Coach & Bus 14

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TAILOR MADE

CUSTOM’S FIRST ADL ‘AUSSIE’ OPERATOR: ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT SPECIALISTS TECH: UPM BIOVERNO DIESEL

EVENT: SCANIA 2014 DRIVER AWARDS

EVENT: HIGER VARIETY CHARITY RIDE OVERSEAS: SUNSUNDEGUI SC7, VOLVO B11R

Issue 014

Contents CONTACT DETAILS PO Box 3294 Erina, NSW 2250 www.truckandbus.net.au Enquiries Tel: 0411 099 091 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Publisher/Managing Editor Geoff Paradise gparadise@truckandbus.net.au Editor Fabian Cotter fabian@truckandbus.net.au Art Director Luke Melbourne www.groeningdesigns.com.au Advertising Sales Barry Miller 0409 442 841 advertising@truckandbus.net.au Contributing Writers Chris Smith, David Meredith, Sven-Erik Lindstrand, Allen Matzel Contributing Photographers Mark Bean, Cristian Brunelli, David Meredith, Chris Smith, Sven-Erik Lindstrand, Paul Jakubicki, Matthew Everingham Coach & Bus magazine is published under licence by the Truck Power Media Group Pty Ltd six times a year and is distributed to bus and coach operators, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia.

Regulars

04 06 08 61 63 64

Driver’s Seat

Editor Cotter reckons we need some Jedi Knight mind tricks to convince more people that travelling by bus is the way to go. And if not that then maybe just a classified ad in the local paper or something.

Fare Go

Publisher Paradise recently had the surprising pleasure of jumping aboard Melbourne’s Skybus on a recent southern sojourn and came away suitably impressed.

Up Front

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

Hot Stuff

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

Working Wheels

The new IVECO Daily sees the big Italian giant go hand in hand with AGL for CNG technology.

So just how does it all come together in its new van? Geoff Paradise checks it out.

Money

Whatever you need to know about superannuation and self-managed super funds, this is the place to read it and by none other than the legendary money guru Paul Clitheroe.

Technical

38

Pine O Clean

TECH: Many say diesel ‘just ain’t dead yet’ and with new types of bio-diesels coming out they just might be right. Finnish firm UPM is touting its pine derivative as the next big thing. Fabian Cotter investigates.

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

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coach&bus “...the search is on again to find Australia’s best bus drivers.”

47 Features

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Big Things, Small Packages

27

Access All Areas

47

University Challenge

51

In Transit

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COVERSTORY: It seems everyone wants a piece of the lucrative Midi-bus market and the ADL-Custom venture has thrown its awesome Aussie-spec Enviro200 into the boxing ring. Fabian Cotter reports.

OPERATOR: It’s a growing concern for many operators just how fast and easy it is to use wheelchair lifts and other accessibility products on their buses day to day. Fabian Cotter chats with a company making and predicting the trends.

PROFILE: Think university, think hours of study, lectures, assignments ... er … partying, live bands, awesome cafeteria food, blah blah. And now a great campus bus service. At least at Victoria’s Deakin University that is. Fabian Cotter has a quick squiz.

SPECIAL EVENT: With its huge network spanning London, Hong Kong and various Australian transport activities, Transit Systems opened up a new new depot in Sydney and it’s ready for business. Fabian Cotter hopped on board for the day.

43

Drive Time

BEST PRACTICE: There’s an old fishermen’s tale that says no modern Western society is worth its salt without legendary BBQs and great buses - and even better bus drivers.

Scania’s trying to find the latter again. Fabian Cotter reports.

A Higer Purpose

SPECIAL EVENT: Variety is a great children’s charity and probably best known for its annual automotive Bash. But bi-cycles? Higer was only too happy to support its new worthy event. Fabian Cotter reports.

60 Mins With...

INTERVIEW: With its link to one of – if not the – largest global automotive networks that is Volkswagen, MAN Truck and Bus CEO Anders Nielsen was in Brisbane recently and only too happy to chat exclusively with Geoff Paradise.

Body For Sin

INTERNATIONAL: Spanish body-building entity Sunsundegui might not be too well known in these parts, but its stunning SC7 body going about on Volvo B11Rs worldwide is sure to get people talking. Fabian Cotter has a quick look-see.

004Driver’s Seat

Fabian Cotter “...why isn’t there that much’propaganda’, as it were, about people being better off taking the bus?”

F

ailing eyesight, that’s all it is. I blame my failing eyesight in my old age, nothing more to it. That and working on a bus magazine where, disturbingly, almost every moment is spent thinking about how best it can champion the global cause of making bus travel safer, cleaner, better and, ultimately, more popular now and in future.

So perhaps I could be forgiven for missreading a sign on the back of a coach upon approach as I drove along the freeway one day recently, as carefree as a daisy wafting sideways with the breeze in a field full of hungry dairy cows. Or worse. Ones with upset stomachs from a big curry the night before.

Anyway, there it was in all its glory, plastered across its backside for all the on-road commuter-vehicle world to see: “You travel better with with us when you travel by bus.”

Brilliant! Finally, I thought, someone was openly taking up the fight to the masses, laying waste to any preconceived ideas people may have that other forms of transport were superior to that as offered by the collective coach and bus experience.

Finally, as a whole, we had a slogan, a motto.

A political manifesto even. Heck, a battle-cry...

Someone had had enough of playing second fiddle to other means of transport motion and set about celebrating, if not glorifying, the thought that bus and coach travel isn’t just a bit of alright – it’s bloody well actually ‘full Monty’ alright.

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I felt a sense of camaraderie, bravado even. It was almost as if it were some call to arms - and had Mel Gibson on horseback and his fellow blue-face painted Braveheart mates sauntered past my car through the bumper-to-bumper traffic jam that day, I may just as well have dropped the window and screamed “Freedom!!!!!” at the unsuspecting gobsmacked people in the car to my side – let alone a mate sitting shotgun in the passenger seat next door. Her hearing’s not the best these days, anyway.

Alas, it was not some public, corporate nor – god forbid – government-endorsed advertising directive akin to the old Sydney-demographic ‘Train’s The Way To Go” TV campaign from at least a decade or two back. Worse. As I got closer to the Telford’s coach, I could see what the running-writing font actually read: “You travel better by bus when you travel with us”.

Er... Oh, I see. My fault.

I got her to take a quick photo of it, as if anything it got me thinking about why there isn’t that much (Well, to me anyway. And let’s call it what it is) propaganda about people being better off taking the bus.

We assume they are and do, but just as some aside and complementary transit way-point abridged to the machinations and timetable scheduling of the main state train networks across Australia, no doubt, but what about a message disseminated blatantly – and hopefully subliminally – that taking a bus is a win-win deal all ‘round for them, and not just some transport second-string by-product or afterthought?

That’s only part of the package we’d have to present to them, though. I mean, there’s the actual part where what’s promised is what needs to be delivered – and that’s where we as an industry come in.

Thankfully, Australia has a plethora of quality bus manufacturers and suppliers, both for chassis and bodies, so operators are spoilt for choice. And with ever more models and newer types coming in from overseas meeting our tough Aussie standards, all operator budgets are covered really.

Yet that’s the ‘physical’ stuff. The metal. The plastic. The rubber and glass bits. People are important, too.

That’s where events like the Scania Best Bus Driver competition, as previewed this issue of

Coach and Bus magazine, is a great initiative to encapsulate what quality bus driving and attitude is all about.

Then there’s the infrastructure behind a good bus-running service and modern, well-placed facilities like Transit System’s new Smithfield, NSW, depot is integral to ‘the dream’.

And you can’t ignore observing how modern buses work in a somewhat ‘controlled’ environment with somewhere like Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, picking up a new Fuso MP300 for its campus fleet - to go with new bus stop and bike-rest housing for students. Arguably as a more civilised and mature clientele board the buses (ie. less graffiti, litter and rowdy and obnoxious commuters I’d hope), a university ‘route’ serves as a somewhat inexpensive microcosm to extrapolate if not empiric data then at least more real-world observations of good bus transport systems, offering the latest vehicles and on-board conveniences like Wi-Fi, reduced or non-existent overcrowding during more daytime hours, and how bicycles are the obvious, practical and healthy way for people to ‘ride to the bus’ and not ‘drive for a train’.

Elitist pro-environmental fancy? Or a practical possibility? In issue No. 3 we looked at futurist bus stop designs and one great interpretation envisaged accommodating collapsible electric bi-cycle use, where the bikes are stored at the stop, or carried on board, and the batteries are plugged in and help re-charge the electric/hybrid bus cells while the rider is on board. Or something like that... Nothing wrong with putting ‘outsidethe-box’ transport-related ideas out there.

A utopia? Maybe. But don’t worry. It’s nothing a few drunken or irate and abusive (I’d say racist, but that’s almost so cliche’d these days) public-transport-commuting ‘bad apples’ can’t fix.

Also inside this issue we look at a new type of pine-based bio-fuel, visit Accessible Transit Solutions and chat with Anders Nielsen, CEO of MAN. Until the next thrilling instalment...

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006Fare Go

Geoff Paradise “The drivers are super friendly and knowledgeable and it gave me a chance to take in the scenery…”

I

have a confession to make. It’s not a serious confession but is a confession nonetheless. I rarely travel on buses. In fact, I rarely use public transport, full stop.

Please master, don’t beat me!

I used to when I was a kid and had little money. In fact, one of life’s great joys was ducking the conductor on Sydney’s doubledeckers (Albions). Even though you could travel for a zac – well, Bondi Beach to my home in inner city Paddo’ at least – more often than not I was stoney broke and never fancied the six-mile walk home.

Of course all that changed when I entered the workforce and bought a car but by then I had moved out of Sydney so a car was an absolute necessity for getting around except, of course, when I started commuting to the Big Smoke I became a train traveller.

A good opportunity to sleep, read, or play cards during the journey. But, by and large, I avoid trains like the plague these days.

Up until recently I can’t recall the last time I even travelled on a bus (other than in the course of doing a yarn for this magazine) but all that changed when I lobbed into Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport recently with time on my hands.

Under normal circumstances I’m on a tight schedule so I either cab it, get picked up or

grab a rent-a-wreck. But not this time.

I decided I didn’t need to drop 60-odd buckaroos on a taxi into Melbourne’s CBD so I opted for a ride on the SkyBus City Airport Express service.

Even tough it was a bit snug in the seating department it was quick, hassle free and at $18.00 was less than a third of the cost of a Silver Top and I doubt I would have got into town any quicker once the wheels were rolling. Seriously.

Not only that, SkyBus offer a hotel transfer from their interchange under Spencer St station as part of the fare. Great value and a very efficient service.

SkyBus’s fleet seems to be varied and the smaller buses used for hotel transfers are either Fuso Rosas or Coasters. They are clean, the drivers are super friendly and knowledgeable and it gave me a chance to take in the scenery for a change.

It was recently announced by Victorian Premier Dennis Napthine that a rail link will be built from Tullamarine to the city. But announcing a project and it actually getting off the ground are two different things.

Firstly, the all-powerful taxi lobby will have plenty to say about it as they have a near monopoly on transport to the airport and it is a goldmine for cab owners and drivers.

Secondly, will it be an express service or will it be all stops and take forever? Will it be a full blown system or light rail? Above ground or below? Time will tell.

It’s ridiculous that a city as cosmopolitan as Melbourne is devoid of a 21st century transport link to its major airport but at least you have a choice now, and I can thoroughly recommend SkyBus. Not long after the Napthine announcement the good citizens of Sydney were bowled over by the news that Sydney will, after 50 years of procrastination by both sides of politics, get a second airport. Prime Minister Tony Abbott made the announcement and it was endorsed by his state Liberal colleagues.

Again, the same rationale applies: you can make the announcement but will it ever be built? That’s a story for another day but along with the news of the airport at Badgery’s Creek it was also announced that the area would benefit from a major infrastructure investment: new roads, improved roads and a rail link to the CBD. Happy days. But let’s hope when the new roads are built they include dedicated 24-hour bus lanes because while choo-choos are efficient they are a fixed infrastructure whereas bus lanes can be moved according to population and needs.

A top-notch, European-style coach or bus service from Badgery’s Creek to Sydney’s CBD, North Sydney and even Mascot would provide an attractive option for travellers.

Gee, they might even offer Wi-Fi on the trains for free.

Could it be that our elected leaders are starting to get things right for the people they serve? One can live in hope.

SkyBus’s $18 fare represents great value getting from Tullamarine to the CBD

006 www.truckandbus.net.au

UpFront

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HIGER ANNOUNCES NEW NAMING SYSTEM HIGER HAS DEVELOPED a new naming convention that streamlines and simplifies the way the various models are named, it was announced recently.

The new naming convention will make it easier for customers to see at a glance what the key size and configuration information is for each bus, it’s claimed.

“Under the new naming system, each model will be named in the same way, with an H for Higer at the start then two numbers – the first representing the vehicle size and the second referring to the engine power. The designation S or C is also used to indicate a Charter or School model.

“Previously, the models have been

THE NEW NAMING CONVENTION IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

008 www.truckandbus.net.au

given names like RoadBoss and Ryder, but as we bring more and more models to the market it makes sense to develop a more easily understood system.

“This change is a reflection of our confidence in the Australian market and our commitment to continuing to grow our presence here.”

It comes at a time when Higer has retained its market-leading position in 2013, achieving the highest number of sales across the industry, not including city/ route segment sales, the company states.

CEO Neil Bamford said the result was a reflection of the brand’s commitment to continuous improvement and to meeting market demands.

“2013 was a tough year for the industry, with overall industry unit sales down five per cent compared to the previous year. The fact Higer has managed to increase sales across our model range in a declining market is something we are very proud of.

This result was achieved through the dedication of the sales and aftermarket support staff in our national dealer network, who have worked very closely with customers throughout the year.”

Higer has performed strongly and enjoyed solid market growth since its Australian launch five years ago, the company says. Bamford says a focus on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement has driven the growth.

“The buses we sell in Australia are designed for Australian conditions. Our Australian sales and technical teams work very closely with the international Higer design and manufacturing divisions to ensure we can provide customers with reliable vehicles suited to their needs.

