southern market is mature, but not saturated. In relative terms, the most impressive increase occurred in the north, where coach lines were barely present, now they supply many new
REPORT | 11 over 70% market share. Deutsche Post/Postbus is way down on 10% with Berlin Linien Bus on 8%. In relation to this relatively new competition, the train service providers Ray Malanaphy at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) are issuing more for the EU Commission discounted tickets. intercity services,” he added. Liberalisation In response the bus network has innovated led to international newcomers entering the with web-based eTicketing, WiFi on board Italian market notably, Flixbus and Megabus. and bike carriage. Night bus services, tour Having established their businesses in the lines and links to international partners in north, they quickly expanded to the large Italy, the Benelux countries, and France cities in the centre south. However, there have been arranged. was no cherry picking on routes or regions to stem the foreign guide, though a number Challenges ahead? Christoph talked about of traditional operators came together to road user charges, the lack of proper terminal extend their network, but also improve infrastructure, and the scarcity of bus communication and marketing power. drivers coming on board as the main areas of concern. Key issues for the future need to be addressed so that the coach market can compete with CheckMyBus.de rail in the core markets through; a) network Marc Hofmann, Managing Director, and type of services; b) collaboration CheckMyBus GmbH began his presentation among firms and improved technologies; describing how the world is changing. c) further investment in fleet renewal and “73% of households owning an electric improved station and stops facilities. “There drill in the US only use it on average for 13 is a need for more effective marketing and minutes. How we travel is changing, our air communication through improved websites is changing, dreams too! People now need and Smartphone Apps. Young interested more information, instantly,” he stated. customers massively use social media,” concluded Paolo. With the CheckMyBus model, every bus route and time schedule is listed, which has Similarly economic lessons were learned been a phenomenal success. Integration from the liberalisation of the German bus of systems between operators in various market, according to Christoph Sipp, IGES cities and counties has achieved enormous Institut GmbH. Long distance transport is benefits and business growth. the norm in Germany due to the size of the country, with the private car still the most BlaBlaCar – Ridesharing and the new relevant transport mode. trends in mobility People powered travel is the new mode for Rail travel is second with airlines and bus/ car sharing, cutting the cost of the journey coach travel next-in-line. Since 2011, various for the car owner/driver and having some stepping-stones have been passed as the company en route! German long distance bus market opened up. In that period the number of round As more and more urban dwellers, especially trips undertaken by operators multiplied the young upwardly mobile do not actually by six. own a car, the trend now is for car sharing when city to city trips are needed. This is In 2015, long distance buses carried 20 where BlaBlaCar comes in. About 60% of million passengers compared to 130m on the weekend travel trips are around 350 km in rail services. Today the market has stabilised distance, and car sharing works out much with one dominant player following the cheaper than alternative transport. merger of MeinFernbus and Flixbus into a single company in 2015. It now holds Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie
For instance, on a Paris to Brussels journey via the community based system, this equates to 6 cents per mile, as against using a private car or taxi where costs are estimated at €1-3/mile. BlaBla is growing rapidly, with 25 million members in 22 countries signed up as of last January. It has the third busiest European ground transport website. Interestingly 71% of its users are employed, 21% are students with a gender ratio of 40% female, 60% male. Average age is 29 with 47% over 30. 