Bus and Coach Professional November 2020 by greenbusandcoach

November 2020

driving towards a greener future

ADL Enviro500s arrive in Berlin

Issue 420

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comment Bus and Coach Professional is published by Plum Publishing Ltd

Furlough reprieve

Editorial Steve Rooney steve.rooney@busandcoach.com

Contact address: Bus and Coach Professional Plum Publishing Ltd, Unit 4 Marshbrook Business Park Church Stretton SY6 6QE Telephone: 01694 731510 www.busandcoach.com Every care is taken over the accuracy of material in Bus and Coach Professional but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Views and opinions of contributors to Bus and Coach Professional are not necessarily those of the publishers who cannot accept responsibility for such contributions. © Plum Publishing Limited 2020

November 2020

SO, the chancellor said repeatedly that he wouldn’t, but now he has. Furlough appears to be back for up to four months, according to announcements made as we are going to press. This will be welcome news across all business sectors and particularly so in the coach sector which has continued to see the rug pulled from under its feet as more of the UK enters various forms of lockdown this month. We will leave aside the argument that until southern England was affected by lockdowns, the extension of furlough was repeatedly swept aside by the chancellor and prime minister. A spectacular u-turn might be embarrassing, but it is nonetheless welcome. And while the government is revisiting its support for businesses, we hope that the lobbying from the coach sector for direct support, and especially the ability to stave off vehicle and property repossessions, is now also listened to. For coach operators specialising in tourism, events and private hire, and who don’t even have the benefit of school contracts to keep some wheels turning, this has been a nightmare year with spring and summer largely wiped out, and the very limited operations that have been possible since July/August now halted, potentially until late spring 2021. It was already clear, but it has now been reinforced, that this is going to be a very tough winter for us all. We are maintaining our digital magazine for the foreseeable future and will continue to bring you news and analysis online and via our eBulletin. And we are very grateful to those advertisers who have continued to support us this year and enabled us to keep the title alive in a digital format, and of course to you, our loyal readers.

in this issue comment 5-10 news • CPT proposes new Recovery Partnerships • Six Plaxton Panorama double-deckers for Scottish Citylink • Tourismo pair ordered by Bennetts Coaches

11-12 international • ADL double-decks arrive in Berlin • New Lisbon contract for Arriva • Gas minibuses for Mallorca

13-21 green • Stagecoach sponsors Perth sustainability event • Hydrogen and biogas partnership for FPT • Pelican supplies nine electric Yutongs to Firstgroup Leeds • New cloud-based platform for MAN electric buses • BYD and Hino joint venture agreement for BEVs • TMB Barcelona to take eight Caetano hydrogen buses • Leeds’ Clean Air Zone dropped as operators invest

24 people • Blackpool’s Jane Cole to take over as CPT president • Ticketer appoints Andy Monshaw as new CEOt

November 2020

news

CPT proposes new Recovery Partnerships for post-Covid boost CPT is proposing a model for continued government support for the bus industry beyond the Covid pandemic in order to rebuild passenger numbers. The trade body is seeking Recovery Partnerships with the government which would see funding from central government and a joint marketing campaign, plus at least £1.2billion of investment in bus priority measures to speed up journey times. CPT says that getting more passengers back on the bus will help get people back into work, rejuvenate town and city centres and help meet air quality and net zero carbon targets as the country seeks to recover from Covid-19. The proposed Recovery Partnerships would be entered into once the current support mechanism ends under the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant. CPT is calling for £500million of ringfenced funding to be allocated in 2021-2022 in the forthcoming spending review. CPT chief executive Graham Vidler says: “Buses remain fundamental to millions of people’s daily lives. As we recover from the pandemic we will need to review and reset services to meet the needs of

passengers as people go about their lives differently. “Recovery Partnerships will deliver the local flexibility to allow tailored solutions and sustained improvements for passengers and ensure that bus networks continue to play a central role in delivering thriving communities and helping people live healthier lifestyles.” The proposed Recovery Partnerships need to be seen in the context of the continuing debates about enhanced partnerships and franchising however, and the prepandemic tussles on this have just been parked, rather than going away. The response from the Urban Transport Group, which represents regional and metropolitan transport bodies, challenges CPT’s suggestion that the system should be funded and controlled by central government. UTG director Jonathan Bray argues that funding should be devolved to city region transport authorities, “so that public transport services as a whole can be planned and delivered in a coordinated way that best meets the distinctive needs of each area during the pandemic whilst ensuring best value for money for the taxpayer.