As an example, there have been over 200 improvements made to the design of our new Higer H7170 Munro mini coach since the early model was released, based largely on detailed feedback and close liaison with a key customer.”

With its growing market share, it plans to introduce more models to the Australian market in the near future.

MODEL NAME

SIZE AND CONFIGURATION

Higer H7170 Munro Higer H8200 Ryder Higer H9250 Midi Boss Higer H10280 Road Boss Higer H12300s Road Boss Higer H12320c Road Boss

7.6m, 170HP, 28 seat-belted seats 8.5m, 200HP, 33 seat-belted seats 9.3m, 250HP, 41 seat-belted seats 10.5m, 280HP, 45 seat-belted seats 12.3m, 300HP, 57 seat-belted seats, 18t compliant 12.3m, 320HP, 57 seat-belted seats, 18t compliant

Adelaide Tests Volvo Hybrid A VOLVO B5RHLE hybrid bus is currently being trialled on the joint Adelaide Metro/ Adelaide City Council Free City Connector service that operates within the CBD. Depending on the results of the trial, additional hybrids could be purchased for this CBD loop service.

“The trial should go for about 12 months, after which we’ll write up a recommendation if the technology proves to be a good fit for the system,” said

Alan Castree, Fleet and Depot manager for South Australia’s Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

He says the trial will evaluate two hybrid buses against the existing diesel buses. The Volvo B5RHLE hybrid bus is being trialled alongside another manufacturer’s hybrid bus.

“Our intention is to evaluate hybrid technology and compare a series hybrid system with Volvo’s parallel system.

We’re trying to compare the performance of the two hybrids against the existing buses to see what benefits they provide.

The benefit could be fuel, it could be cost, it could be noise,” Castree said.

The Volvo B5RLE bus uses a parallel hybrid power system that combines a Volvo diesel engine with an electric motor. The power system stores energy generated during braking to charge a battery that can then be used to run the

bus, saving fuel and cutting exhaust emissions.

With Volvo’s flexible parallel hybrid system the bus can run as diesel only, as electric only, or as diesel supplemented by electric. For example, when extra power is needed to accelerate. At a traffic light or bus stop, the electric system allows the diesel engine to shut down - another fuel-saving advantage.

Full results of the trial are forthcoming.

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UpFront SCANIA EXPANDS IN TAIWAN

SCANIA IS STRENGTHENING its position in the Taiwanese bus market, with the company recently receiving orders for 180 bus chassis.

In order to provide high uptime for bus and truck operators, Scania will add new workshops to its Taiwanese service network.

The 180 chassis will be delivered to two separate customers.

Major bus and coach body-builder Bo Sheng Body has continued its long-term cooperation with Scania by ordering 80 Scania K 400 coach chassis. Bo Sheng Body’s main focus is on the tourist coach segment and delivery of the new chassis has already commenced.

010 www.truckandbus.net.au

In addition, Taiwan’s leading bus operator U-Bus has ordered 100 Scania K 400 coach chassis.

U-Bus has a fleet of some 1500 buses and operates intercity services, as well as tourist coaches and city buses. The new buses will join the company’s tourist coach and intercity service fleets.

“Scania’s share of the bus and coach market in Taiwan has grown over the past three years,” said David Lin, Sales and Marketing director at Scania’s Taiwanese subsidiary Griffin Automotive. “The coach segment is growing and in 2013 we almost achieved a 10 per cent market share.”

In recent years, Scania Taiwan

has secured orders from several major intercity operators.

The increased number of buses and coaches is resulting in greater demand for service.

“We will open two new workshops during 2014,” said Per Lilljequist, managing director of Griffin Automotive.

“These will further enhance our service network and will allow us to offer Scania bus, coach and truck operators the best possible service.”

The two new facilities will bring the total number of workshops operated by Scania in Taiwan to 10.

In addition to these there are also two customer-based workshops.

STARLINER WRITES NEOPLAN HISTORY TEN NEOPLAN STARLINERS have recently been delivered to North German coach operator Hülsmann Reisen – an order unique in NEOPLAN’s history: It is the largest single delivery of Starliner coaches to a European customer.

Founded in 1929 and with a long tradition behind it, Hülsmann Reisen is celebrating its 85th anniversary by giving itself the best possible birthday gift with these coaches. In addition Hülsmann Reisen now has the largest fleet of these luxury coaches in Germany. The company deploys the NEOPLAN Starliner in international travel and tourist transport.

“The NEOPLAN Starliner provides everything you could possibly need to get that feeling of absolute comfort on a trip. Its generous interior, quality materials and ample legroom make passengers feel that the holiday has already begun. The technical specifications of these high-quality coaches are also impressive when compared with the competition,” Karl Hülsmann junior, management board member, commented when the coaches were handed over.

With a total length of up to 14 metres, the threeaxle NEOPLAN Starliner offers between 50 and 54 seats for luxury travel. The 12.8-litre, six-cylinder, 505hp MAN D26 engine ensures powerful propulsion, the company states.

The automatic MAN TipMatic Coach 12-speed gearbox supports economical driving by optimising gear-shifting. The hillstart assist and a special manoeuvring feature help the driver in difficult situations.

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INDUSTRY AWAITS RESULTS OF NTC AXLE REPORT

THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT Commission’s call to the bus industry for submissions for the recent Discussion Paper into increasing demand on weight of Australia’s buses closed March 21, leaving much anticipation as to the results.

Australia’s bus industry and relevant government authorities were asked for their input to help resolve emerging pressures on the nation’s two-axle buses and the current mass limits that apply to them.

CEO of the National Transport Commission, Paul Retter, says Australia’s 88,000 buses were facing an increasing challenge of meeting transport demands

while operating within their existing mass limits.

“We are looking for considered input to determine whether it is practical and sensible to increase the mass limits that currently apply to Australia’s two axle buses,” Retter said.

“Australia’s buses are carrying heavier loads such as more fuel efficient engines, wheelchair lifts, a higher average number of passengers and the fact that the average weight of Australians is going up.

“This means that it is possible that buses can be technically overloaded even when they are within their passenger limits.”

Under the current system, buses fitted with two single axles are permitted to operate at a 16-tonne gross vehicle mass limit. However, in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria, two-axle buses are allowed to operate at an 18-tonne gross vehicle mass limit.

Retter said that it was important for regulations to be reviewed periodically to respond to emerging issues such as heavier engines, new safety requirements and larger passenger loads.

He said while he was particularly interested in getting feedback from the bus industry and relevant government authorities he would be interested in

considered feedback from bus users or any other interested party.

The discussion paper explores solutions to address the issue of increasing bus weight. Some of these include:  the possibility of raising mass limits of two-axle buses to 18 tonne across the country under the national heavy vehicle law;  encouraging industry to adopt more innovative operational procedures;  developing methods to allow drivers to better monitor the gross vehicle mass of their buses.

The NTC’s discussion paper, ‘Mass Limits for 2-Axle Buses Discussion Paper’, can be downloaded from the NTC website.

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UpFront Euro Hybrid Bus – Feeling The Love REPORTS FROM EUROPE claim the Volvo hybrid bus field tests in Gothenbrg, Sweden, are going well and the bus is being greatly appreciated by patrons.

Whilst the Rolling Stones made the song Route 66 famous worldwide, the slightly lesser known Route 60 – upon which the Volvo hybrid has been tested since May last year – has proven a perfect testing ground for the new technology, with passengers, drivers and residents loving it, it seems.

Volvo Buses has been taking part in the EU’s Hyperbus project together with public transport company Västtrafik, Business Region Göteborg, Göteborg Energi and the city’s Traffic & Public Transport Authority. This project puts Volvo’s electric hybrid bus to the test as it covers seven kilometres quietly and emission-free. The charging system makes it possible to cut diesel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 75 per cent, it’s claimed, compared with today’s diesel-powered buses. Total energy consumption is

012 www.truckandbus.net.au

reduced by 60 per cent.

Västtrafik’s survey among passengers on Route 60, drivers of the electric hybrid buses, and residents living along Route 60, asked them what they thought about the new buses. The results show that the majority are positive to the buses and that there is considerable awareness of the project – seven out of 10 say they know about the initiative.

A large proportion of those questioned also feel it is important to invest in environmentally optimised buses running on alternative fuels. A majority of passengers said they would consider paying half a krona more per trip to help finance more electric hybrid buses.

“Many people appreciate the hybrid buses because they are quiet and comfortable and we find it very encouraging that customers are willing to pay more to travel in a more environmentally sound way,” said Hanna Björk, environmental affairs strategist at Västtrafik.

The fact the electric hybrid buses are

quiet is appreciated by residents living along Route 60, with 40 per cent saying they are less disturbed by the hybrid buses than by conventional buses, it’s stated. The staff also like the new buses, with the environmental gains being seen as the biggest benefits, apparently.

The comfortable and quiet working environment was also mentioned in positive terms.

“The survey underscores the major advantages of electric hybrids for customers, drivers and urban residents alike. This type of bus functions very well in metropolitan conditions, while at the same time helping us meet our high environmental standards,” said Björk.

“It is very gratifying that our electric hybrid buses are so highly appreciated.

More and more cities are now beginning to introduce buses running on electricity.

They are far more energy-efficient compared with diesel-powered buses, and since they are so quiet they contribute to a more pleasant urban climate,” said Per Bengtsson, project

manager for the Hyperbus project at Volvo Buses.

The buses will continue in regular operation until July this year. Volvo plans to start commercial production of the electric hybrid bus in early 2016.

The Hyperbus project is partly financed

by Life+, the EU’s financing programme for environmental projects.

FAST FACTS  Uses 60 per cent less energy and produces 75 per cent less carbon dioxide compared with a corresponding diesel bus.  The electricity that the bus uses to quickly and conveniently charge its batteries at its two end depots is produced by wind-power. Charging takes 6-8 minutes.  The electric hybrid bus operates quietly and emission-free for about 7 kilometres without requiring recharging on the way.

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UD Buses For Growth Markets

THE VOLVO GROUP has introduced a UD bus range developed specifically for growth markets, it was announced recently at a press event in the city of Bangalore, India.

UD buses will be first introduced in India and additional growth markets will follow over the coming years.

“We will introduce a new UD bus range specifically designed for growth markets.

The segment targeted has high growth potential. UD buses has had a strong brand presence in Japan and South East Asia in the past. Now we renew and adapt the buses for India and other

growth markets,” said Akash Passey, senior vice president, Volvo Group Bus Operations, responsible for the international markets including Asia.

The UD bus brand will expand Volvo Group’s customer base, improve competitiveness and capture growth opportunities in India and other growth markets. The bus range will include both city buses and coaches.

The new UD bus range will be developed by leveraging the Volvo Group’s global engineering network in combination with its heritage of Japanese craftsmanship and reliability.

In India, the new bus range will be supported by the Volvo Group’s distribution network, providing service and parts. UD buses will offer passengers a modern transport solution while at the same time focusing on the operational essentials: fuel efficiency, reliability and optimised uptime, it’s claimed.

“By introducing a new bus range we are offering growth market customers a product that has been developed to meet their specific needs. Just as we have done on the truck side of our business, we are positioning our buses according to customer segments in order to cover

as much of the total accessible market as possible,” explained Olof Persson, president and CEO of the Volvo Group.

The Volvo Group has played an important role in the Indian bus market since the start of operations in 2001.

Today approximately 5000 Volvo coaches and city buses are in traffic in India.

The production of UD buses will start in Bangalore during 2014. The first buses will reach the customers later this year, the company states.

Besides serving the domestic Indian market, the UD bus plant in India will also serve as an export hub in the future.

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UpFront

SCANIA RESTRUCTURES EURO BUS DIVISION SCANIA WILL LAUNCH an efficiency programme with the aim of ensuring profitability in its city bus operations, which will generate annual cost savings of SEK70 million. Negotiations have been initiated with trade unions in order to reduce the workforce by 250 employees, of whom about 200 are in Poland and 50 are in Sweden.

“We possess significant overcapacity in our city bus operations. We must therefore undertake extensive restructuring measures in order to match our industrial structure with our commercial conditions. This is the only way to secure our long-term position as

a supplier of complete city buses,” said Klas Dahlberg, senior vice president and head of Scania Buses & Coaches.

Sales of Scania’s internally developed and manufactured fully-built city bus, the Scania Citywide, have declined since the record years 2010 and 2011, when more than 600 units were delivered to public transport systems in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, among other countries.

The structural changes will involve research and development, purchasing and direct production of city buses, as well as related administration, it’s claimed.

Scania’s production unit in Słupsk, Poland, with more than 500 employees, will initiate the process of adapting its organisation to current market conditions. Scania initiated negotiations with local trade unions in order to reduce staffing by about 200 people, affecting both blue collar and white collar employees, the company states.

Owing to several years of volatile demand for fully built city buses, Scania has worked with various activities, in cooperation with local trade unions, with the aim of retaining employees at the production unit in Słupsk.

“Due to intensified competition and

increased price pressure we now have to adjust staffing to lower levels. This has not been an easy decision to take, but unfortunately it is necessary for our longterm survival as a bus and coach bodybuilder here in Słupsk” said Peter Björk, head of Scania Production in Słupsk.

At the head office in Södertälje, Sweden, changes will be made in the research and development department, and in the purchasing department, for the Scania Citywide. About 50 employees will be affected in Södertälje and they will all be offered continued employment at similar departments in the main Scania organisation.

www.daewo o bu ses.co m . au BENCHMARK QUALITY – PROVEN RELIABILITY – SENSATIONAL VALUE

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TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT DAEWOO CALL (02) 9603 2900 TODAY. DW2487/1013

follow us online at: www.truckandbus.net.au

Buslines Gets 100th Volvo Bus THE BUSLINES GROUP, a major transport operator in regional NSW, took delivery of its 100th Volvo bus, recently, fitted with seatbelts for school children.

With a Volvo B7R chassis and a Bustech SBV body, the bus is air conditioned and uniquely outfitted with 73 safety-belted seats. Based at the company’s Picton depot, the new Volvo bus has commenced work in the Picton– Wollondilly region.