54% join for the savings and the freedom with 80% saying it’s more affordable. Many cite environmental and social motivations as other reasons. Levels of trust are good. Response rates from one proposed route is posted at 98% within 1 hour. Over 1 million tonnes of CO2 have been saved in the past two years by BlaBla as the average number of occupants per car per journey has increased to 2.8. That compares to 1.7 people per car across Europe generally. Coincidently, 60% of BlaBlaCar members who discovered the service as a driver, end up also using it as passengers, according to Romain Fau, General Manager, France, Benelux and Iberia, BlaBlaCar. Busbud – Building a worldwide bus station Book any bus ticket anywhere in the world is the principle behind Busbud. Thousands of routes all across the globe can be accessed by browsing routes by county, and selecting cheap bus tickets for travel between cities,” said LP Maurice, co-founder and CEO, Busbud. “Three key trends are leading to the future of transportation – smartphone, multimodal trail and multinational web are the best way to book bus tickets. Mobile web is even better, it can be done while on the go! Rapid expansion is ongoing as Busbud is now available in 6,000 cities through 500,000 routes within 55 countries. “It’s a win-win-win for everyone involved, the travelling passengers, bus operators and the environment. We are looking for more bus operators, and local partners to sign up, as well as producing country guides in each country as our next steps. Our vision is to make travel accessible for everyone.” www.fleet.ie
12 | REVIEW
Busworld
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pril 14 marked the official opening of the 6th Busworld Show in Istanbul, Turkey. During the three-day event almost 12,000 people visited the three halls of the Expo Centre. With 145 exhibitors from twelve different countries in attendance, readers of this report can get an additional feel by looking at Busworld TV on YouTube. Temsa Like most manufacturers Temsa has embraced development of the allelectric bus. Designed with three doors the TemsaMD9 electricCITY is presently on active trial in Istanbul. It is hoped that it will go into full production next year and be available for export throughout Europe. Temsa displayed updated versions of the SAFIR and its new Marathon coach. All Temsa coaches have received a frontal and drivers area makeover.
Temsa
AKA I
AKA I Iranian manufacturer AKA I has a strong focus on the Turkish market and all of its vehicles are manufactured to European standards. Company General Manager Remzi Baka sees a change from light rail to bus in some cities. At the show the company presented a prototype bus, which it has called “Metro Bus”. It is similar in a way to the Luas trams, three sections and 5 axles, 4 double doors, with room for 290 passengers and powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM 470 engine. International Road Transport Union (IRU) Transport lobby group IRU used the event to promote a new Bus & Coach Safety handbook. With valuable information for drivers and owners the document is available to download from its website www.iru.org. Based in Brussels the IRU acts on behalf of all transport modes. Isuzu 2015 saw turnover up by 30% at Isuzu including a 47% growth in the bus market in Turkey. With 30 years of operation in Turkey, Isuzu will be exporting to 35 countries by the end of 2016. Most of its R&D is done in collaberation with Isuzu in Japan, but the company invests 3% of its turnover in R&D. Currently its big focus is on developing electric vehicles.
Isuzu
BMC Based in Izmir, Turkey and manufacturing since 1964, BMC has in that time produced 300,000 vehicles and 340,000 engines. Under new ownership since 2014, BMC plans to become a global player and develop a dealer network worldwide. Currently it exports to 80 countries. Güleryüz Güleryüz is a family-run business in operation for 50 years. Based in Bursa, Turkey it exports to 28 markets. Up until 2000 the company was converting vans and carrying out repairs, at which point it launched its own brand and bus designs.
BMC FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
Güleryüz has a strong network in Eastern Europe and plans to extend to Germany. A strong relationship has been established with MercedesBenz, but the company can supply products with PACCAR (DAF), MAN and Cummins engines. Currently Güleryüz has a capacity to turn out 600 buses per year, but by adding a second shift this could be
REVIEW | 13
d - Turkey increased to 1,000. Allison Some people will not be aware that the Indianapolis Speedway was fi rst built as a test track for Allison. Company founder Jim Allison went on to race and win on the track. Today Allison has 3000 employees worldwide and a turnover of $2 billion. Having introduced the fi rst fully automatic transmission in 1946, it estimates that there are over 200,000 buses fitted with Allison transmissions. Bode Kassel Bode Kassel is a joint venture formed between Turkish company Bode and German company Kassel over 20 years ago. Principal activity is designing door systems and Otokar is one of its biggest customers with products also supplied to MAN, Mercedes-Benz and Temsa. One bit of trivia told to us by one of its engineers is that when testing a door, it will be put through one million opening and closing cycles before they are satisfied for it to go into service.