post covid-19 delivering a passenger led recovery The Covid-19 pandemic will accelerate the changes already underway in working and travel patterns, which impact the bus services passengers will need. With, for example, one third of employers planning to introduce new forms of flexible working¹ and city centres fundamentally changing in nature and character, business as usual will not be enough to deliver the services passengers need. Operators are up for this challenge.

Before the pandemic bus commuters contributed £64bn to the economy annually and those travelling by bus to city centres were responsible for one third of city centre spending. As we exit the pandemic, operators and local transport authorities (LTAs) will need to work together to ensure they are providing services that can help get people back into work and rejuvenate town and city centres looking to adapt from 9 to 5 commuting destinations to 24 hour hubs. Using the bus also encourages people to live healthier lifestyles with the average bus commute including almost half an hour of exercise. Although changing travel patterns may require a new approach, buses are well placed to respond, with services constantly evolving to reflect the needs of passengers. Getting more people travelling by bus and ensuring the rise in car use during the pandemic is not engrained for the long term will also be central to the UK meeting its air quality and net zero carbon targets and delivering a green recovery. A 1% shift from people using the car to bus would mean a 10% increase in bus use. Bus services across the country have been vital during the pandemic. They have helped people return to work, get to the shops and essential services and visit family and friends. Operators have been agile in their response to rapidly changing circumstances including introducing social distancing measures, restoring service levels and ensuring sufficient capacity in believe everyone the network when should reduce children returned their car use to school.

8 out of 10

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All this has been carried out working inclusively with local authorities, which a recent National Audit Office report recognised.

bus passengers are almost

as likely to have

returned as Although social distancing passengers means passenger numbers using other remain below pre-pandemic public transport levels, the bus will remain an important mode of travel. Almost 8 out of 10 people believe everyone should reduce their car use2 for the sake of the environment and bus passengers are almost twice as likely to have returned as passengers using other public transport.

bus companies & local authorities have worked

buses carried over

2 million

people a day to work in 2019

in partnership

throughout the pandemic to deliver the services people need This paper sets out the model which can provide the local framework for delivering the services people need by agreeing the new bus network, the distribution of funding to support it in the short term and the delivery of bus priority measures to sustain it for the long term.

“This would also provide a sound basis for an orderly transition to either enhanced partnerships or franchising, depending on local circumstances and ambitions. In this way public transport can support city region economies as they build back better from this crisis whilst ensuring that there is local accountability for this key public service which, as the pandemic has underlined, so many of our poorest communities are reliant on.” www.cpt-uk.org www.urbantransportgroup.org

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Enhancements to Reading routes READING Buses has introduced new routes on its greenwave network from the beginning of November. The network serves commuter and residential routes along the A33 in south Reading. The new routes will be: ruby 10 between Kennet Island and central Reading; greenwave 50 between Green Park and central Reading; and park-and-ride 600 which runs between Mereoak and central Reading.. All three routes will use buses powered by bio-methane fuel and Reading Buses says that greenwave 50 will switch to dual-door double-decks during 2021 once the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on passenger numbers has subsided. “Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the number of people travelling,” admits Robert Williams, chief executive officer, Reading Buses. “Greenwave has been one of our fastest-growing services thanks to a partnership with Reading borough council, Green Park and Reading International Business Park dating back to 2011. “With the partnership due for renewal this November we were

planning to take the current greenwave network of routes to the next level with these three new frequent services offering more capacity and simplified fares to support further growth. The change will now be more gradual, but no less

exciting with the greenwave service being more like a tram than a bus.” All three routes will benefit from bus priority measures along the A33. www.reading-buses.co.uk