The Buslines Group is one of the largest, privately owned public transport operators in NSW, with a fleet of 300 buses and 24 taxis operating from 10 depots. The company provides school, commuter and charter services to regional communities around the Southern Highlands, Griffith, Orange, Tamworth, Ballina, Dubbo, Lismore,

Lithgow and Bathurst areas, as well as Picton, it states.

First founded as Reo Motors Ltd in 1926 and selling cars, trucks, buses and tractors, the group purchased its first bus operation in Tamworth in 1943. The Buslines Group bought its first five buses from Volvo Buses Australia in 2001, and now Volvos comprise one-third of its entire fleet.

The Buslines Group’s commitment to installing seatbelts for school children is aligned with its focus on ensuring high quality standards throughout its statewide operations.

The NSW Government stipulates that any seat-belted bus cannot carry standing passengers. The new bus embraces these safety regulations by offering seatbelts and more seats to

eliminate standing on the long country routes operated by the Buslines Group.

The bus uses a 3+2 seating design and configuration with a wide three-

seater on the far side of the aisle and a standard two-seater on the kerb side of the bus, providing five seats across instead of four.

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UpFront

The Bus Expo element will return in 2015, says BusVic.

There will still be quality speakers this year, hopefully as cool as Steve Waugh - legend!

2014 BUSVIC – CONFERENCE? YES. EXPO? NO! BUSVIC WILL CONTINUE to hold an annual maintenance conference and trade exhibition, (but no bus exhibition) at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July, 2014.

This year is a very important year as it marks the 60th anniversary of the Maintenance Conference itself, and it’s the 70th anniversary of the Association, says BusVic. “We have surveyed our members and are confident that they will support the event as we will be going ‘back to our

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roots’ and have a very strong, genuine maintenance/technical programme, supported by some management topics and entertainment,” said Craig Spurr, BusVic Tourism Development and Industry Marketing Manager told Coach & Bus magazine recently.

“The revised programme will also allow added opportunities for you to engage with operator delegates. We are excited to release the Draft Programme as we anticipate that it will provide great value to operator and exhibitor delegates alike,” Spurr stated.

“Major chassis and bus suppliers, as well as numerous other suppliers, have already committed to the event, so we encourage you to please register soon.”

The major components of the event will include: 1. Level 1 Trade exhibition of industry suppliers; 2. Maintenance/technical conference sessions and workshops; 3. Management and dedicated school bus operator conference sessions on level 1; 4. Premium keynote speakers and

entertainers; 5. Networking opportunities; 6. and Heritage bus display on the ground floor (as part of the Anniversary year).

Other changes for this year include: 1. There will only be one dinner on the Wednesday night in the middle of the event; 2. The cost of an exhibition stand includes day delegate registration (including catering); 3. Supplier full delegates are at the same cost as operator delegates.

follow us online at: www.truckandbus.net.au

DAIMLER BUS ANNOUNCES NEW ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Daniel Whitehead

Justin Whitford

IN-LINE WITH THE global restructuring by parent company Daimler AG, Daimler Truck & Bus Australia/Pacific announced a new organisational and management structure.

The new structure forms the basis of a renewed brand dedication focus for Mercedes-Benz, Fuso and Freightliner, the company states.

Under Daimler’s customer dedication initiative, sales and service support are aligned under the brand-dedicated general managers. The brand dedication allows for a greater focus on the specific needs of each Mercedes-Benz, Fuso and Freightliner customer across sales and aftersales, it’s claimed.

Another change under the restructure is the alignment of Daimler Truck & Bus Australia/Pacific under Daimler Trucks North America.

“We welcome this opportunity to play a bigger role in the region. Australia/Pacific has historically been one of our largest export markets. I am confident that the new Daimler Truck & Bus organisational structure and management team led by Daniel Whitehead will ensure continued success in the future” said Mark Lampert, senior vice president – Sales & Marketing DTNA. New Management Structure: Daniel Whitehead – managing director

of Daimler Truck & Bus Australia/ Pacific Whitehead was serving as executive vice president of Aftersales China and has succeeded Kolja Rebstock as the managing director in Australia/Pacific as of March 1, 2014.

His career began in the sales division at Paccar Australia and for the past 15 years he has worked in various roles within Daimler in Australia, Hong Kong and China. Whitehead is looking forward to coming home to Australia with his wife and three young children, he says.

“I’m very excited considering the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead with Daimler Truck & Bus Australia/Pacific, and I welcome the prospect of leading a team that delivers premium products and service to our customers. A brand-based approach to key customer-facing functions will concentrate our ability to grow our presence and support our customers.

Sales, marketing, parts, service and other functions will be enabled to pull in the same direction, as a team.”

Justin Whitford – general manager of Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Whitford joined Daimler in 2013 as general manager of Mercedes-Benz Buses and previously held roles in the private equity industry developing

a strong change management methodology that focused on sales and operational excellence, it’s stated.

Whitford is now responsible for leading the Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus business units.

“I am very enthusiastic about leading the Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus business into the future. Our passionate team and dealer network will be striving to deliver best practice service and support to all of our customers.”

Richard Eyre - general manager of Fuso Eyre has managed the Fuso Truck and Bus business in Australia since 2001, leading sales, service, parts and warranty for all Fuso trucks and buses.

He has been in the retail truck industry since 1976, serving as a Fuso dealer principal at one point in his career. He will continue to have responsibility for Fuso Trucks and Buses.

“I am committed to continuing to build upon the success of the Fuso brand in Australia. The loyalty of our longstanding customers attests to the quality and reliability of the Fuso product range.”

Gary Wheatley – general manager of Dealer Development & Marketing Wheatley has been a highly respected member of the MBAuP family for

more than 28 years. In his new role he will have responsibility for dealer development, marketing, homologation and reporting across all Daimler Truck & Bus brands.

“The Daimler Trucks restructure is big step towards greater brand dedication and improved customer focus. I look forward to working with the rest of the management team to ensure ongoing success for the Daimler Trucks network.”

Farewell to Kolja Rebstock Previous managing director of Daimler Truck & Bus Australia/Pacific Kolja Rebstock concluded his assignment in Australia as of February 28, 2014.

Rebstock left MBAuP having forged excellent relationships with customers and dealers, and with the respect of the Australia and New Zealand commercial vehicle industries.

“It saddens me to leave my Daimler Truck & Bus team here in Australia and New Zealand; however, I am extremely proud of what we have achieved in the last three years. We have worked tirelessly to support our customers throughout Australia and New Zealand.”

Kolja is continuing his career with Daimler, joining the Daimler AG headquarters as head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Vans for Asia, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe.

Cover Story

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Photography: Matt Everingham

BIG THINGS, SMALL PACKAGES In the toughly contested Midi-bus market, the Alexander Dennis-Custom bus-making entity has thus far been markedly quiet – until now.

Behold the Aussie-spec Enviro200 ... coming to a bus stop near you. Fabian Cotter reports.

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L

ike expectant parents long preparing themselves for the ‘birth’ of their first Australian-market love child by decorating the nursery; doing those rapid-breathing exercises and quirky yoga poses; holding the neighbour’s dog for handling practice; and rehearsing the lines ‘bugger that just give me epidural now, please!’, Australia’s Custom and the U.K’s Alexander Dennis companies can now pop the cork on the champagne. Or crack open the vodka. Or go straight for the beer.

Whatever their tipple of choice, it’s well worth it because the new Australian-spec Enviro200 – the first fully locally built, fully ADL bus as it were – is just the thing to stir up the industry.

“This is the first time Custom has been able to offer a full product in Australia, so that’s whole body and chassis, so it’s designed as a single entity,” explained Andy Boulton,

customer development and technical director at Custom, who is over here in Australia on secondment for two years to see in to service of the Alexander Dennis Products (ADL).

“The chassis was manufactured at one of our plants in Guildford (UK) and the body kit was manufactured in Scotland, and it was all shipped over and assembled in Villawood, NSW, here in Australia,” he said.

“We have a long track record of building these buses in kit form abroad, and a long relationship with territories, especially Hong Kong, Singapore and over the past three years with New Zealand - where NZ Bus has taken almost 400 of these over the past four years. And they’ve been built in New Zealand using the same principle; again, chassis from Guildford, UK, and kits from Faulko (Scotland) shipped over.”

Now, the bodies used on the New Zealand buses and the Australian ones are similar,

explains Boulton, with the Custom product tailored to local requirements. The big difference being the school bus lights.

“If you saw the school bus lights on the demonstrator we had here in 2011 at the Sydney Bus Show it was more of a grafted on after-thought, but now they are being built here they are of an integrated design.”

While the body lengths on the Enviro200 vary and, in turn, the drivelines accordingly, on the day of the Coach & Bus magazine photoshoot the 9.6m version shown here featured a Cummins ISB 4.5-litre four-cylinder engine that’s EEV certified, which is Euro 5 standard with a 50 per cent reduction in NOx particulate emissions. It’s good for 138kW (185bhp), coupled to a four-speed Voith DEH24.5 gearbox (mandatory for the 9.6m) that’s single overdrive but uses the Voith principle. It’s got an integrated retarder. The rear axle is a Dana 1126, so it’s a heavyweight

“...the first fully locally built, fully ADL bus is just the thing to stir up the industry.”

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COOL FOR CATS 1

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4

In terms of the cooling system, the radiator and intercooler package is mounted at the rear and righthand side of the chassis with the hydraulically driven fan switched by the engine management system.

The cooling package is protected by a ‘flyscreen’ mesh and body mesh-grille. It features side-by-side design for ease of maintenance and repair. There’s a separate stainless steel header tank with rear offside fill and sight glass. Plus there’s a coolant drain valve fitted to the bottom tank of the radiator.

The new Custom-ADL Enviro200 looks a natural on Aussie streets.

The reason for its success in the UK historically is its ‘low whole of life costs’, the company says.

1 Front on, the Enviro200 has a stylish

albeit cheeky look.

2 A little reminder that you are

boarding a Custom bus.

3 Steel nylon-dipped 35mm handpoles

and continuous fluorescent lighting both sides do the trick.

4 Cummins ISBe 185B, 4.5-litre fourcylinder inline turbocharged and after-cooled Euro5 diesel engine gets plonked in here.

www.truckandbus.net.au 021

1 Driver’s seat is an Isringhausen (ISRI)

air suspension model with headrest and integrated three-point seatbelt.

2 Easy access to things in the engine bay.

3 Noisy, pain-in-the-neck school kids get on board? Just hit the ejector button for instant stress release. Kidding.

4 Wheelchair accommodation taken care of, no dramas at all.

It is certainly an eye catching design in the rear. LEDs integrated well here.

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unit on a bus of this size. The front is the Dana MBS 56.

“So it’s a particularly low-floor vehicle designed for ease of entry and we believe it’s come out pretty well; we’re quite pleased with how it all looks,” Boulton added proudly.

As for other specs for the Australian version, Boulton explains that the air-conditioning system is a Thermoking SR70 system, which is the same model unit as being used on Enviro200s in New Zealand, until the X900 with twin TM31 compressors becomes available.

Inside, the Aussie version uses locally supplied McConnell seats, which was a specific customer request for this particular bus shown, so it’s the first time Custom-ADL has put bench seats into an Enviro200, that “makes it look a little bit more Australian on the inside rather that the individual high-back seats as used in most of our other territories where this bus is built for in the Far East and Asia,” Boulton explained.

One the road the bus ran smoothly and handled appropriately given the speeds and traffic conditions at the time. Usually the Enviro200 is fitted with an Allison T280 transmission, especially when running the Cummins six-cylinder with the Voith available

only as an option, but for the 9.6m version the four-speed Voith gearbox is standard, giving a smooth gear change on the way up and through the retarder on the way back down again, it seems.

Fuel consumption? Good question.

“I can’t tell you yet; it’s only done 85km thus far since being built. I’ll put the fuel monitor on it when I take it down to Melbourne soon,” chuckled Boulton, but he did state the six-cylinder version with an Allison on same Melbourne-Sydney run delivered 29L/100km, with many operators who use the Enviro200 elsewhere recording, “it does around 35L/100km, up to mid 40s once you get into a particularly heavy urban operation where your average speed is under 8kM/h and it’s just ticking over for more than 50 per cent of the time”.

Outside, it’s a good looking unit it must be said and the customer-spec creamy Polar White PPG colour paint work matched to silver bumper highlights really sets it all off well. Another ‘boring white box’, as some would say, it looked not. At least not for this specific example.

It’s got modern LED lighting all around, except for the headlights – possible, but they do cost a bit more says Boulton.

1 2

3

“...it’s a particularly low-floor vehicle designed for ease of entry. Shipped over, assembled in NSW.” 4

www.truckandbus.net.au 023

BUS SPECS MODEL: Enviro200 9.6M ENGINE: Cummins ISBe 185B, 4.5-litre four-cylinder inline turbocharged and after-cooled diesel engine Euro5 emission and EEV (Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle) standard using Cummins Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Acceleration Rate programming is employed. Engine idle shutdown time default setting of 15 minutes. Power – 185bhp (136kW)@2100–2300rpm, Torque – 516lb-ft (700Nm)@1200–1600rpm EXHAUST: Stainless steel ‘Selective Catalytic Reduction’ (SCR) after-treatment system to meet Euro5 and EEV emissions standards. Discharge tailpipe is at the rear and towards the chassis centreline; 22-litre capacity AdBlue urea plastic tank with fill-neck meeting ISO 22 241 – Four-refill Interface, incorporating a magnetic collar system to prevent inadvertent filling.

TRANSMISSION: Voith D824.5 four-speed automatic with integral hydraulic retarder - progressively activated by the primary movement of the footbrake pedal ahead of pneumatic foundation braking. Pushbutton gear selection with reverse gear interlock; second reverse gear selection button.

SUSPENSION: Front - Dana NDS56XLF forger ‘I’-beam axle, capacity – 5000kg, Lock angle - 53°, inner wheel lock. Rear - Dana 11-26 single-reduction hypoid axle with ground gears, capacity – 11,000kg; full air suspension with 2x Ø250 mm air springs for front and rear axles. Location by trailing taper leaf springs and Panhard rod; 2x double acting dampers front and rear; front kneeling and vehicle ‘hi-rise’ (aka ‘ferry-lift’) as standard.