Güleryüz
Rever Established in 1977, Rever produces electric and pneumatic doors for coaches and mini-buses. In recent years it has moved into the area of ramps and disabled entrances. Based in Bursa, Rever employs 200 people, manufacturing bus panels, door systems and lifts for wheelchairs, exporting its products globally. An area Rever sees with potential for export and sales is its wheelchair lift . Designed to fit most coaches, the unit can be crafted and shipped anywhere in Europe easily. Noone Bus Irish manufacturer and distributor Noone Bus shared a stand with its Turkish partner Erduman, which builds its Turas 900 on the MercedesBenz Atego chassis. Based in Bursa, Turkey, Erduman employs 130 people. Att racting attention was a right hand drive Turas 900, which was delivered to Green Mountain Travel in the UK.
Noone Turas 700 (Iveco Daily)
Noone’s Turas 500 (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter based) and Turas 700 (Iveco Daily based) are manufactured in Portugal, and it is expected that all three Turas models will soon be available in left hand drive. Speaking with both Michael and Mark Noone, they are confident that the Turas range will make an impact on the European market in the next year or so. OTOKA R Following its recent appointment as Irish agent for Otokar, Noone Bus was on stand to meet its Irish and English customers who made the trip. Mark Noone is very upbeat about the future sales of Otokar in Ireland and the UK. Two units have been delivered to Paddywagon this season and one each to Bartons’ Coaches and Burren Coaches. Otokar exports from its Turkish manufacturing plant to all five continents. 16% growth was achieved in 2015 and one in every three buses sold in Turkey is an Otokar.
Noone Turas 500 (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter)
In 2015 it supplied 3,500 vehicles to 45 countries. For 2016 the company expects to improve its position in the Turkish market and achieve significant growth elsewhere in Europe. OTOKA R Text & Photos: Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie
www.fleet.ie
14 | COVER
Strong potential for Iveco Bus with new Daily Euro 6 minibus range
I
veco Bus sold 2,310 Daily minibuses across Europe in 2015, achieving a 12 percent market share. The Italian brand secured a leading position in key markets including its home market (47 percent), France (31 percent) and Spain (31 percent). The company sees strong potential for Iveco Bus to grow further within the UK and Ireland minibus sector. The recent CV Show marked the launch of the latest Daily minibus range powered by Euro 6 engines – delivering more power, lower fuel consumption, best-in-class total cost of ownership (TCO) and increased comfort for both the driver and passengers. In addition, the new Daily Euro 6 minibus can also be fitted with the innovative 8-speed Hi-Matic automatic transmission - providing absolute driving pleasure and enhanced safety while driving comfortably.
From tourist buses equipped for travelling in maximum comfort and style, to intercity vehicles with a category-leading passenger capacity and school buses specifically designed for student transport, the new Daily buses fit the bill. New Daily Tourys: For tourists traveling in style and comfort The new Daily Tourys (Cover picture) is a name that will become synonymous with comfort and style for tourist buses, in a compact model. This version features reclining seats, an easy-to-reach lowered luggage compartment with a maximum storage capacity of 2.5 m3 and new floor and roof trimming. New high-level standard features such as LED lights and individual air conditioning vents can be complemented with a series of even more exclusive options. The new Iveco multimedia system makes travelling even more comfortable and enjoyable for the driver - thanks to the built-in satellite navigation system and the reversing camera. Passengers can also make use of an LCD monitor in the cabin.
FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
Among the other equipment available are the USB ports in every seat, a drinks fridge and a coffee machine beside the driver: the perfect companions for long journeys. New Daily Line: Spacious, versatile and efficient The Daily Line minibus (pictured above) range is ideal for intercity journeys and offers a category-leading passenger capacity to help keep running costs low. This model is available in a choice of three lengths, with two different door types and various passenger seat layouts offering passenger capacities from 16 to 22 seats. This makes it easy to customise the vehicle according to individual requirements. The range of fittings is equally wide, with the option to add destination display boards, ticket machine pre-installations and request stop buttons. Thanks to the rear access ramp and the quick-removal seats in the back rows, which can be specified on request, the new Daily Line facilitates easy access for those with disabilities. The Daily Line can also be specified as a 136 hp CNG model, for reduced environmental impact.