Oxford welcomes 20,000 visitors on City Sightseeing service MORE than 20,000 visitors to Oxford have taken a tour of the city via City Sightseeing Oxford’s open-top bus service since it reopened in July, helping to attract visitors into Oxford as part of a wider campaign to boost the city’s tourism, hospitality and retail sectors through COVID-19. City Sightseeing Oxford has announced it will continue to operate ten tours per day during the winter.

“We’re proud to play an important role in supporting Oxford’s crucial visitor economy which is currently going through a tough time,” says Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company managing director. “It is important we continue to ensure the city remains a worldleading attraction and our City Sightseeing Oxford service plays a key role in this. “The visitor numbers since we

reinstated the service demonstrates there is a great desire to visit our city. “While numbers are lower than normal, they are significant and provide a welcome boost to the Oxford economy. “To further support the visitor economy, we have decided to continue the service during the winter.” www.oxfordbus.co.uk

November 2020

news

Six Plaxton Panorama double-deckers for Scottish Citylink routes

PARK’S of Hamilton has taken six new Plaxton Panorama doubledeck coaches for operation on the Scottish Citylink express network. The new Plaxton Panorama coaches, built on Volvo B11RLE chassis, have entered service on the ‘Saltire Cross’ routes connecting Scotland’s six major cities with frequent services every 60 minutes from Glasgow or Edinburgh via Perth to Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen. Built to Citylink Gold specification, the coaches have 71 reclining seats, offering additional legroom and more space for passengers to socially distance on journeys. November 2020

The six coaches are the third delivery of Plaxton Panorama double-decks for the Scottish Citylink network, following five vehicles for the AIR service connecting Glasgow with Edinburgh Airport and 18 coaches for the frequent route 900 between the centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh. “The Saltire Cross network is at the heart of our Scottish operations, connecting the key cities across central Scotland through our reliable, affordable and highquality coach services,” says Robert Andrew, Scottish Citylink director. “We are proud to be introducing

these high- specification, luxury vehicles for our customers – they deliver a further upgrade in comfort and amenities and are a fantastic addition to the Saltire Cross network.” Michael Andrews, director at Park’s of Hamilton, adds: “Having operated Plaxton coaches for many years, we knew we were in good hands with these latest double deckers, which follow on from similar vehicles which we operate on the Citylink 900 service where they have proven themselves to be reliable and efficient vehicles on intensive work.” www.alexander-dennis.com

Bus station £1.5million makeover ahead of 2021 Coventry City of Culture

A £1.5 million upgrade is planned for Coventry’s Pool Meadow bus station as the city prepares for 2021 City of Culture and Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games. The bus station’s facelift will see the installation of new electronic passenger information screens, new LED lighting and colour scheme, refurbished public toilets, new benches, bins and planters. Pool Meadow, which is operated by Transport for West Midlands, was built in 1994 and currently handles about five million passengers a year. “Pool Meadow is more than a quarter of a century old and

was already due for a facelift and upgrade to ensure it remains clean, comfortable, and easy to use for passengers,” says Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands. “But with City of Culture now right around the corner, we thought we would seize this unique opportunity to do something special with Pool Meadow around the theme of art and culture to make it a destination its own right.” Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council, adds: “This makeover for Pool Meadow is the latest example of how we are investing in bus facilities and ser-

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vices across the region to make it more comfortable, more convenient and better value for people to use bus services. “This includes working with our Bus Alliance partners to introduce contactless fare payment on all services, smartphone apps with live journey information, upgrades to our bus stations and shelters to make the wait a more comfortable experience, increase the number of electric buses to cut pollution and soon we will be introducing fare capping to ensure best value through the Swift travel card.” www.tfwm.org.uk