WHEELS/TYRES: Michelin 245/70R19.5 tubeless radial ply tyres on spigot mounted 19.5x6.75-inch steel wheels, eight-stud; Front wheel optionally fitted with stainless steel embellishers.

BRAKES: Full air system with split-circuit secondary braking and air-released spring actuated park brake on drive axle; Air disc brakes - Wabco PAN 19.1 fitted with pad wear sensors, rotor diameter – Ø375mm; Park - Spring applied, air released, operating on the rear axle; Compressor - Knorr-Bremse twin-cylinder 460cm3; Air dryer - Knorr-Bremse LA8 with separate purge tank; ABS/ATC system - Wabco E-series with 4S/4M (four sensors and four modulators) STEERING: ZF 8095 integrally powered variable ration steering gear.

CHASSIS: All welded construction of channel and box section, no chassis cutting or welding is required at bodybuild. Chassis frame has full corrosion protection applied both internally and externally.

MISC.: Fuel - 220-litre tank capacity, stainless steel; Continental (Siemens/VDO) electrical multiplex system; Air-conditiong - 2x compressor mounting brackets to suit 2x Thermo King TM 31 compressors, Denso 7SBU33 or similar.

BODY: Enviro200 available in 9.6m, 10.2m, 10.4m or 11.3m; Structure - bespoke extruded aluminium structural members riveted and bolted using aircraft building technology. ABS Bumpers are three-piece type front and rear.

INTERIOR: Driver’s seat - Isringhausen (ISRI) air suspension model 6860/875 with headrest and integrated three-point seatbelt. Steel nylon-dipped 35mm handpoles; manual fold-out wheelchair ramp; colour CCTV; continuous fluorescent lighting both sides, strip LEDs also available.

024 www.truckandbus.net.au

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So, in a world of many strong contenders out here now in the Midi-bus market, how will Custom’s Enviro200 fare and what advantages does it give operators over its competitors?

“The thing is, it’s lighter, cheaper to buy, more fuel efficient and therefore better cost of ownership,” Boulton responded.

Speaking of which, rough ballpark costs?

“Paying cash, sir? Something of that sort of length is going to cost you short 300s-ish,” he added, “though we are reviewing our 2014 prices at the moment so we’ll be able to give more accurate numbers then,” he said.

“You are looking at around $100,000 less than the full-sized equivalent. The fuel savings alone might save you up to $200,000 over the life of the vehicle. We

weighed this one at the weighbridge recently and it came in at about 7.98 tonnes, so it’s a nice lightweight bus – making it proportional to fuel consumption.”

Further lengths of the Enviro200 are to be made later this year with orders for many of those already taken, according to Boulton.

And with ADL well known globally for its quality double-deckers, will any of those be coming here to take a bite into the lucrative Aussie market?

“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see an example of the double-deckers towards the middle of this year, just for a short visit, and then we’ll have a demonstrator of the three-axle Enviro500 that can be used on the streets of Australia legally towards the end of 2014.”

“...lighter, cheaper to buy, more fuel efficient and therefore better cost of ownership.”

1 Michelin 245/70R19.5 tubeless radial

ply tyres on spigot mounted 19.5x6.75-inch steel wheels.

2 Peek-a-boo! Here’s the 22-litre capacity AdBlue urea plastic tank with fill-neck meeting ISO 22241.

#195 Alloy wheels #196 Refined suspension with ReAR Anti-Roll bAR #197 upgRAded dRiveR’s enviRonment #198 noise Reduction fRom Redesigned engine hAtch #199 incReAsed heAd Room #200 new led ReAding And night lights # 201 optionAl oveRheAd electRic miRRoRs

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In Profile

ACCESS

ALL AREAS

Selling smaller buses the way forward? Are you sure? Forget the bigger ones at your peril as an ageing population is key, according to a leading transit accessibility company. Fabian Cotter visits Accessible Transit Specialists in Sydney.

1 ATS’s Mark Jenkins demonstrates

its ‘push down’ on handrails.

2 Grafting in new doors.

3 Easy side access...

4 ...thanks to the ‘bay lift’.

E

very day millions of vehicles help get us and things from their A to B, but when things go wrong or a specific task is to be achieved it usually takes specially modified ones to do the trick.

That’s customised cars, trucks, vans and buses for public service organisations like the police, ambulance and fire brigades, of course, but also specialised areas like search and rescue, or aged care and special needs mobility vehicles.

Now based at Smithfield in Sydney’s Western suburbs at an impressive 18-monthold location - having been based in Milperra - Accessible Transit Specialists is but one company that makes up The Byron Group.

These include: Emergency Transport Technology – emergency vehicles that are designed and developed with strength, durability and affordability in mind; DHS – first response equipment that offers rugged, advanced construction, simple operation and, above all, superior reliability; Byron Aviation – specialists in design, manufacturing, maintenance and restorations of premium aircraft interiors (and how it all started); Special Heavy Vehicles – providing leadingedge heavy vehicle solutions to a variety of industries; and Emergency Response Management (ERM) - where the latest software and hardware technologies meet integrated data management and control systems, it’s stated.

ATS, however, uses its expertise and cando approach to “deliver genuinely worldclass vehicle modifications, equipment and services,” it’s claimed - and that’s bang

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on target for a range of wheelchair access devices and lifts tailored to the Australian bus market.

The company has made a name for itself by specialising in access vehicles for those with special needs right through to an extensive range of vehicle modifications for the taxi, tourism, health care and education sectors just to name a few.

Modifications range from fitting customised accessories to the fully equipped wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Its workshops feature the latest in computer-assisted manufacturing processes (CAM), computer-aided design (CAD), production line assembly for large volume output and specialist assembly workshops for unique or short-run projects, according to the company.

“We found we had five different divisions and we were doing the same thing,” said Mark Jenkins, sales executive for The Byron Group, speaking about the company’s move to the new, much larger location. “We have the NSW Ambulance contract, so we build 95 per cent of NSW ambulances. And an offshoot of that is stretchers, so we make those which go into the ambulances,” he explained, adding they work on new vehicles and also refurbishing used ones, and also decommissioning older ones for general auction re-sale.

“Here now [Smithfield plant] is actually a big place; it’s 18,000 square metres.”

In the wheelchair division, they do a lot of commuter buses, which is “very much a bread and butter thing”.

“Our capabilities are, with the larger buses,

we can handle about four a month, and with the fabrication of the doors where we have to cut the doors in, that process takes two weeks,” he explained. “All of this is constructed in-house. All the doors, all the door frames...”

“As you can see, it’s quite major [vehicle] surgery that we do here,” Jenkins explained. “ We also make our own ADR [345] seats for the smaller buses, therefore they comply to passenger vehicles. We haven’t tested them to ADR 86, which is the bus standard, but they’ll actually pass it because the other one’s more stringent. It’s just something we haven’t really delved into too much.”

So, working on all this custom bus work for a range of companies and operators, what are some of the trends emerging in terms of bus accessibility?

“It’s a bit of a mix, really. Some of the community transporters are downsizing, where instead of having one larger bus they will have a couple of commuters, so they are more flexible. They are finding, too, that the running costs of the larger bus weren’t effective if you only have to go pick a few people up,” Jenkins said.

“But most interesting is the big boom in this [bus] market - the retirement sector. A lot of these retirement villages are buying the ‘commuters’ [buses] and these larger buses, right up to things like a Higer Ryder size,” he explained.

“So the biggest one we’ve done for a retirement village is a 33 [seat], but I believe they are going on to the quite larger buses now. Retirement villages are getting bigger, it’s a growing industry.”

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“...it’s quite major [vehicle] surgery that we do here.”

3

“And we service companies like Lend Lease, Southern Cross Care. Stocklands [Malls] actually own retirement villages.

Bupa, Anglican retirement villages...”

“There is also a trend now through Variety [Children’s charity] because they do a lot of funding for schools and there are a lot of schools either getting wheelchair access, or getting buses for the schools [with access] or [modifying] the buses that the schools actually [already] owns.”

“We predominantly use Braun in a bus of this size [commuter] and we use a brand called Richon. Often for a ‘bay lift’, which is in the luggage bay we tend to use the Richons because they are a better sorted-out lift in that area. With the internals [mounted] we tend to use the Braun-type lifts.”

So do various operators approach ATS knowing exactly what type of work they want and need done to their buses, or does ATS just do it all for them?

“It’s a mix. Some know and others you tend to suggest what’s going to work best for them.

And with some operators concerned with how fast and effective a lift operates, and whether low-floor ramp buses are a better

buying option, Jenkins explained: “That becomes and WH&S issue in itself because a lot of them don’t mind that, but it needs to be in conjunction with a winch, because they don’t want staff pushing wheelchairs up a ramp, so either way there has to be something mechanical involved – so thus a lot of them just prefer the hoist.”

“Some of them, like the Anglican retirement villages, love the under-body lifts, with the advantage of that being you don’t lose any seating. Whereas in a situation like this [lift] you lose two seats, and on a rear ‘barn door’ configuration you lose three seats across the back, so you can accommodate the lift.”

“But the downside with these [under-body] is that [on some buses] they have a low rear overhang on them anyway, so it lowers them down and they tend to drag on the floor [road] more frequently anyway.”

And with no legal guidelines in place about such ‘clearance’ issues, it’s still an option for operators.

ATS offers a range of wheelchairs, restraints, flooring options, ramps, access steps, handrails, special purpose seating, security screens and bus storage solutions.

WHAT IS THE BYRON GROUP? Byron Group operates under several brands and has experienced consistent growth since the 1960s. Its clients come from a variety of industries and sectors, such as government (Health, Defence, Corrective Services), emergency services, aviation, mining and private enterprise.

Byron Group is an employer of more than 300 people in Australia and the United Arab

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Emirates, and its manufacturing plants across Australia span over 18,000sqm, including on-site certification and testing facilities.

Its qualifications and certifications include: ISO 9001- Quality Systems; Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approved; and CASA Testing Accredited Holder of FORS compliance approvals.

In Profile

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE Geelong’s Deakin University is rapidly expanding and key to servicing it all properly is its inter-campus bus transport system. A $2.3 million investment including new Fuso MP300 is key to its success. Fabian Cotter reports.

W

hat was that old-school jingle?

‘No more pencils, no more books. No more teacher’s dirty looks’. That may well have been the case for millions and millions of high-school students, but a percentage of those gluttons for punishment would seek to prolong the agony that comes with such mind expansion by taking up further education at some university somewhere.

How wrong they would be, in their quest to pursue almost esoteric knowledge about who-knows-what subject for a piece of paper to hallmark their erudite credentials in the

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end - there really was no escape. Tertiary education would indeed be heck of a lot more books, writing implements and definite cowering from a lecturer’s disapproving eyes after unsuccessfully slinking in late at the back to a packed lecture theatre. Again. And again.

No names mentioned.

Still, that was then and no doubt now it’s teleconferences and tablets used instead – and one other thing has changed at Geelong, Victoria’s Deakin University in particular is a better campus-orientated bus service.

Part of the recent upgrades there in this department is not just a new bus shelter and

bike storage place, but a new Fuso MP300 bus added to the Fuso Rosa fleet.

And it needed it because Deakin University is experiencing rapid expansion of its main campus at Waurn Ponds of late, plus a new campus on the Geelong Waterfront.

This expansion of what is now Australia’s ninth largest university – servicing 44,000 students and around 3600 staff – means either a lot of cars in use day to day, and or a logistical nightmare when it comes to moving a large percentage of those people around the campuses to and from connecting public transport links.

FIVE-STAR RATING Deakin University was awarded a five-star rating by the prestigious university ranking organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The rating indicates that the university is considered to be world-class in a broad range of areas, has cutting-edge facilities and is internationally renowned of its research and teaching faculty, it’s stated.

As at 2013, Deakin was ranked 66 in the world in the Times Higher Education Top 100 Universities under 50 years of age rankings.

“...able to inspect and service the bus at weekends and after-hours.”

The solution? A $2.3 million investment to expand the university’s inter-campus transport system, which had hitherto been catered for by two Fuso Rosas running between the Geelong Waterfront and the main Deakin campus via the Barwon Valley Activity Centre (BVAC), where a parking hub was established.

More people and more ground to cover and doing it more frequently led Deakin to add another, larger bus to the mix and a 62-passenger low-floor Fuso MP300 got the nod at the start of the 2014 academic year.

“It is fair to say the Fuso was not the lowest price bus we looked at, but when we weighed up all the features it ticked all the boxes,” said Wendy Meeson, Deakin University’s fleet management coordinator, who added that the Fuso MP300 met crucial criteria for them which included compliance

with DDA Disability standards, good fuel economy, environmental friendliness, as well as strong safety features.

An with more than 480 staff and students using the free bus service every day, with 24 return services between the two campuses via BVAC, it would need all that.

“The fact the local dealer, Fuso Geelong, was able to inspect and service the bus at weekends and after-hours, when it is not in use, was also a vital feature that tipped the decision in favour of Fuso,” she added.

Known as the ‘Cube’ bus because of the striking black and white wrap it’s in featuring the University’s Cube emblem, the MP300 features an Allison automatic transmission. It does the run between the main campus and BVAC in safety in 15 minutes with the run to the Waterfront taking another 10 minutes, operating everyday from 6.45am to 8.30pm

with the MP300 alternating with the Rosas.

It is a fitting edition and coincides with the opening of a new transport hub at the main campus, so students and staff have somewhere to wait more comfortably, plus there’s a shower and bicycle-storage facilities.

For the uber-geeks or those just keen to crack on with study work, check emails, or skilfully drift cars sideways or shoot baddies while playing the latest online game apps, the MP300 has Wi-Fi on board, too. Result!

Ultimately, it gives a good insight into how a well-considered bus-transport system can work when things: aren’t overcrowded, services run to time, people get aboard a modern and comfy bus having waited in updated and amenable bus stop facilities away from excessive sun, wind or rain. And Wi-Fi is, and really needs to be, par for the course these days.

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Special Event

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In Transit No amount of rain and drizzle could dampen the spirits of those at the recent official opening of Transit Systems’ new Sydney depot in Smithfield.

Fabian Cotter was on hand to check it out.