COVER | 15
Iveco Daily – Going beyond Legendary status
T
hree generations later, with three million vans and minibuses having rolled off the assembly line since 1978, the Iveco Daily has reached legendary status. To mark the launch of the latest Euro 6 range, the Italian Light Commercial Vehicle brand, now under the ownership of CNH Industrial held a first drive event high up in the Italian Alps (3.462m) on the Heilbronner Peak. With Mont Blanc in the background, Iveco Brand Manager, Pierre Lahutte explained the reason behind the scenic location: “We brought you to the top of Europe to see the top van in Europe.” Iveco w ill accommodate ever y requirement when it comes to a van or minibus selection, with over 6,000 different models and variants of the Daily available. In Europe, Iveco achieved over 10% of all van sales in 2015, which was up 20% on the sales figures from 2014. Th is year 2016, the total sales of van and light trucks is estimated to reach almost 500,000 units and Iveco is confident it will improve its sales by 20% again this year. Launched in 2014, the Iveco Daily was selected as the International Van of the Year 2015 and now with Euro 6 engines aims to achieve further fuel savings of up to 8%. Presenting the new range, Iveco claims that with a van covering relatively small mileage, operators could achieve savings of €2,000 in fuel alone over a four year period. With service intervals extended to 50,000kms, further financial benefits can be gained. Particular attention has been paid to the cab and driver’s area. You would not have regarded modern day vans as being particularly noisy, but overall noise levels in the Daily’s cab have been reduced by 4Db, almost a 50% reduction. All manufacturers have moved their sales focus to Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). In other words, an operator takes account of the lifetime cost of a vehicle rather than the purchase price, such as improved fuel consumption, longer intervals Text: Jarlath Sweeney & Sean Murtagh
between services and improved durability on components. A very important feature of the new Daily is the Driver Evaluation System, a computer aided screen that gives the driver prompts in real time as to how he/she can improve their driving style and improve fuel consumption. New also on the Daily is the Hi-Matic 8-speed automatic gearbox. Still available is the 6-speed manual. A feature of the automated transmission is the ‘EcoSwitch’ Pro System, which calculates the weight of the load and reduces or increases torque as required leading to more fuel savings. Courmayeur is a town with a population of 2,000 sitt ing at the base of Mont Blanc (Mont Bianco in Italian) and just under the entrance to the infamous road tunnel which takes you from Italy to France. Away from the motorway that links it to Milan
and Turin are winding roads with tight and steep turns, an ideal testing route for any vehicle. All of the vehicles driven were loaded to their legal capacity and there was a combination of different types available, LWB, SWB, Chassis/cab, etc. High comfort in the cab is noticeable. An improved driver seat, which is mounted lower but can be adjusted upwards, will be appreciated. A change to the steering wheel design makes it a litt le smaller and a new angle makes it almost truck-like. A simple on board computer system provides the driver with some suggestions as to how to improve their driving style, in particular from a fuel usage point of view. It takes very litt le time to get used to it, simply put, it measures three parameters of driving style - your acceleration, braking and how a driver takes advantage of the Kinetic energy of the van. As you drive you are gett ing prompts on an easily read screen and a running score of how you are performing. I may be making this sound complicated, but it is simple to use and is a help. All of this information is stored and available for download if the company need to access a record of people’s driving pattern. There is a facility that allows a driver to use their smartphone to put their information into the system. Driving the van was a pleasure, with good visibility, plenty of space and lots of litt le storage areas. An original storage area is created by raising the cushion part of the passenger seat where you could fit a very big lunch box! Because the Daily is used for different applications there are various options of engine availability, but basically there are two types, both 4-cylinder. The 2.3 litre is available as 120/140/110hp, while the 3.0 litre has up to 210hp. Both Euro 6 engines are a complete new design from their Euro 5 predecessor with a 6% weight reduction achieved.