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Mercedes Tourismo pair ordered by Bennetts Coaches

BENNETTS Coaches has ordered two new Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M3 coaches, due for delivery in March 2021. The order will bring the total number of PSVAR-compliant vehicles in the company’s fleet to 18, and the new vehicles will be used on the school routes and will also be available for private hire. Based in Gloucester, Bennetts

Coaches has a 50-years heritage, having been established in 1962 by Arthur Bennett, the grandfather of current managing director, Gavin Bennett. “We have an interest in and a duty to helping protect the environment for future generations,” says Gavin Bennett. “This is why the company has invested over £4.8million over the past four

years in upgrading and replacing its fleet with vehicles that are Euro 6 with ultra-low emissions.” Bennett’s Coaches plans to invest a further £2.5million over the next two years to ensure continuous improvement in its fleet. The Tourismo M3s will be supplied by Mercedes-Benz Coach Sales at EvoBus (UK). www.evobus.co.uk

November 2020

Bus and coach news from around the world

international

ADL double-decks arrive in Berlin

THE first two Enviro500 buses have been launched by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). The first two double-decks are part of a framework contract for up to 430 Enviro500, signed in October 2018. Berlin’s new generation of yellow double-deck buses is the first to have been designed in Britain by ADL. ADL has adapted the Enviro500 to meet the requirements of bus services in the German capital, and in addition to the two buses delivered, an order will be placed for 198 units following the successful completion of a testing programme. “Big yellow buses are as much a part of Berlin as the television tower and Brandenburg Gate,” says BVG chief executive officer November 2020

Eva Kreienkamp. “I am delighted that we are now able to continue this tradition, while observing market developments for electric buses.” Berlin’s Enviro500s are 13.8m long and 4.06m high and have three doors and two staircases. Among the features included is the vehicle’s interior lighting which changes colour tone according to exterior air temperature, designed to assist passengers’ subjective thermal comfort in addition to full air-conditioning and auxiliary heating. “We have drawn on our experience with over 18,000 doubledeckers deployed around the world – in Canada, the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand – to jointly

develop a bus that fully responds to BVG’s needs and delivers an outstanding travel experience for bus users in Berlin,” says Paul Davies, ADL president & managing director. To support the testing programme and the future serial production vehicles, ADL has recruited local teams and invested in an office, service workshop and parts warehouse in Berlin, which will also function as a regional hub for further European expansion. It is expected that the first two Enviro500s will enter service this month on Berlin’s flagship route 100, which this autumn celebrates its 30th anniversary of linking East and West following the fall of the Berlin Wall. www.alexander-dennis.com

international

Bus and coach news from around the world

New Lisbon contract for Arriva which sees it concentrate on fewer districts of the city

ARRIVA has won a new contract worth €259million in Lisbon to operate 350 buses on 116 routes in the districts of Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra. The contract includes 43 new routes, plus additional frequencies across the whole network, providing a significant boost to local communities. The move sees Arriva reduce its operational focus in the city from

nine districts to three, as part of a re-organisation of transport operations by the passenger transport authority, AML. Arriva’s fleet will be fitted with wi-fi, mobile ticketing technology and video surveillance, representing an investment of €50million. “We have a long track record of providing high quality sustainable transport services in the region

and by consolidating our operations we can provide a highly efficient, higher frequency service across both peak and non-peak times of the day and also launch 43 new routes to ensure a really comprehensive offering for the communities who rely on us,” says Jana Siber, Arriva group managing director for mainland Europe. www.arriva.com