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ope. They say it is a thing as equally magnificent as it dangerous, yet for many the former far outweighs the risks and risks or pitfalls of the latter time and time again. There is hope – well, at least for some of us – that the public transport situation in Western Sydney is finally on the up and heading in a direction from which there is no return. Again … we hope.

Having lived and worked in some of the busiest transport hubs around the world like London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong it is always of interest to see how public transport functions – for better or worse – closer to home in Australia, but when an area like Western Sydney is where you grew up it’s even more intriguing to see how things pan out over the years, given burgeoning population growth and urban sprawl and how a public transport system needs to adapt, accommodate and – ideally – enhance the commuter experience.

And the new Transit Systems depot officially opening in Smithfield, NSW, looks to go some way to ensuring that it does its part – at least as far as buses are concerned – to better service its immediate region, one that looks set to flourish given purported next-generation improvements to the Parramatta CBD and beyond.

Officiating at the opening was NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejikian, who said the $14 million state-of-the-art bus depot (which had been operational for about eight months prior) was already proving beneficial for staff and customers.

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1 New Custom CB80 Volvo leaving the new Depot.

2 [L-R]: Lance Francis - director TS, Marielle Smith -

director TS, Andrew Rohan MP - Member for Smithfield, Gladys Berejiklian MP - NSW Minister for Transport, Clint Feuerherdt - CEO TS, Nasr Kafrouni - Mayor Holroyd City Council and Graham Leishman - director TS.

“We don’t just run transport operations...we are committed to optimising and enhancing outcomes.”

2 “I’m very pleased to be here to open this fantastic new facility at Smithfield in Sydney’s West, particularly as the depot is providing immediate benefits to customers,” Minister Berejikian said.

The Minister said Transit Systems was awarded one of eight new Sydney metropolitan bus service contracts after a competitive tendering process, which is resulting in customer service improvements and average savings of more than $45 million a year across all contracts.

“The new Sydney metropolitan bus service contracts impose a very strong customer focus and detailed key performance indicators, and the results are starting to show,” she said.

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Transit Systems currently operates metropolitan bus services in London, South Australia and Western Australia, as well as passenger and vehicular ferries in Queensland.

The facility will house approximately 80 buses and provide the base for 150 employees with Transit Systems now operating over 480,000 services annually from its three NSW depots and carrying approximately 11 million passengers in the region, it’s stated.

The additional capacity of the new depot will provide immediate benefits to local commuters with a new bus route, the 835, commencing operation on 28 April, it’s claimed.

Operating between Prairiewood and St Marys the service will provide new public transport services within Wetherill Park, Eastern Creek and Erskine Park and will improve access to the Western Sydney Institute TAFE and University of Western Sydney facilities in Kingswood.

To win the contract, Transit Systems met the standards required under the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Contracts for On Time Running performance, meaning that 95 per cent of services operate within the required time-frame.

As part of the contract, Transit Systems and the State Government also purchased 65 new buses - making the Transit Systems fleet one of the youngest large-scale bus

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3 A lot of time and hours of high-

pitched voices went into making that wondrous ‘balloon arch’, no doubt.

4 The Minister caught the bus to the event and took the bus back. Legend!

5 A sign of the times.

6 Swan Transit’s general manager Brian Thompson looks on.

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“...to better service its immediate region, one that looks set to flourish.” fleets in NSW, it’s stated.

Transit Systems has also purchased an additional 19 low-floor air-conditioned buses, which enabled the company to provide a fully accessible and air-conditioned fleet to passengers in Sydney’s South West.

Transit Systems CEO Clint Feuerherdt added that the company had also successfully transitioned a premium bus service previously operated by the State.

“We transitioned the T80 service between Parramatta and Liverpool, much of which operates on an exclusive bus-only roadway and we are thrilled to announce that this service also currently has an On Time Running performance in excess of 97 per cent,” Feuerherdt said.

“We remain dedicated to improving convenience and comfort for commuters in our contract region and look forward to further enhancing the services we offer to the community.

“We thank the government for giving

us the opportunity to bring our extensive worldwide transport experience to the community here and for working with us to ensure a convenient, reliable, safe and smooth journey for commuters,” he said.

Transit Systems is a family-owned Australian company that has consistently performed well when compared against its much larger, internationally owned peers.

It employs over 1790 people and in 2011 transported 63 million passengers.

“Our success stems from the fact we don’t just run transport operations - across all of our services we are committed to optimising and enhancing outcomes and our bid for the Sydney contract included several ideas that we hope will improve the service for passengers,” Feuerherdt said.

“At Transit Systems we are continually trying to improve the experience for customers. It’s a culture I am immensely proud of and has the customers where they should be - as Number One.”

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7 TS directors Lance Francis and Mrs and Mr

Graham Leishman.

8 The Leishman family.

9 Marielle Smith - daughter of Transit Systems

director Neil Smith, plus Petra Groeneveld from Transit Systems and Custom’s marketing manager Steve Jackson.

10 It’s official! NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian does the honours.

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PINE O CLEAN Recent car tests on a new type of biodiesel derived from pine trees has just proffered positive results and now the next stage of testing is about to get underway in Helsinki, Finland. The vehicles of choice? Buses! Fabian Cotter reports.

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C Environmentalists will be happy to note the pine materials used come from sustainable forests, the company says, which is key to the BioVerno success.

oach & Bus magazine gets loads of positive feedback in general and in particular for our Future Proof technical section because it is so at the forefront of new technology and methodology when it comes to how our buses can be made to run better and cleaner - not just in future but most importantly now.

We look at a range of new materials, theories, practices that the experts say will benefit our globally collective responsibility and financial desire as a bus industry to ‘run cleaner’ and more ‘efficiently’ and often that means looking back at advances in certain areas, such as emerging biofuels.

From an outsider’s point of view, which to be honest most of us are, it is perhaps easy to lump different brands and materials used under the same umbrella and stamp them with the same results and importance, but that would be remiss of us.

The reason? Millions of dollars, Pounds, Euros and Yuan is spent each year trying to continually improve upon developments in alternative power sources and that sort of cash and energy wouldn’t be pumped into doing so unless the various governments and corporate powers that be around the world thought it was the best thing to do.

Biofuels have been big news in the automotive world for at least a minimum past 15 years, the ideology behind them perhaps fuelled – pardon the pun – by something as innocent and charming as the Back To The Future movie’s endearingly goofy Dr Emmett Brown Ph. D trying to stuff banana skins, beer cans and all sorts into some crazy energyconverting gizmo just to get that iconic timemachine DeLoren back into warp speed.

Alas, there’s probably something eminently more scientific, logical, realistic and, well, boring as to why alternative fuels have been studied for so long.

To date, the latest in biodiesels comes from Helsinki, Finland, where UPM’s wood-based diesel is showing great results.

According to the company, the first fleet tests of UPM’s renewable diesel proved that UPM BioVerno works in cars just as well as any regular diesel. The fleet tests were conducted by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and were started in May last year and

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1 It all looks a wee bit more complicated than the

good old home-brew beer kits you can get.

2 It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. Er ...

or maybe just let the robot do it.

3 The first company in the world that invents

a way to put concrete waste to good use will absolutely make a killing on the stock market, we reckon.

ran until early 2014.

The UPM BioVerno diesel fleet tests focused on investigating UPM’s renewable diesel in terms of fuel functionality in engine and fuel consumption, it’s claimed. The tests were conducted with a fuel blend including 20 per cent UPM BioVerno and 80 per cent fossil diesel. With this blend fuel consumption matched the consumption of fossil diesel.

“The fleet tests showed the same as the previous engine and vehicle tests – renewable diesel UPM BioVerno is working exactly like any regular diesel. The results were according to our expectations because our renewable diesel echoes fossil diesel also in its chemical structure, unlike first generation biodiesels,” said Petri Kukkonen, vice-president of UPM Biofuels.

Experienced test drivers from VTT drove new Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI cars, provided by the VV-Auto Group, and gathered data for analysis during an altogether 80,000-kilometre test drive with four cars. The study included measurements in the laboratory at the beginning of the test and after 20,000 kilometres’ driving. The approximately 20,000-kilometre test drive length was chosen based on the fact, in Finland, the average yearly distance driven with cars is 17,000 kilometres. Analysis work at VTT was headed by principal scientist Juhani Laurikko.

“We studied UPM BioVerno diesel in various conditions: summer and winter weathers, as well as on city roads and longer drives.

The length of the drives varied from a few kilometres to several hundreds of kilometres on the road, just like real-life situations.

The engines of the test cars were working excellently in all conditions during the full length of the fleet testing,” said Laurikko.

The results were so promising that for this next stage fleet testing of UPM BioVerno diesel will continue, together with VTT, using buses in the Helsinki metropolitan area late 2014.

Interesting times, indeed, given some companies have strategically committed themselves to other forms or energy and propulsion methods for their future buses to reduce their reliance on diesel.

Will BiVerno prove itself enough then to put diesel-using systems back on the long-term map? It would justify many in the industry’s belief that it might just be better the devil you know. Stay tuned.

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“...renewable diesel UPM BioVerno is working exactly like any regular diesel.”

SO WHAT IS IT? UPM’s renewable diesel, known as UPM BioVerno, is “an innovation that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by traffic when compared with fossil fuels,” the company states. This high quality biofuel is produced

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from residues of the forest industry, with no food materials being used. UPM BioVerno is an ideal fuel for all diesel-powered vehicles.

In 2012, UPM began the construction of the first biorefinery in the world producing wood-based renewable

diesel. This refinery, located in Lappeenranta, Finland, will be completed in 2014. Its production capacity will be 100,000 tonnes equating to 120 million litres of renewable diesel a year. UPM is a forerunner in the production of advanced biofuels, it’s claimed.

PRETREATMENT OF CRUDE TALL OIL

RECYCLE GAS PURIFICATION

FRACTIONATION

WHO IS UPM? UPM aims to become a major player in advanced biofuels. The company is developing new, innovative business on wood-based biofuels for transport.

UPM concentrates on liquid raw material based hydro-treatment technology and concepts utilising energy wood.

UPM BioVerno is the brand name for the future biofuels of UPM. BioVerno illustrates the blooming of the biofuels business, as well as the new ideas and the renewal in the industry. BioVerno grows green, it’s claimed.

UPM’s target is to be a frontrunner in the commercial production of sustainable, high-quality biofuels, with the production concepts based on non-food raw materials to result in a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to UPM.

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Best Practice

DRIVE TIME

No more obvious is the importance of competent bus drivers than when it comes to passenger safety and fuel-efficiency these days, with the Scania 2014 Driver Awards endeavouring to find the best of the best. Fabian Cotter reports. www.truckandbus.net.au 043

1 ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough’? No plank, either.

2 Qld’s Janine Vadala and NSW’s Alana Mountfield.

3 Yep, you’ll be tested on everything. Even pizza

base sizes.

4 Judges having a keen look at things.

5 Every bit counts and points are awarded to the

mill’. No pressure.

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“Entries are not restricted to drivers of Scania buses; all bus drivers are welcome [to apply].”

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hether a bus fleet be smaller and aging or expanding and constantly upgrading the importance of lateral-thinking and finely skilled bus drivers is never to be underestimated.

Passenger safety is paramount and few operators would shun the potential to save on fuel costs over the life of a vehicle, so it makes good sense to ensure your drivers are at the top of their game when it comes to driver skill and competence.

Driver training and awards schemes are often key to achieving this and the Scania Bus Driver competition is a leading example of doing such things right, with global recognition from a leading bus manufacturer the reward for those vying for the top title every two years.

The 2012 Awards, as featured in Coach & Bus magazine Issue No. 6 were a stonking success and the forthcoming 2014 event should prove an equally quality affair.

As recently announced by Scania Australia, the search is on again to find Australia’s best

044 www.truckandbus.net.au

truck and bus drivers in the Scania Driver Competitions.

This will be the fourth Australia-wide search to find the country’s best bus driver, with a prize worth $10,000 on offer for the winner of each category.

According to Scania, the judges will be seeking drivers who can display a superior standard of fuel-efficient driving, manoeuvring and safety, in order to find the best of the best.

Scania Australia was one of the first countries to run concurrent truck and bus competitions in 2012, and the success of these events has prompted the extension of the bus competition into other markets.

On-line entries opened on March 24 with a registration phase, with the first of the on-line qualifying multiple-choice and open-ended questions to follow soon after.

The most successful entrants graduate to the second round of on-line questions in July, with the top 12 finishers invited to the national final, as explained.

This will take place in early October on the

Gold Coast, Queensland, for both truck and bus drivers.

This year’s Scania Driver Competitions aim to attract an estimated 85,000 drivers from 40 countries.

“Scania believes the driver is the single most important asset for economy, environment and safety,” says Ron Szulc, Scania Australia Brand and Communications manager.

“The competition testing will place emphasis on efficient and safe driving practices, as well as reinforce the values of driving with a positive attitude.

“The Scania Driver Competitions have become well known around the world as a test of skill and agility, both practical and mental.

“We are once again inviting drivers who feel they have above-average ability behind the wheel to get involved and show off what they can do. The competitions are open to all drivers who have an MC licence for trucks or an HR licence for buses.

Entries are not restricted to drivers of Scania trucks or buses; all drivers who fit the criteria

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PAUL TAYLOR 2012 SCANIA YOUNG AUSTRALIAN BUS DRIVER OF THE YEAR Q. How did participating in, and winning, YABD impact on or help you as a driver?

“It helped me become more aware of how I drive my vehicle and how smooth driving is the key to the job.”

Q. Did you pick up any new skills or ideas while competing in the Finals at Flemington that help you do your job better?

“The competition, especially the obstacle course, showed how a bus manoeuvres around and what its capability is.”

Q. What was the most important new idea you took away and how have you used this in your

work since?

“Smooth driving was the most important idea I took away from competition and it makes me a better driver than before I entered the competition.”

Q. Are you still driving a bus for the same company?

“I am still driving for Ventura Buslines.”

Q. Have you been able to influence improved driver behaviour among your workmates based on any of the skills you picked up at the competition, and if so can you give an example of what this was?

“I don’t like to tell people how to drive.”

Q. Do you have any tips or advice for folks contemplating entering this year?

“The main tip I can give is ‘don’t sell yourself short’. I thought I had no chance of winning. So I thought I’d just have a nice fun and relaxing day. So relax, and enjoy the day and you will do fine.”