www.fleet.ie
16 | FLEETING SHOTS
Wrightbus returns the Gold Arrow to its former glory
2
016 sees Wrightbus celebrating its 70th anniversary. Marking the milestone is the Handy Bus Gold Arrow restoration project, part of a series of activities and events carrying the theme ‘Forward Th inking Never Ages’. The Wright Handy DW15 Bus on a Dennis Dart chassis, which dates back to 1990, has been fully restored to its original condition in London Buses Gold Arrow livery, and has been handed over to the London Transport Museum. “On behalf of the London Transport Museum, I’d like to thank Wrightbus for bringing the bus ‘back to life’ and to
wish them good luck as they celebrate their 70th year in operation. As a
company over the years they have been dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of buses that surpass all levels of operational efficiency, safety and passenger comfort. Th is is undoubtedly the reason for their continued success and longevity as one of the leading transport manufacturers. It is a thrill to take delivery of this beautifully restored Gold Arrow which will undoubtedly delight visitors and indeed, passengers at its new home in Acton,” said Peter Hendy, former Managing Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London at the handover reception.
New Ireland Mercedes-Benz Area Sales Manager for EvoBus
N
eil Gladstone is the new Area Sales Manager for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at EvoBus UK.
I am very keen to help develop the rapidly growing Irish market.” Marcus Watts added: “The experience Neil brings back with him will prove invaluable. With a long and successful track-record within the automotive industry, as well as in-depth knowledge of the MercedesBenz product range, we welcome him back to EvoBus UK in full confidence of his ability to deliver an outstanding customer experience that reflects our products.”
Neil joins Marcus Watts, Director of Sales Mercedes-Benz, and his team, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the commercial vehicle industry and a good level of product and company knowledge from his previous 2004-2012 employment with EvoBus. In his decision to join EvoBus (UK) Ltd, Neil said: “I am really happy to be back at EvoBus UK. I gained a considerable amount of additional commercial experience and appreciation of different perspectives
within the industry during my time working for a key supplier of MercedesBenz. We have a great opportunity with the Mercedes-Benz product range in Ireland, I am grateful for the opportunity to have already met so many new customers, and
Neil is responsible for all coach, bus and minibus products in Ireland and is contactable on 00447768 594484 or neil. gladstone@daimler.com.
Graham Belgum appointed as President of Optare Group
G
raham Belgum has been appoi nted President of Optare Group, taking on the strategic and operational leadership role of the company and reporting to the Head of Global Bus at Ashok Leyland. Having joined Optare in March 2015 as Business Process Excellence & Aftermarket Director, Graham has since been instrumental in delivering a series of improvements focusing on customer support and manufacturing. He is a Chartered Engineer with 30 years' experience in the design, development and operational support of vehicles. For the last FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
decade Graham has worked primarily in the bus industry, leading operators through transformation and improvement. On his appointment, Graham said: “Optare is about so much more than building buses. As a manufacturer we have a responsibility to innovate greener vehicles and provide
service solutions that support operators in delivering an outstanding ser v ice for passengers at the best possible whole life cost. Th is philosophy is at the heart of everything we do. I look forward to continuing to work with the team at Optare, applying my knowledge from working with operators for many years to develop quality products and service offerings, and shape the future of this innovative company. Now is an exciting time for Optare, the Metrodecker demo programme is in full swing, and the fi rst pre-production vehicles are due to start trials with national operators over the next two months.” Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie
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IMPORTANT NOTICE Reminder for All Professional Bus and Truck Drivers
DON’T FORGET YOUR ANNUAL DRIVER CPC TRAINING DAY All professional truck and bus drivers (those who drive for a living) must hold a current Driver Certificate of Professorial Competence (Driver CPC ) Card. In addition, to maintain your CPC you must complete at least one day’s periodic refresher training each year. Important If you have not already completed your CPC training in full, please contact an RSA approved Driver CPC Training provider to ensure that you can complete all of the required training and obtain your Drivers CPC Qualification Card before you drive professionally.