Indcar/Iveco gas minibuses for Mallorca MAJORCA is backing the use of CNG for interurban public passenger transport, and Indcar has been chosen by Grupo Ruíz (one of three companies involved in interurban transport on the island) to supply nine gas-powered minibuses. Indcar argues that compressed gas contributes to improving air quality in cities and reducing noise levels. The public tender was awarded

by the local transport authority CTM (Mallorca Transport Consortium). The latest contract is part of the island’s commitment to renovating its entire fleet involving 223 new vehicles, of which 216 will run on alternative fuels to diesel: 198 with compressed gas and 18 with electric propulsion. The order will involve are nine Mobi City CNG minibuses, built

on an Iveco Daily 70c14 CNG chassis. Indcar says that its patented gas cylinders allow a capacity of up to 510l, compared to the 246l offered by the standard Iveco solution: providing twice the range with the same passenger capacity. The minibuses, which will to be delivered from this month, have a capacity for 31 passengers with 22 seats. www.indcar.e

November 2020

green Stagecoach marks 40th anniversary with sponsorship of sustainability event

STAGECOACH is a headline sponsor of an international online conference taking place in November in Perth which will showcase examples of sustainable transport, city design and innovation across Europe. The move marks the 40th anniversary since Stagecoach was founded in Perth in 1980 by Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, and the company retains its headquarters in the city. The 6 November conference ‘What will it take to make Perth the most sustainable small city in Europe?’ - has been organised by the Perth City Leadership Forum and is designed to inspire a new vision for Perth, encouraging city leaders to develop a roadmap November 2020

to become Europe’s most sustainable small city. The online conference is showcasing cutting-edge case studies from across Europe, including Copenhagen, Malmo, Ghent, and Ii in Finland. Experts will focus on the development of traffic-free city centres, carbon neutral living, and energy security from city waste, as well as walking and cycling and the concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods. Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach chief executive, says: “We were founded in Perth 40 years ago and we are proud of our continuing strong links with the city and wider region. Perth has all the qualities

needed to become Europe’s most sustainable small city and in Stagecoach and renewable energy company SSE has two major businesses with huge expertise to help make this happen. “The transport choices we all make are fundamental to delivering a greener, healthier and more prosperous future for Perth and other cities across the country as we look to build back better from the current Covid-19 pandemic. We are delighted to support this major international conference and we look forward to playing a big part in the conversation on how we achieve the city’s vision.” www.mostsustainablecity.com www.stagecoachgroup.com

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OUR PICK OF THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS AND COACH SECTOR

Pelican supplies nine electric Yutong buses to Firstgroup Leeds

FIRSTGROUP Leeds has taken delivery of nine Yutong electric buses supplied by Pelican. The vehicles will be in service on route 5 in Leeds where Pelican is based. Yutong’s Ian Downie says: “It

was a pleasure to work with both the central and local FirstGroup teams, and they have assisted in the development of the first deliveries of the Yutong E10 into the UK. “With over 108,000 Yutong

zero emission vehicles delivered around the world, they join an ever growing family of vehicles providing a positive contribution to Clean Air. www.pelican-yutong.co.uk

FPT hydrogen and biogas partnership FPT Industrial and IVECO, both part of CNH Industrial, are partnering with Snam, leading energy infrastructure operator, in a new memorandum of understanding for technological and commercial cooperation by developing biomethane, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles. The agreement calls for a collaboration between the three partners to promote bioCNG, bioLNG and hydrogen. The partners says the aim is

to develop integrated sustainable mobility to promote further use of alternative drive vehicles, with a shared strategy of collaborative development of vehicles and distribution network. “We have always been pioneers in the field of alternative engines and we have 20 years’ experience developing natural gas technology,” says Pierpaolo Biffali, vice president product engineering, FPT Industrial. “We are a market leader, having sold more than

50,000 methane and biomethane engines and boast the most powerful, 100 per cent natural gas engine for industrial vehicles, the Cursor 13 with 460hp. “Already, our biomethanepowered engines can reduce CO2 emissions close to zero, supporting the challenge against climate change. We believe that hydrogen is key in the medium and long term, particularly for the long-distance transport sector.” www.fptindustrial.com

November 2020

green

OUR PICK OF THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS AND COACH SECTOR

New cloud-based platform for managing MAN electric buses

MAN is launching a new cloudbased platform for Lion’s City E buses. The MAN eManager digital system enables operators to charge electric buses ahead of journeys and provides fleet managers with ambient temperature data and other vehicle information. The first version of MAN eManager will be available on the RIO platform for MAN Lion’s City E vehicles from the fourth quarter of 2020, which means that it will arrive in time for the first series-produced MAN electric buses to be delivered to customers.