Q. What do you see as the key to successfully reaching the national finals?

“Trying your best even if you think you don’t have a chance (That’s what I did).”

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ALANA MOUNTFIELD PARTICIPANT - SCANIA YOUNG BUS DRIVER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2012

1 are welcome to participate,” he said.

“The competition will test competitors’ knowledge of the road rules, specialist rules relating to truck or bus driving, as well as being able, in the national final, to present themselves as impressive ambassadors of their chosen profession.

“As in the past, the national final will bring together a group of highly motivated and knowledgeable drivers who will undergo on-road testing of their driving ability, manoeuvring tests to show their low-speed positioning skills, as well as a test of their practical knowledge and their ability to talk about their profession in a media interviewstyle environment,” he said.

The focus is not confined to driving skills, but also takes in knowledge of safe procedure at accident sites.

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The Scania Driver Competition for bus drivers will be integrated into the annual Bus Industry Confederation conference, underlining the industry’s desire to promote and reward the professionalism of its members, it’s stated.

The Scania Driver Competitions will be held in 40 countries around the world this year and is one of the biggest of its type. In the 10 years the event has been in existence, more than 200,000 drivers around the world have taken part and the aim of attracting 85,000 drivers this year marks a step-change in the level of intensity with which Scania is promoting it, the company says. As an example, in 2012 around 45,000 drivers took part.

Drivers are urged to visit the Scania Driver Competitions website to find out more and register their interest. Find out more at www. scania.com.au

“...the search is on again to find Australia’s best bus drivers.”

3

1 No witches hats were harmed in the

making of this movie.

2 Scania Australia MD Roger McCarthy

presents 2012 winner Paul Taylor his award.

3 Congrats! Alana’s now a bus driver trainer

for Scania Australia these days.

046 www.truckandbus.net.au

Q. How has participating in the event in 2012 helped you in your day-to-day bus driving duties since?

“It has been extremely beneficial and I felt like a new driver after the competition. It inspired me to raise the bar higher for myself and set goals that were challenging. The road drive section of the competition focused on operating the bus in a fuel-efficient way.

I became a lot more aware of this concept of fuel efficiency and how I could fine-tune my driving techniques and apply them to my day-to-day duties. The competition allowed me to build on my current skill set and the learning experience took my skills to a whole new level. The obstacle course was challenging and I found myself a lot more in sync with how the bus can be operated.

The media section allowed me to be more confident as a driver and was something that gave me more confidence in being a part of this industry. The theory section was also challenging and reiterated a lot of knowledge that can often get lost in day-to-day driving duties. My driving was much more enjoyable after being a part of the competition.

Q. Are there any real world examples of what you learned in the competition that have helped you do your job better?

“In the competition road drive, scores were marked down for harsh braking and marked up for gentle acceleration. As a driver in Sydney, the extra emphasis I applied on gentle acceleration and smooth braking allowed me to provide even better customer service to the public. I found I could successfully complete more advanced manoeuvres in day-to-day driving operations in the bus after doing the challenges in the obstacle course.”

Q. Do you have any tips or advice for folks contemplating entering this year?

“Enter! The best piece of advice I could give to anyone entering would be to have fun doing what you love! Focus on the individual tasks of the competition and simply do your best. Listen to all of the instructions carefully and try and pick up on any tips that may be given to you during this time. It’s important to take your time with the tasks and focus on what the aim of the challenge is. It’s a great opportunity to display your driving skills and develop as a driver. The courses are exciting, challenging and you’ll learn so much from them. It also gives you a chance to meet like-minded drivers in the industry and share your experiences together, as well as being a little competitive.

Scania’s Young Australian Bus Driver Competition is impressive on so many levels, from their friendly team to the technology of the buses and the creativity that goes into the design of the competition itself ensures you will get the most out of it.”

Special Event

A HIGER

PURPOSE

It’s tough times in business for many and more so in life in general for others. And kids? Some have been dealt hard blows, big time. For the inaugural Variety Charity Cycle, Higer Australia was only too happy to help out. Fabian Cotter reports.

www.truckandbus.net.au 047

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t’s the children’s charity founded in Pittsburgh, USA, after theatre owners found and took care of an abandoned baby in the late 1920s – and to this day it’s been about helping out millions of less fortunate children worldwide through raising donations of good and services for them – and not simply money.

In Australia, the charity is probably better known for its annual automotive Variety Bash, started by businessman and philanthropist Dick Smith in 1985 – with a group driving old cars travelling from Sydney to Bourke, then to Bourketown in Northern Queensland - which raised $250,000 for Variety. Since then that event’s raised $173 Million, according to organisers.

This year, organisers decided to add an event that’s, well, a little healthier and arguably more demanding on the bodies of participants, with the inaugural Variety Cycle kicking off in Sydney last March.

And let there be no mistake, this is no ride around the park on two wheels a couple of times and a quick BBQ after with cheap sangers and two-day old bread (Oh, the

flashbacks!), this was a 26-day trek over approximately 4000km from Sydney to Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and then up to the Northern Territory’s Uluru.

So what’s it like to do such a crazy event?

Who better to ask than one of our own bus industry representatives?

“Well, for me, I broke plenty of personal records in distance,” said Higer Australia CEO Neil Bamford, whose company was a proud sponsor by supplying an H7170 Munro 28-seat mini coach for the entire journey.

“The longest I’d done before was one 130km ride – and that was it. So on the first day was a record [for me], I did 157km and then on the third day we did 253km, so it certainly blew out some cobwebs,” Bamford explained.

Er … any injuries?

“Well, apart from having skin missing where the seat touches your body, you can imagine where that is, it was all good,” he chuckled.

Presumably painfully.

It was a group of nine riders that completed the full 26 days – Bamford doing 708km all

up, which he says “seems small until you are actually doing it”. And as team Coach & Bus magazine collectively has probably ridden our bikes about 20km to date, there ain’t no way we were going to argue with that effort.

“It was pretty inspiring being part of the people doing it,” he added.

It was totally an eclectic mix making up the nine riders doing the event, ranging from a young girl with knee and Achilles heel injuries keeping up with four men doing about 3600km of it, and then there was even a 51-year-old guy who was limping and couldn’t walk properly before the event and he did the whole ride. And along the way there was up to 200 people joining in at various points.

So just how did Higer and its bus get involved? Bamford explained: “It started about August last year when someone from Variety contacted me and mentioned the ride was on and that they really need a bus to support them along the way. So I did some research on them and was suitably impressed by what they were doing, and as I have three kids myself I just thought it would

“...this is no ride around the park and quick BBQ after.”

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be a wonderful thing to be involved, so that was my initial reasoning for jumping for it.”

“And so we used the Munro – or what’s now called the H7170 – as it’s just had the 200-plus upgrade changes to it, and we wanted to take it out to the community and I think with all the Variety paraphernalia on it is a good way to notice it out on the road. It certainly stands out.”

So in terms of awareness of Higer as a brand ‘on the street’, what was the outcome of the journey, as it were?

“I wasn’t with the bus all the time and some people knew about the brand, but apart from the household names of European buses, I found people aren’t necessarily aware [of Higer] – unless you are an operator. And so the market for that, the H7, is not just the operators it’s largely schools, unis, councils, retirement homes – lots of disparate groups like that. And so they won’t know names really well apart form the established ones, so getting our name out there and having Higer printed on the side certainly helps in that regard,” Bamford explained.

“We’ve been out for a while, but it’s the

smaller bus market we want to move into more and I think that needs more brand awareness.”

“As far as the rest of the range, we’ve been the highest selling school bus and coach manufacturer for the past three years, so we have a strong brand name in the established markets, but it’s [just a case of] moving into these markets that we haven’t penetrated so much at the moment.”

It’s was indeed a long distance to cover and tough roads and conditions to deal with, so just how did people find the ride in the new Higer H7170?

“A lot of the people [on it] were only used to smaller buses that were in the same category, like a Rosa, so for them to see the additional room inside, 2+2 seating rather than 2+1, it was a lot more comfortable than what they thought a bus that size could be.”

“One of the guys in the group runs a significant car yard in Sydney and I was getting text messages back that he couldn’t believe that it was a Chinese bus and he thought it was fantastic,” Bamford said.

Overall, the event was epic, says Bamford,

which took in some of Australia’s most iconic landscapes along the way, from Sydney Harbour to The Great Ocean Road, and the Higer H7170 Munro played an important role as support vehicle for the full journey, carrying gear, auxiliary staff and tired or injured riders.

The mini coach was equipped with a trailer and very own Higer driver/mechanic in youngster Scott Mutch, who was at the helm since day two of the event and was behind the wheel for the rest of the trip.

The bus was covered in a professionally designed wrap that features sponsor logos and the route map and acted as a backdrop for many media interviews along the way.

Bamford says the event was great exposure for the charity, which has thus far raised around $700,000 with more to come, from what he has heard.

More information about next year’s Variety Cycle is available by emailing thevarietycycle.gofundraise.com.au, or you can check out www.facebook.com/ TheVarietyCycle, or search #thevarietycycle on Twitter.

“...it’s the smaller bus market we want to move into more.”

5

MH7170 UPGRADE Not just a new model name for the sake of it, but one in keeping with its new upgrade package, Bamford says it’s a product of Higer’s partnership with Murrays since 2013.

“Murrays has bought and leased more than 30 of our Munros and before they started they actually came out to China and spent three months on the production line with a couple of our people and the Higer people, and we just went through the bus and said ‘Alright, for Australian conditions this is where that needs to go and for more room that needs to go there, change steering and change some of the suspension options’. And that’s where the 200plus changes came through in production,” he explained.

“And so this [Variety Cycle event] was actually a good chance for us to take them out on the road – because we don’t get the chance to take them out too much out on the road – and see over a longer distance how it performed.

No dramas at all, it didn’t miss a beat.”

1 One of many towns riders passed through,

often receiving donations along the way.

2 The hard-core nine, ready for the trek.

3 Marathon runner Turia Pitt.

4 Higer CEO Neil Bamford flanked by TV

celebrity Larry Emdur and 2013’s Miss World Australia Erin Holland.

5 “Look, mum! No hands...”

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6

SCOTT MUTCH HIGER MECHANIC/ DRIVER

7

Having started at Higer/WMC as an apprentice, Scott Much was only too happy to volunteer his time as a bus driver on the Variety event. His thoughts?

“I think I drove around 3900km on this trip – it sure was a long way. The days were pretty full on. We had a lot of 11-12 hour days, but then again we had a lot of days where we finished at lunchtime, so it all sort of evened itself out.

“We stayed in hotels most nights, some were a lot better than others really. There were a few towns there were the rooms were a bit small, but it all added to the experience. It was all good fun,” Mutch explained.

“This was the first kind of trip like this I had done; I’d never been to Uluru before. The Great Ocean Road was an excellent drive and up into the red centre was really cool.

“The bus felt really good to drive over those distances, it never skipped a beat really. It was quite reliable; I didn’t have to do anything to it really, which was good for me,” he chuckled.

“I was checking its water every few days and it was excellent.”

“It’s really soft [the suspension] up the front, which is one thing I did notice when going up bumps – I felt like I was driving a car, which was awesome.”

8

WHAT IS VARIETY? Variety – The Children’s Charity - is a national not-for-profit organisation committed to empowering Australian children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs to live, laugh and learn.

By giving practical equipment, programs and experiences, Variety helps children in need to overcome whatever obstacles they face and live life to the fullest – simply put, “we help kids be kids”.

Variety’s mission is to help these children attain their full potential regardless of ability or background. Variety’s work allows children to gain mobility and freedom, to get out and about in the community, be able to communicate, achieve

independence and increase self-esteem, and where possible the assistance to help them be integrated into mainstream school and activities.

Today, Variety Australia delivers over $1.2 million in individual and organisational equipment grants every month, filling the gaps often left by governments and other organisations. Variety is often a family’s last resort to secure equipment vital to their children’s well-being.

Variety has its roots in the entertainment industry, but its core is the community.

People from all walks of life, throughout the country, can contribute and experience the joy of helping children in need.

9

6 Neil Bamford, Turia Pitt, Michael Hoskins,

Tam Johnston CEO Variety.

7 Brand awareness.

8 It certainly stood out on the street.

9 Scott Mutch – Higer service technician

was at the helm since day two of the event – and loved every second of it, he says.

10 The Start Line.

050 www.truckandbus.net.au

10

Spotlight On

60mins with...

Anders Neilsen CEO, MAN Truck and Bus

In a whirlwind visit to Australia, MAN Truck and Bus chief executive officer Anders Neilsen found time in his schedule to talk exclusively with Coach & Bus magazine’s publisher Geoff Paradise in Brisbane, recently. www.truckandbus.net.au 051

Q

What is MAN’s expectation of the brand in Australia now that Penske Commercial Vehicles has taken control of distribution?

AN: “We have been in this country for a long time, but not really having a good foothold.

We have been working with Paul Glavac (managing director of Penske Commercial Vehicles) and his guys for some years (under the previous distribution regime), but what we now looking for is to grow our product in to the market. Our expectations are a joint commitment to each other that we will develop the Australian market and find a good foothold.”

C&B: Within MAN, which product is more important, truck or bus?

AN: “Off the top of my head I would say 80 per cent profit comes from truck, 15-20 per cent from bus. Of course, in the bus line we have complete buses: we have city buses, we have coaches and premium coaches and we also have chassis. So we can provide quite a wide range of products to the market.”

C&B: Are you doing any manufacturing, or have a JV in China right now?

AN: “No, but we do have a stake in Sino Trucks. And we also have our own national sales company. We are trying to target the premium segment of the market.”

“One of the biggest alternative fuels we see coming is CNG.”

C&B: Do you see MAN creating a similar situation to that of Scania and Higer, where Higer build the buses on behalf of Scania?

AN: “We have not looked into that to be honest. We have licences running in China for some buses, but if you look into the complete MAN group, Steyr, a MAN company, was actually the first one to have licences and joint ventures in China, so there is a long tradition of supplying parts and components in China.