DRIVERS, HAVE YOU COMPLETED THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL CPC TRAINING DAY? Remember it is not enough to just hold a CPC card - to keep your CPC up to date, you must complete at least one training day every single year. If in doubt about your own compliance visit www.rsa.ie and check your status via the ‘MYCPC’ portal, if you are not ‘up-to-date’ act now before it’s too late. Failure to keep up to date may lead to a loss of work for you, targeted enforcement and loss of credibility for your employer/employers – can you afford the risk? To find an RSA approved driver CPC trainer visit rsa.ie Locall 1890 50 60 80 or email cpc@rsa.ie For more information visit www.rsa.ie Tel. (096) 25000
18 | COACH BIZ
Great season entry for VanHool in Ireland
“S
ince the beginning of the year we have shipped twenty-two new VanHool coaches to Irish customers including eight new EX 16H coaches,” said Dirk Snauwaert, Public Relations Manager at VanHool.
Dermot Cronin Motors
“Seven of these PACCAR DAF powered 53 seater coaches (with toilet) were purchased by Cronin Coaches Cork, via Dermot Cronin Motors with the other, a 59 seater, sold to Extreme Ireland, with its Irish Day Tours branding.” The new EX 16H luxury touring coaches are built at the Belgian company’s Skopje Macdonia factory.
Irish Day Tours
In addition, VanHool sold seven new TX15 Alicrons with Scania chassis and drivetrain to Westward Scania. Dermot Cronin Motors also took delivery of seven new TX15 Alicron coaches. Four of these have gone into the Cronin Coaches fleet, bringing the number of new coaches registered this year to eleven. An impressive manner to mark the Cork company’s 60th anniversary. Another three TX15 units were sold to Collins Coaches (Monaghan), Piltown Coaches (Kilkenny) and Slevins Coaches (Mullingar). “These TX15 coaches feature 51 seats plus toilet, except for the coach delivered to Collins Coaches, which has 57 seats without the toilet. They are all powered by the PACCAR DAF MX-11 Euro 6 engine with ZF EcoLife 6-speed automated transmission,” explained Niall Cronin, Dermot Cronin Motors.
Callinan Coaches
“The interior includes VanHool Grande Luxe seating, with USB connections to all seats, Sutrak Air-conditioning, double monitors, fridge etc. And all TX coaches are on Durabright Alloy wheels with 315/80/22.5 tyres,” he added. There are also four new TX16 Alicron coaches on order for Callinan Coaches in Galway plus a new TDX21 Altano, which
should be delivered this month, while Cronins has a further two coaches on order for July, one a TX15 and the other a TX11 41 seater with toilet.
Upwards & Onwards for Harris Group on PSV front
W
ith the imminent arrival of the all-new Higer Super 9 midi-coach and mini-bus versions of the LDV V80 to follow in due course followed by electric variants of both models to come, the remainder of 2016 will be very busy for the PSV division at the Harris Group. In conversation with Chris Haughton, Group Marketing Manager, at the extended LDV range UK launch at the CV Show 2016 in Birmingham, the first of the rear-engined, 9.33m Higer midi-coaches will have 37 seats plus crew and is wider and longer than the example premiered at the CTTC Coach & Bus Show at the RDS in 2014. FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
previously. We have also moved the rear door to behind the axle, giving over double the under-floor luggage space at more than 6m3. The Super 9 comes with independent front suspension with air suspension on front and rear axles.” Powering the new model is a 300hp Cummins ISB6.7 Euro 6 engine coupled to the latest Allison automatic gearbox.