“Thanks to an interface between the RIO Box installed in the bus and the RIO platform, MAN eManager makes it possible to manage battery charging and vehicle air conditioning – even using pre-programmed settings”, says Felix Krüger, vice president aftersales & MAN digital services. At the heart of the new tool is a charge management facility for the modular battery system, which has a total capacity of 480kWh or 640kWh and comprises six or eight battery modules on the vehicle roof. MAN eManager can also be used to adjust air-conditioning

of the MAN Lion’s City E before a journey begins to ensure that energy is used as efficiently as possible. This helps prevent the need to recharge the battery on journeys where the ambient temperature varies significantly, according to MAN. “With MAN eManager, bus operators will have an efficient, cost-conscious tool for managing the scheduling of their electric fleets and carrying out daily operational planning”, says Rudi Kuchta, head of business unit bus, MAN Truck & Bus. www.mantruckandbus.com

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de Barcelona (TMB) has ordered Consortium, TMB plans to build we look forward to deliver these Quotes buses on any other Quotes any other hydrogen eight 12m hydrogen buses from a new facility for theon production, to Barcelona.” vehicles on request vehicles on request Caetano for delivery by the end of storage and refuelling of hydrogen The three-door H2. City Gold 2021. TMB is the leading opera- which will be the first hydrogen units will be equipped with Toytor in Barcelona and has a fleet filling station of its kind in Spain. ota fuel cell and will offer a range of more than 1,100 buses on 102 As well as supplying Caetano’s fuel of more than 400km with capacdifferent routes. cell buses, the plant may be opened ity for 94 passengers, according /routeONEtv /routeONEtv IT is currently working towards to other fleets and private fuel cell to Caetano. the modernisation of its bus fleet electric vehicles. The new buses’ safety features through the procurement of zero “We are Day extremely a video485310 surveillance sysDay 07774 07774honoured 485310 include emission vehicles. that our H2. City 01789 Gold units were tem, a camera Night 01789monitoring 296884system Night 296884 THE acquisition of eight 12m selected TMB,” says KoheiEmailtoj.chandler1946@btinternet.com replace traditional wing mirEmailbyj.chandler1946@btinternet.com hydrogen vehicles is supported Umeno, chief commercial officer, rors and Mobileye’s Shield Daniel Lunn Plus Steven VEHICLES FINISHED Sales Manager by the European JIVE 2 pro- CaetanoBus.ALL VEHICLES FINISHED toALL avoid dangerous situations for Senior Sales IN CERAMIC 2K PAINT IN CERAMIC 2K PAINT ‘Route Magazine’ One Magazine’ gramme forOne the promotion of‘Route fuel “We are very gladHARD to support the pedestrians andWEARING cyclists. EXTRA WEARING EXTRA HARD www.salvadorcaetano.pt cell vehicles, co-financed by the project of TMB and Zona Franca European Union. Consortium towards a more envi-

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OUR PICK OF THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS AND COACH SECTOR

127 MAN Lion’s City buses for Oslo

UNIBUSS, one of the largest operators in Norway, has ordered 127 MAN Lion’s City buses from MAN Truck & Bus, powered by HVO biofuel, including 23 MAN Lion’s City GL buses, 71 MAN Lion’s City L LE, and 33 MAN Lion’s City LE, ranging from 12 to 18.75m in length. The first buses were delivered at the end of June and the balance of the order is now starting operations in Oslo. “We are delighted that Unibuss has decided to put so much trust in us,” says Rudi Kuchta, head of business unit bus, MAN Truck & Bus. “The buses will be powered with HVO biofuel. This will make them the perfect fit for this progressive, green region.