But from a logistics and cost point of view there is benefits … in assembling the bus in China, but you also have to transport the chassis and key components there and then you have to transport the bus back - and that is quite expensive. So, no, we haven’t looked in to that and we have quite a good bus capacity in Europe as well.”

C&B: Could you trust the Chinese long term with your intellectual property? How do find doing business with them?

AN: “I don’t think we have any contradictory opinions. It’s difficult; they have a different

052 www.truckandbus.net.au

understanding of intellectual properties.

They are really keen on building up their own competence, so therefore they suck in every type of knowledge they can and you can’t underestimate them. They will, of course, build their own competence over time, but the arrangement we have with Sino trucks is working as we have planned.”

C&B: What’s the percentage breakdown you have with Sino?

AN: “Sino Truck is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and is 50 per cent owned by the Chinese government through its China National Heavy Duty Truck Group (CNHTC). We have 25 per cent and the remaining 25 per cent is listed on the stock exchange.”

C&B: Do you see a future for alternativepowered buses such as hybrid and EV? What is MAN doing in respect to that?

AN: “One of the biggest alternative fuels we see coming is CNG and we are the market leader in CNG buses - city buses - in Europe. We have profound knowledge of that technology. Yes, I see other alternatives coming as well, [like] hybrid and electric buses. They are on the wish-list, but the technology is not mature enough. Today, we can’t really provide a plug-in hybrid to the market. There are some products in the market, but I’d say they really don’t have it right in terms of performance. It will come. In the next few years we will see more plug-in hybrids. Transport will always be discussing pollution-free, CO2-free, particulate-free transport solutions. Noise is also one of the big issues in city buses.”

C&B: Will that technology spill down to the truck division? Is there a future for hybrid heavy trucks?

AN: “Yes, I would say there is a future for hybrid trucks. There can be a fuel saving of a round three to five per cent. The technology is still quite expensive, but we are working on getting the costs right and see if we can get a business case for the customer as well. As always in the commercial market a customer will buy something (from us) if it makes economical sense. But I think we will see it coming – particularly in distribution trucks. There could also be EC regulations coming where, in the city, you may have to drive the first 200 metres with electricity.

Demand for this product will come, but

today, on the truck side, demand for a hybrid is very, very low.”

C&B: Your background is Scania. Recently MAN delivered a large number of buses into Stockholm (Sweden). Was that a direct result of your previous position?

AN: “To be honest, no. MAN has 38 per cent market share of the bus market in Sweden.

We are strong in Gothenburg (Volvo’s home town) and we are running into Stockholm now.”

C&B: Which is your most successful market in Europe for bus, would you say?

AN: “The biggest is Germany, without any doubt. I’d say it is around 25 per cent of our turnover. It is a very important market to us.

We have a very widespread service network in Germany. That would be our most important market for trucks and buses.”

C&B: And globally?

AN: “The same. One of the reasons I am here is because we are quite dependent on Europe and we need to get out of Europe and position ourselves better in the emerging markets.”

C&B: Emerging markets? Where do you see the next ‘bang for your buck’? India?

AN: ‘No. I think India will take a longer time.

Brazil is already running, it has had a good growth - Russia as well, and the surrounding markets. In Russia the bus segment is still very low because it is dominated by local producers, it is quite protected as well. We do provide components for buses, chassis for buses and some complete buses for Russia, but to a low extent. I would say that China would be the next one to grow in the premium segment. One of the things they are really addressing in China is the cost of logistics. It is roughly 18-19 per cent in China, Europe is eight to nine per cent, so they must have more efficient logistics. But they need to modernise their vehicle plants.

It won’t be an explosion, but I do think China will improve in the premium segment in the next five years.”

C&B: Has the Volkswagen relationship been good for MAN? AN: “It is good. Volkswagen is a very stable industrial group. They have the resources in research and development that we can benefit from.”

www.truckandbus.net.au 053

“...we are very committed to the Australian market.”

C&B: Does that mean you’ll fast-track the 15-litre truck engine when it is launched in Europe later this year?

AN: “That is a good question! The 15-litre is a good fit for this market and that is one of the issues we will look into.”

C&B: Obviously 13 litres and 540hp isn’t enough to blow anyone’s skirt up and 600hp is where you need to be to make an impression...

AN: “I would say horsepower is one thing and torque is different and I would say there is no replacement for displacement and for this heavy-haulage market you need displacement. I wouldn’t [get] that hung up on the horsepower level – we could bring [it] up to 750hp as well, but it wouldn’t bring the customers. It’s all about creating a really robust engine with good torque and good performance and a good drivetrain.

C&B: In the 15-litre?

AN: “We’ll get back to that one when we show it to the market.”

C&B: Hi Paul [Glavac]. How difficult is it to sell a 540hp market in a dealer network

054 www.truckandbus.net.au

that sells higher horsepower bonneted American trucks off the same floor?

PG: “I think the market is changing. There used to be a cross-over. The customer is far more educated than what he was 10 years ago and that is being necessitated by the pressure of business. It’s horse for courses.”

AN: “This is why we have developed our product as we have. The cost of fuel is, of course, quite high and I’m sure here in Australia it won’t be cheap all the time and that’s where efficiency comes into play.

Our strength is to maximise fuel efficiency and total cost of ownership.”

C&B: One final question: potential growth areas in Australia for MAN other than truck and bus?

AN: “It’s a matter of taking one step at a time. We are setting things up for the bus and truck sector, but we do supply different types of gen-sets and engines for marine applications. But this is stepby-step. We are [like this] because we are very committed to the Australian market and getting a real foothold, and eventually we will look into the entire product portfolio.

ANDERS NEILSEN Anders Nielsen studied industrial economics at the Linköping Institute of Technology. His professional career began in 1987 on joining Scania AB in Sweden.

In 1995, he took over plant management for gearbox production at Scania’s Sibbhult plant in Sweden. In 1997, he became manager of Scania’s Oskarshamn plant in Sweden.

In 2002, he was appointed technical director of Scania Latin America at its plant in Brazil. On returning to Sweden in 2006 he assumed responsibility for chassis and cab production at Scania as senior vice president.

In 2010, he was appointed to the executive board at Scania AB, with responsibility for production and logistics.

Since September 1, 2012, Anders Nielsen has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at MAN Truck & Bus AG, Munich. He was born on December 18, 1962 in Sundbyberg, Sweden.

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The image of buses being ‘big, white rectangles on wheels’ be gone! Well, with stunning Spanish body options like the Sunsundegui SC7 in the least it’s a step in the right direction. Fabian Cotter reports.

I

t’s not easy being green and it’s even harder being the bearer of bad news, but sometimes you got to man up – or is that now ‘person up’ these days? - and just tell people like it is. And the bad news is, believe it or not, in terms of public perception, buses … wait for it … haven’t always been looked at or considered, well, you know ...sexy.

Shock, horror, indeed! We’ll wait a second for you to pick yourself up from the floor and compose yourself, though you might need a few minutes at least to re-position your jaw back having picked up from the ground as well.

Ah, that’s better...

Truth be told, since the dawn of man when the first prehistoric bus travelled the dirt tracks of Earth driven by that legendary ancient bus driver Og and accompanied by his ever-reliable wife Shelia, buses were seen merely as the public transport workhorses that they are first, rather than the stylish and ‘arousingly’ stunning modes of public commute that most of us take them for naturally.

Things marginally improved with a few rounded edges in the Bedrock days thanks to The Flintstones, of course, but realistically to the masses buses have largely been seen as just oversized tissue boxes with wheels at the four corners.

Heresy, I know, but such is the findings of the insightful market research conducted here at Coach & Bus magazine.

But seriously folks...

And seriously is the operative word because the Sunsundegui SC7 body option for the Volvo chassis range is arguably a seriously good-looking piece of kit.

First seen at the 2012 Euro Bus Expo show in Birmingham, UK, at the Volvo Bus United Kingdom and Ireland stand, the Sunsundegui SC7 body option looks amazing on Volvo’s new B11R 13-metre coach and goes some way to show that part of the appeal and challenge to get more people choose buses and coaches as their preferred modes of

www.truckandbus.net.au 057

transport subliminally has much to do with how they look.

The SC7 is Sunsundegui’s latest creation “combining aesthetic and ergonomic design features with the very latest safety features for both passengers and driver,” the company states.

Volvo Bus UK began its partnership with Sunsundegui in 1999 with the distinctive Sideral body and have for the past 15 years worked together to produce vehicles of the highest safety standard with a distinctive and dynamic finish, it’s claimed.

The partnership between Volvo Bus and Sunsundegui extends across several European markets. The aerodynamic design of SC7 and the fairing of the air conditioning unit also provide reduced fuel consumption for the vehicle as a whole and it also promotes speedier maintenance thanks to easy access to front and rear headlights, swing-out light units, spare wheel and the rear engine thanks to a large one-piece cover.

The new body features a specially reinforced front structure providing added protection to the driver’s area. In addition, a reinforced passenger area with crumple panels affords greater protection in the case of impact.

Stylish new mirrors are flush fitted and

designed to minimise damage in low-speed impacts; the mirrors do not protrude beyond the line of the bumper.

State-of-the-art door design with a simpler control complements the styling of the rest of the vehicle providing more interior space and an aerodynamic external look.

Passengers enjoy excellent visibility and greater comfort thanks to the panoramic and heat-reflective windscreen, offering perfect touring coach characteristics. Four low steps at the wider front entrance provide easy access, especially for the elderly and people with reduced mobility. While the new flush-fitting front access hatches provides greater thermal and acoustic insulation as well as being easier to clean, according to the company.

The light and airy interior design with attractive, easy-to-clean upholstery and the LCD screens and LED illumination all add to the enhanced finish.

The drivers’ compartment’s more spacious area in the new body allows for a greater range of seat adjustment for enhanced driver comfort.

“We have worked in partnership with Sunsundegui to launch their new SC7 bodywork on our new B11R premium coach,” explained Volvo Coach director, Nick Page.

“Euro Bus Expo 2012 gives customers and

operators the opportunity to see the complete product for the first time. The SC7 bodywork complements what is a fantastic new coach product to add to our already impressive range,” he concluded.

The styling hasn’t just impressed many organisations and operators in the UK and Ireland. Volvo Bus importer, Mayer´s Cars & Trucks, placed an order to build 90 coaches SC7 on B11R 4x2 for use in Israel. The deliveries were intended from June 2013 to April 2014.

There are already more than 20 units sold to Israelian and Palestinian coach operators.

Around two thirds of the total was in 12 months, which demonstrates how well the new B11R-SC7 combination has been accepted in that market, it’s claimed.

Volvo Bus UK is working in partnership with Sunsundegui for the development of the Euro6 chassis B11R 4x2, 6x2 and B8R on the SC7 range.

Page commented: “We work with a number of key bodybuilders across our vehicle range and the Sunsundegui has always been popular with our customers. The partnership has been successful right across Europe and we’re no different here in the UK and Ireland, as recent orders have highlighted.”

“...the Sunsundegui SC7 body option is a seriously goodlooking piece of kit.”

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT Charity organisation Windmill Community Transport took delivery of a new Volvo B11R coach with newly launched Sunsundegui SC7 bodywork to support Windmill’s unique service offering. Volvo’s long-term partnership with Sunsundegui and the ability to meet very specific vehicle requirements were vital factors in securing the Windmill Community Transport business, it’s claimed.

“We are a charity organisation and our passenger requirements are really quite specific,” explained Windmill Community

058 www.truckandbus.net.au

Transport’s Graham Fox. “We’re obviously well aware of the superb quality and reliability we get with the Volvo chassis and Sunsundegui were absolutely brilliant meeting our body requirements. Together they are the perfect combination for us.”

Volvo’s B11R is equipped with the 11-litre diesel engine connected to the Volvo I-Shift gearbox.

The majority of Windmill Community Transport’s work is with private charters and holiday groups. Run by a team committed volunteers, the company ensure accessible and

fully inclusive travel solutions for all passengers, including those with disabilities.

Fitted with a rear wheelchair lift and a half-flat saloon interior, added accessibility was one of Windmill Community Transport’s fundamental requirements.

The vehicle is specified with 48 full-executive specification seats, but the seating can be easily adjusted to 36 seats to allow for four wheelchair-specific seats.

The new vehicle also carries oxygen onboard to ensure every eventuality, in terms of customers care and safety, is planned for.

BUS SPECS NAME: Sunsundegui 13m SC7 SIZE: Height – 3.58m, Width – 2.55m, Length -13.125m BODY: Underframe front and rear modules in 3CR12 stainless steel. Remainder in ST44.2 carbon steel. Side and rear hatches in aluminium.

INTERIOR: Fully adjustable Isringhausen 6860/875 NTS driver’s seat with air suspension, three-point seatbelt and armrests; Courier seat - Esteban Guia I with three-point seatbelt with armrests; Passenger seats 55 reclining Esteban Ega Relax seats with three-point seatbelts, two-position footrests, magazine net, cup holder and leather headrest inserts; Luggage capacity - 10m3 approx.; Laminated windscreen with Optikool treatment, bonded and extra tinted, heat proof double glazed side and rear windows; Sutrak Eberspacher AC353 Gen 4 Type 1 air-conditiioning with 24kW cooling capacity and 38kW heating capacity; Audiovisual - Actia ACT500 radio, DVD + ACT501 DVD player with MP4/MP3/DIVX player and USB port, 22inch LCD front fixed monitor with 3M filter and 19-inch mid-mounted TFT flat screen and driver and courier microphones.

EXTERIOR: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels; reversing camera; refrigerator; driver and courier safe; de-mountable centre freshwater washroom with smoke sensor and hand dryer’ integral camera above continental exit linked to driver’s screen; carpets to full saloon; driver’s front and centre exit steps; curtains to side windows; hot water boiler; double glazed peage entrance door and heated driver’s electronic window’ dual and independent motorised driver’s and courier front windscreen blinds.

CREATURE COMFORTS

1 2

1 The Sunsundegui SC7 has

some seriously gorgeous lines and curves on it that run all the way to the rear.

2 That distinctive grille is flanked by stylish headlight squint - and the big ‘S’ badge up front means, heck, maybe Superman’s a ‘bussie’ at heart.