Named the Super 9, it will best suit multiday touring, according to Chris, “It is a new take on this segment of the market, and is a very high-specification coach (with USB charging ports at every seat and 240v points at alternate rows) and with a lot of advances over the one we exhibited
Relating to LDV, like Higer, the other Chinese brand that Harris imports and markets, passenger versions through crew cab conversions have been completed with fully seated and wheelchair accessible mini-buses coming on stream later this year. Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie
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To reserve your stand, visit: www.coachandbusshow.ie The Coach & Bus Show has been organised by the Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) since 2000 The CTTC is the voice of Ireland’s coach tourism and independent bus companies
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20 | LAUNCH PAD
BYD provides London with first pure electric double deck buses
O
n the Streets of London, a global first has hit Britain’s capital - a completely emissions free pure electric double decker especially designed and developed by Chinese manufacturer BYD. On behalf of Transport for London (TfL) the new 10.2m bus is one of a fleet of five that has entered service on Route 98 operated by Metroline. It features full air conditioning and offers seats for a total of 54 passengers with a further 27 standees spaces (total passengers: 81). The BYD lithium-ion Phosphate batteries deliver 345
kWh of power and can run for up to 190 miles of typical urban driving according to the internationally recognised SORT test conditions. Recharging takes just four hours and can be completed overnight using low cost off peak electricity. This is more than enough to handle most daily duty cycles. Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe, stated at the handover: “This is not a hybrid bus, but a totally emissions free product which will give London a world leading position in its efforts to improve air quality.”
Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director for Surface Transport, added: “BYD is a brilliant supplier. It leads the world in electric bus technology and we thank them for their efforts to make this new double decker a reality.”
SRM - New Routemaster from Wrightbus
I
nspired by the new Routemaster successfully in service in London, Wrightbus has unveiled a new version of the popular double deck bus - the SRM – built on the Volvo B5LH Euro 6 hybrid chassis. The new body retains the distinctive look of the New Routemaster, more than 720 of which already have been built, but has an overall length of 10.6m - 0.7m shorter than its parent and features two doors and a single staircase, rather than three doors and twin staircases. Ian Downie, Managing Director, Sales & Customcare for Wrightbus explained about the development: “TfL presented us with a challenge to develop the iconic look
the rest of the vehicle, whereas on the new Routemaster it is part of the structural integrity of the bodywork.”
of the Routemaster with a shorter overall length, single staircase and twin doors, which could be built on an alternative driveline combination. We took the challenge on board and used our design experience and expertise to develop the SRM. Aside from the chassis, the main difference between the Routemaster and the SRM is the moulded fibreglass dome. Th is is an additional structure to
Electric VanHool Trambus at Transports Publics in Paris
A
t Transports Publics 2016, which will be held in Paris from 14 to 16 June, VanHool will be showcasing its fi rst fully electric trambus, the Exqui.City. At 18.61 metres long, it carries 107 passengers and has a range of 120 km. This type of vehicle for high-quality public transport has a multi-propulsion platform, with both 18m and 24m models of the Exqui.City available, offering a base for the use of various eco-friendly propulsion systems, such as trolley, hybrid systems (diesel-electric; CNG-electric), fuel cells FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
and batteries. Since the presentation of the basic concept for this vehicle in Dubai in 2011, 109 trambuses with a length of 18 metres (articulated) up to 24 metres (double-articulated) have already been delivered to eight cities. A further 50 trambuses are currently being manufactured at VanHool’s factory in Koningshooikt, with Belfast in the order book.
The fully electric trambus is equipped with a lithium-ion battery, which has a storage capacity of 215 kWh. The battery powers two electric water-cooled Siemens central
Phil Owen, Commercial Sales Director for Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, added: “We are pleased to be supporting Wrightbus with the new SRM and happy that our partnership continues to be developed in this way. Th is new Volvo Bus/Wrightbus combination gives operators a wider choice of body options from Wrightbus with the class leading B5LH Euro 6 Hybrid chassis.” RATP Dev London has placed an order for a total of 56 double deck buses, with six being the new SRM and the remaining 50 being with the Gemini 3 bodystyle.
motors from the ELFA 2 series, each with a capacity of 160 kW. The battery is mounted on the roof and can be charged conductively in two ways – fast charge and through the electric grid.