The buses will be deployed in and around the city of Oslo, including Vestre Aker, a district in the north-west of Oslo, Nesøya, a small island in the municipality of Asker, and Bærum, a municipality in the Norwegian county of Viken. “We are impressed that the buses were delivered on schedule despite the fact that factories were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic,” says Øystein Svendsen, CEO, Unibuss. “The MAN Lion’s City buses that are operating in Bærum are turning heads, largely on account of their impressive capacity. After all, these articulated buses are difficult to miss given their size and their striking red colour.” I n a d d it ion to t he 2 3

18.75m-long, 57-seater MAN Lion’s City GL buses, the delivery also included 71 MAN Lion’s City L LE city buses. These vehicles are almost 15m long and can seat 49 passengers. Each of the articulated, lowf loor buses is powered by a D2066 LUH diesel engine. MAN Truck & Bus also handed over 33 MAN Lion’s City LE buses to Unibuss. These 12-m-long buses can seat 43 passengers and are powered by a 290hp D0836 LOH diesel engine, which also runs on HVO biofuel. Opting for HVO biofuel over conventional diesel will lower emissions by up to 90 per cent,” adds Svendsen. www.mantruckandbus.com

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OUR PICK OF THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS AND COACH SECTOR

Viriciti smart charging rollout at QBuzz VIRICITI has started rolling out its largest smart charging implementation with 163 charger connectors for Netherlands operator Qbuzz connected to the ViriCiti dashboard. Smart charging is being rolled out for Heliox chargers, with ABB chargers following soon. The company claims that this represents the largest smart charging implementation of its kind outside China. With ViriCiti’s smart charging solution, Qbuzz will be able to manage Heliox and ABB chargers which provide a total installed capacity of 24.04MW, making use of advanced functionality including load balancing, scheduled load balancing,

and remote start for pre-conditioning designed to reduce costs and improve charging efficiency. Through load balancing, smart charging eliminates infrastructure limitations by allowing users to set a maximum power per charger group, and control the charging speed of individual chargers, says ViriCiti. It also allows operators to reduce costs associated with demand charges, a process known as ‘peak shaving’. Scheduled load balancing enables it to further reduce energy costs by making use of day/night energy tariffs, where applicable. By avoiding exceeding the maximum grid capacity and by

optimising the charging schedule, operators could have a larger number of electric buses in operation than the existing charging infrastructure would otherwise allow. “Qbuzz is taking the next step on the road towards zero-emission transport,” says Tim van Twuijver, sustainability manager, Qbuzz. “Smart charging is of great importance in this respect, helping us achieve an optimal use of our large electric bus fleets. We think that our collaboration with ViriCiti will allow us to have a more efficient approach to charging our electric fleet.” www.viriciti.com

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green Leeds’ Clean Air Zone dropped as operators adopt lower emission vehicles LEEDS city council plans to drop its Clean Air Zone proposal, arguing that it is no longer required as a result of businesses switching to cleaner vehicles faster than expected. The move follows a joint review by the city council and central government. According to the study, more than 90 per cent of buses and 80 per cent of heavy goods vehicles driven in the city now use Euro VI engines and therefore wouldn’t be charged if a zone was introduced. Research shows that the newer vehicles emit significantly fewer emissions than older models, especially when travelling at the slower speeds often travelled in urban environments. Nearly half of the city’s licensed taxi and private hire cars are also now hybrid or electric. Because of the dramatic shift to cleaner vehicles, the review found that air pollution in Leeds on key routes is below legal limits and is not likely to exceed them again—even if traffic were to