3 W&H Commercials in the UK is wrapped with the SC7 design.

3

The UK’s first Volvo B11R coaches with the new Sunsundegui SC7 bodywork made their debut with West Sussex-based operator W&H Commercials, which took delivery of two.

The new coaches take the number of Volvo vehicles in the operator’s fleet to 10 – six with Sunsundegui and four with Jonckheere bodywork - and the total number of vehicles to 16.

Taking delivery of the first vehicle during the first week of April last year, the operator put it straight to work on its American tour contract, with the second coach being delivered the following week.

Praising the new vehicles, Peter Oliver of W&H Commercials said: “We always run Sunsundegui and the improvements on the SC7 model are very good. The wider passenger entrance is good as is the split driver screen and the increase in space is extraordinary.

With the coaches set for work on our 15day American tour contracts, we wanted to be able to offer as much comfort and leg room as possible for our passengers, so we have taken the seating capacity down from 55 to 53 to allow them that little bit extra room.

www.truckandbus.net.au 059

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Hot Stuff

By Fabian Cotter

Gadgets on the go

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

Polaroid Socialmatic There have been those iconic companies that have had rollercoaster success, with many never making it back from a horrible profitability slide.

Polaroid is one of them, but a Phoenix-like rising from the ashes might soon be here in the form of the Socialmatic camera.

The retro-styled camera WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

– it looks like the Instagram avatar actually, so maybe the inspiration was slapping them in the face – is an instant prints Android-style jobbie, including a: 14MP rear facing camera – 2MP front facing; 4GB of storage – can be expanded via microSD card; 4.5-inch touchscreen; and Wi-Fi. It will use Zink – Zero

Socialmatic camera Polaroid TBA www.polaroid.com/news

Ink® Digital Printing – ink-free paper.

It just might be the ultimate retro-cool device that taps into social media’s fascination of taking pics and either uploading them quickly or old-school printing out right there in the palm of your hand.

More details soon as it’s touted to be released in the States towards mid this year and rumours are it will get to Australia by year’s end. The kiddies will love this!

Netatmo JUNE It seems kind of logical, but it’s perhaps only now we have the technology for something to give us instant reading each day about how much sun we should – or shouldn’t - be getting, thereby helping avoid sunburn and, in turn, skin cancer.

Targetted to women but no doubt with applications for men soon, one would hope, the JUNE bracelet by Netatmo measures sun exposure. It advises women how to protect their skin on a daily basis from the effects of the sun. Sun exposure can

cause sunburn and lead to premature skin ageing, even on overcast days.

The JUNE bracelet with a jewel sensor and companion App offer a new “serenity in the sun”, it’s claimed. JUNE tracks UV intensity in real-time and the total sun exposure absorbed by the user’s skin throughout the day. Depending on the woman’s skin type, the App calculates the suggested maximum daily exposure. To avoid sun damage, the App can notify the user when to protect their

skin. JUNE can be worn as a bracelet or as a brooch. Created

by French jewellery designer Camille Toupet, it comes in three colours: gold, platinum and gunmetal.

A bit gimmicky? Yes, but if used by women correctly and it does avoid damage to their skin then it might be worth a look.

WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

JUNE bracelet/broach Netatmo Approx. AUD$96 www.netatmo.com

LaCie™ Sphère™ This one is definitely for those with more money than sense, but heck who are we to judge? Basically, you are looking at one of the best-looking external hard drives ever produced, more home interior decoration item than I.T peripheral, but whatever floats your boat.

WHAT? WHO? HOW MUCH? CONTACT?

It’s no cheap ‘made in Taiwan’ number either; it’s the full monty in terms of materials used and elegant effect achieved.

The silver–plated 3.0 1TB hard drive: LaCie™ Sphère™, design by Christofle, is a handcrafted hard drive enclosed in a spherical case of

LaCie™ Sphère™ LaCie™ and Christofle RRP AUD$669 inc. GST sales.au@lacie.com

silver–plated steel. Due to its round shape, the LaCie Sphère requires a careful manual plating process. It is stamped, silver–plated and finally polished for a perfect brightness in Christofle’s silversmith workshop in Yainville (Normandy), France. The highly reflective finish makes the hard drive a decorative piece to accompany any upscale home or office workstation.

So there ya go!

www.allisontransmission.com www.allisontransmission.com www.allisontransmission.com

Just the ticket for more Just Justthe theticket ticketfor formore more efficient bus operations efficient efficientbus busoperations operations Since switching to Allison Transmissions leading Sydney Bus operator Veolia Transdev Since Sinceswitching switchingtoto Allison Allison Transmissions Transmissionsleading leadingSydney SydneyBus Busoperator operator Veolia Veolia Transdev Transdev Shorelink has enjoyed significant efficiency and performance improvements.

Shorelink Shorelinkhas hasenjoyed enjoyedsignificant significantefficiency efficiencyand andperformance performanceimprovements. improvements.

It’s seen a 10 to 15 per cent improvement in fuel consumpIt’s It’s seen seen a its 10 a 10 to to 15buses 15 perper cent cent improvement improvement in fuel in fuel consumpconsumption from new equipped with Allison transmissions tion tion from from itsbeing its new new buses buses equipped equipped with with Allison Allison transmissions transmissions while also more responsive and smoother shifting. while while also also being being more more responsive responsive andand smoother smoother shifting. shifting.

Shorelink’s general manager Tony Ralph says “the evidence Shorelink’s Shorelink’s general general manager manager Tony Tony Ralph Ralph says says “the “the evidence evidence is quite favourable, and Allison transmissions have certainly is quite is quite favourable, favourable, andand Allison Allison transmissions transmissions have have certainly certainly made a huge difference across the fleet in terms of fuel costs made made a huge a huge difference difference across across thethe fleet fleet in terms in terms of of fuelfuel costs costs and operating efficiency.” andand operating operating efficiency.” efficiency.”

Allison Transmission is the world leader in commercial duty Allison Allison Transmission Transmission is the is the world world leader leader in commercial in commercial duty duty fully automatic transmissions….. and as Veolia Transdev fully fully automatic automatic transmissions….. transmissions….. andand as as Veolia Veolia Transdev Transdev Shorelink has found is the ideal solution for Australian buses.

Shorelink Shorelink hashas found found is the is the ideal ideal solution solution forfor Australian Australian buses. buses.

Unique torque converter technology coupled with Allison’s Unique Unique torque torque converter converter technology technology coupled coupled with Allison’s Allison’s industry-leading programmable Load Basedwith Shift Scheduling industry-leading industry-leading programmable programmable Load Based Based Shift Shift Scheduling Scheduling (LBSS) and Vehicle AccelerationLoad Control (VAC) can allow sig(LBSS) (LBSS) and and Vehicle Vehicle Acceleration Acceleration Control Control (VAC) (VAC) can can allow allow sig-significant fuel efficiency gains, particularly with widely varying nificant nificant fuelfuel efficiency efficiency gains, gains, particularly particularly with with widely widely varying varying passenger loads. passenger passenger loads. loads.

With lower maintenance and operating costs, Allison keeps With With lower lower maintenance maintenance andand operating operating costs, costs, Allison Allison keeps keeps buses on the road. buses buses onon thethe road. road.

ALLISon TRAnSmISSIon — AUSTRALIA, LoT 1 feRReRS RoAd eASTeRn CReek nSW, ALLISon ALLISon TRAnSmISSIon TRAnSmISSIon — AUSTRALIA, — AUSTRALIA, LoTLoT 1 feRReRS 1 feRReRS RoAd RoAd eASTeRn eASTeRn CReek CReek nSW, nSW, po Box 28, BRIngeLLy, nSW AUSTRALIA 2556. T. +61 2 9676 1004 f. +61 2 9672 1122 po po BoxBox 28,28, BRIngeLLy, BRIngeLLy, nSW nSW AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA 2556.

2556.T. +61 T. +61 2 9676 2 9676 1004 1004f. +61 f. +61 2 9672 2 9672 1122 1122

Working Wheels

It’s A Gas!

IVECO and AGL venture down the compressed natural gas road, reports Geoff Paradise.

I

VECO Australia, in conjunction with AGL, is promoting the diversity of its product portfolio at this year’s Melbourne International Truck, Trailer and Equipment Show. A global trailblazer in alternative powertrain technology, IVECO will be showcasing its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology in the form of a Daily commercial van, as part of AGL’s new CNG initiative.

IVECO has a proven track record when it comes to technological innovation as demonstrated by its significant commitment to sustainability and transport efficiency.

Globally, IVECO invests heavily in research and development, both on its extensive vehicle platforms and, in conjunction with major powertrain manufacturers, on the propulsion technology that drives IVECO further - for less.

“IVECO is renowned for being at the cutting

edge of sustainability and, as part of CNH Industrial, it has access to a global innovation network, as evidenced by the group’s prominence in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index,” said Stavros Yallouridis, head of IVECO brand for Australia and New Zealand.

“We want to complement our existing offerings in Australia and New Zealand by supporting AGL and build on their experience in this very exciting and evolving market,” he said.

The CNG Daily commercial van is powered by a Fiat Powertrain (FPT) 3-litre natural gas engine, rated at 100kW and 350Nm of torque, between 1500rpm and 2700rpm. When combined with AGL’s CNG, the Daily offers fleets a cleaner, lowcarbon and more productive alternative.

Sourced locally, CNG can substantially reduce CO2 and other harmful emissions, while significantly reducing running costs.

VAN SPECS MODEL: IVECO Daily ENGINE: Fiat 3-litre natural gas. Power 100kW, Torque - 350Nm TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, optional six-speed automated SUSPENSION: Front - axles feature independent suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers and leaf springs.

Rear - choice of three different systems: parabolic, semi-elliptical or airbag

Current Daily (pictured) is scheduled to change when new model is unveiled in Italy next month.

Should be in Australia late ‘14.

www.truckandbus.net.au 063

064Money Matters

Paul Clitheroe

INDUSTRY V RETAIL SUPER FUNDS V SMSFS

T

he majority of Australian workers are free to choose their own superannuation fund and while there are many funds available, for many people the choice will come down to an industry or retail fund. So it’s worth knowing what’s involved with both.

Retail and industry funds both provide members with a tax-friendly environment to grow their retirement savings. Similarly, all industry and retail funds have a trustee that makes decisions about the insurance and investment services of the fund. This frees members from worrying about the day to day management of their super savings.

From here there can be key differences.

Industry funds operate on a ‘mutual’ basis, where any profits are put back into the fund

a portion of the profits derived from the activities of retail super funds goes to these shareholders.

The range of investment options offered by retail super funds is usually extensive and there is often a much stronger focus on promoting advice services than with industry funds. Anecdotally, retail fund members are far more likely to receive professional financial advice than industry fund members.

Members of retail super funds can select their required insurance cover for death, TPD or income protection. Insurance cover is normally subject to some form of medical assessment and this can mean a more appropriate level of cover beyond the basics.

Interestingly, a report on super fund returns issued by the Australian Prudential

property, albeit with a few restrictions most typically around buying from family members or business associates. However when it comes to selecting a rental property for your super fund the normal criteria applies.

Essentially, you need to be fully comfortable with the quality of the property and the ongoing rent return it will provide to your super fund.

It’s good practice to have an independent person whose opinion you respect, such as

“Members of retail super funds can select their required insurance cover for death, TPD or income protection.” for the benefit of members. This typically means these funds charge low fees.

The original investment offerings of industry funds were simple and targeted at the average member, providing relatively few choices. Over time, there has been a gradual addition of further investment options, to ensure members have a broader choice.

Most industry funds provide members with a simple scale of death and total and permanent disablement (TPD) insurance cover, which can be purchased for premiums usually around $1.00 or $1.50 per week for each unit of cover.

Industry funds often have their own inhouse or preferred financial advisers who are available to provide general advice (at no cost) or personal advice (at cost to the member).

By contrast, retail super funds are run by large organisations like banks or insurance companies. Their shareholders expect to receive a return on their investment and

064 www.truckandbus.net.au

Regulation Authority (APRA) earlier this year showed that no single super fund stayed on top of the league table across one, five and ten-year periods. Equally, the biggest funds - industry or retail - didn’t always score the top returns.

By their nature, investment earnings are not set in cement and they will always vary from year to year even within the same fund.

That’s why when it comes to choosing a super the fund it makes sense to look at the factors that are certain, like the fees you’ll pay, the services offered by the fund that are genuinely useful to you and how much you’ll pay for the level of insurance that’s appropriate for your needs.

These days self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are able to borrow to invest. This has enabled investors to harness two powerful forces, gearing (or borrowing) and the low tax superannuation system to maximise the benefits of a rental property.

Super funds are able to buy most types of

a trusted family friend or business associate, look over the property with you prior to purchase - just as you may have done when buying your first home.

If you chose well and pay the right price a quality property can be a great investment.

The best person to speak with about setting up a SMSF is your financial adviser or accountant.

I recommend working out if a DIY fund is right for you and then considering whether borrowing to buy an investment property will help you meet your long-term goals. There are plenty of other asset classes that could be more appropriate for your needs.

Take a look at my book ‘Control Your Own Super Fund’ for more information on what’s involved in setting up and running a SMSF. Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money magazine. Visit www.paulsmoney.com.au for more information.

HIGER’S NEW SCHOOL BUS RANGE

There’s a Higer for every class Higer has a wide range of 28 to 57 seat school buses designed specifically for local conditions. Best-in-class components and standard safety features – including ABS, ASR, lap sash seat belts and reversing camera on every model – ensure maximum safety, comfort and class-leading reliability.

Combine this with an extensive dealer and service network and a five year warranty* and it’s easy to see why more people are getting on board with Higer.

For more information and a free test drive, call your nearest Higer dealer on 1300 850 206 or visit higer.com.au *Optional 3 year driveline warranty extension available (5 years total). Conditions apply.

Proud sponsors of

AUSTRALIA’S BEST SELLING BUS IS NOW EVEN BETTER

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Including the driver’s, Rosa has up to

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To find out why more people choose Rosa, call 1300 429 134 or visit fuso.com.au *Rosa is Australia’s top-selling bus in its class for the last ten years based on Vfacts sales volumes 2004-2013.

Fuso is distributed by Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd ACN 004 411 410.

Sat nav with 3 years maps and Reverse Camera As STandard