Text: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie
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22 | CONDUCTORS' STAND
Drivers’ Hours anomalies need attention
JOIN THE GROUP INVITE
Back Seat Driver by Sean Murtagh
D
uring the Open Forum at the Fleet Bus & Coach Awards last October, some operators used the opportunity to ask some very precise and particular questions. Scenarios were presented that seemed reasonable. For instance, one situation was described where a driver was due to start an extended tour at Dublin Airport on a particular day. In order to be sure that the first day’s itinerary could be complete it would be necessary for him/her to drive the one-hour journey to the airport, stay in a hotel and present for duty rested and ready for a day’s work.
A second situation was mentioned where a driver on tour had to take a 24-hour break the day before the end of the itinerary. So in order to spend the day with his family, he had to drive a round trip of almost five hours. When he returned, he finished the tour, returned to his base and after spending a few hours at home set off on the next tour. These two scenarios were presented as questions to the expert panel at the event. To be fair to the panel and particularly the Road Safety Authority representatives present, it was a little away from their areas of expertise, and while they answered sympathetically and did seem to emphasise with the industry, they did say that while the law existed, it would have to be enforced. One speaker suggested that these issues should be left to the trade associations to resolve. I am sure the members of the Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) attending were a little staggered at the possibility that such an important subject would have to be suggested and directed to them. So back to drivers’ hours, compliance by drivers and companies is certainly taken more seriously than before. Customers also realise that when the driver or his company ask to discuss a trip in terms of tachograph regulations, they take it very seriously. The digital tachograph has been the catalyst for this change. True, the introduction of digital tachographs did not change the law; it just made both enforcement and compliance more transparent.
Dónal Hughes, Chairman / M.D.
Dear Private Coach Operator, Becoming a member in our All Ireland Private Coach Tourism Co-Op Network gives you • New 2016 Coach Business Offers in both Private Hire and Tourism • Ownership/Shares in the Co-Op • Regular Newsletter with Transport/ Tourism & Trade Association updates • Ownership in 2 (2015/2016) Deluxe Wi-Fi Coaches, MAN Beulas/53 str E6 / new Mercedes-Benz Turas 33 str E6 5/4 Star Quality Approved • Your Listing on www.32ccgroup.ie 2016 should be a good tourism transport year. By being a member of our Co-Op you will have an extra Sales Distribution line for your Private Hire Tourism vehicles. Already over 32 quality Private Coach/ Bus Owner Members have invested €1m+ and benefited with: €5.3m+ in new business to their companies over the years Ownership in 2 International brands (Irish Coaches & Hello Ireland Tours) “Filling Gaps for Members Benefits”
Recently my younger brother Niall and myself were talking about this change of culture. He told me that he had recently arrived at a freight forwarder’s premises in Italy and casually said he would need to take a 24-hour break before he reached Ireland. Straight away he was instructed to drop his trailer and start his rest, they would organise loading and shunting the trailer. A few years ago this would not have happened. One of the challenges that this “new found” compliance has brought is the need to look at regulations. Certainly there are anomalies and pinch points. No bus, coach or truck operator wants people to drive longer hours or in any way compromise safety. Having said all that, there may be areas where a little tweaking would improve things from an operational point of view, and from a social point of view allow drivers spend more time with their families. In Europe, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) has always been slow to publically comment on drivers’ hours regulation for fear of bringing a mountain of criticism on it in relation to safety concerns. Now though there are some signs that they may be inclined to enter the debate in terms of proposing at the very least a review with possibly some change. Of course the industry, both passenger and goods will have to play a part in changes to scheduling and itineraries. Any change to the regulations allows an improvement in efficiency and family time, without compromising safety. FLEETBUS&COACH | Summer 2016
15 Years Success On-the-Road Invest & Own Shares and Dividends Welcome New Minister DTTS Mr. Shane Ross T.D. Ulster Bank Chambers, 2/4 Lr. O’Connell St., Dublin 1 01 - 8788936 / 8788894 E-mail: dch@32ccgroup.ie www.32ccgroup.ie www.irishcoaches.ie www.helloireland.com
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Text Sean Murtagh – sean@fleet.ie
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