return to ‘normal’ levels or slightly higher. The council has written to the government requesting to keep £6.9million of CAZ funding that Leeds had previously secured to ‘lock in’ the full extent of air quality improvements. The money would be used to continue offering grants to help local businesses switch to cleaner vehicles as well as to provide free licensing costs to drivers of less polluting taxi and private hire cars. James Lewis, deputy leader, Leeds city council and executive board member with responsibility for air quality, says: “Thanks to our city’s collective effort, Leeds residents are breathing air that is cleaner and safer than ever before. “When we consulted on the CAZ in 2018, we said that we hoped that no one would be charged because businesses would switch to less polluting vehicles before the charging system takes effect. That is exactly what has happened. “We have achieved the aims of

the Clean Air Zone without having to charge a single vehicle. If Leeds were to introduce a CAZ today, only a fraction of vehicles would be affected because the vast majority of businesses are now driving cleaner vehicles than they were just a few years ago.” www.leeds.gov.uk

BYD and Hino joint venture agreement for battery electric vehicles BYD and Hino Motors have signed a joint venture agreement to establish a new company to develop commercial battery electric vehicles. The new company will be established in China in 2021,

November 2020

with BYD and Hino each making a 50 per cent investment. The partnership aims to combine the strengths of both companies to develop BEVs and electric units and will aim to quickly implement the ideal prod-

ucts for customer needs, primarily in the Asian market. The joint venture plans to initially launch vehicles under the Hino brand in the first half of the 2020s. www.byd.com

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Blackpool Transport’s Jane Cole to take over as CPT president in 2021

CPT has announced that Jane Cole, managing director, Blackpool Transport, will become the new CPT president at the end of January 2021, taking over from Steve Whiteway. Cole will be CPT’s first female president and brings 20 years’ experience in the transport sector. She has spent the past six years as managing director of Blackpool Transport where she is responsible for running the town’s buses and trams with more than 650 employees. CPT chief executive Graham Vidler says: “I’d like to thank Steve for his tremendous work as CPT president, and for the leadership he’s shown throughout a 2020 which has challenged the whole industry. I look forward to working with him for the remainder of his presidency and, I hope, well beyond. “I’m delighted to have Jane on board; her extensive experience in the transport industry will be a huge asset to CPT and her role as president”. Current president Steve Whiteway will remain in his post through to January 2021. He is completing his third year as president having previously held the position back in 2010/2011, and he has helped to lead CPT through the Covid-19 pandemic, including helping the organisation and members navigate lockdown. Cole says: “I’m delighted to be stepping into the role. Steve has done an amazing job throughout the pandemic and I’m sure will continue to do so. “I also look forward to engaging with CPT members across the country and helping them to get the most out of their membership, and working with

the CPT team who have shown great commitment to helping members during what are extraordinarily difficult times.” Whiteway adds: “Jane’s experience and expertise will be invaluable to CPT’s members as we go into what I hope will see recovery in 2021. This year has seen the hardest times for our industry, but I am proud of the way the CPT team and our members have rallied to support each other. It has been an honour to serve as CPT’s president and I wish Jane every success in her presidential year”. www.cpt-uk.org

Ticketer appoints Andy Monshaw as new CEO TICKETER has appointed Andy Monshaw as UK and Group CEO, following John Clarfelt’s decision to step down. Monshaw has spent more than 25 years in a variety of roles, includingg with IBM, and most recently as the CEO of NGA HR. He also sits on the board of several technology start-ups.  Clarfelt says: “As my friends in the industry will know, Ticketer, our team and our customers, are in my soul. And as every great business needs to keep evolving, our plan has always been to introduce new blood into the business, to keep driving Ticketer forward and leading innovation for public transport. “The timing has been down to finding the right

person for this role – clearly not only with the competency and passion to continue to develop the business but, equally important, to continue the Ticketer Group ethos, where our team and customers are at the very centre of all we do.” Monshaw adds: “Ticketer has grown the business at a phenomenal rate over the last 11 years and I am incredibly excited to join the team at such a pivotal time. I am especially excited about continuing to have support from John as he helps to drive this great company to the next phase.” Clarfelt will remain fully involved in the business, focussing on innovation and strategy and will remain on the board. www.ticketer.com

November 2020

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