Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 342 i Australasian Bus & Coach

The bus industry will have the ear of New South Wales minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance during the two-day 2016 BusNSW Member Conference, which kicks off on April 14 in Wollongong. With more than 200 delegates expected, this year’s conference will focus on sharing solutions and the need for bus operators and suppliers to continually review business models and strive for excellence. “New rural and regional contracts which are scheduled to commence just prior to the conference on April 1, 2016 and the renewal of outer-metropolitan contracts with incumbent operators are likely to feature,” BusNSW executive director Darryl Mellish says. “The outer-metropolitan operators are looking for certainty to support their large-scale investments on the back of strong performance under current short term metro-style contracts that were benchmarked to…

A $10.5 million investment from ManaBus.com will see 15 new buses, including 13 double-decker coaches, come into service in New Zealand’s North Island. One new coach hit the road in January, while the remainder will be delivered over the next 12 months, courtesy of Kiwi Bus Builders. “Kiwi Bus Builders is known for quality builds, is reliable and has an innate understanding of all of the many bus building rules that differ from country to country,” chief executive officer Sheryll Otway says. “With such a large contract we were determined to ensure we utilised local nous and that the local market benefitted from the investment.” The new Euro 5 coaches offer more spacious layouts including scenic top deck seating, table-equipped areas and reliable Wi-Fi. The new double-deckers accommodate 65 passengers…

“This is a significant milestone for our past and present members” Organisers of the 2016 Australian Bus and Coach Show are hoping to build on the success of the previous event and are expecting another world-class exhibition on display. The two-day show will return to Sydney after a three-year absence on October 5 at Olympic Park. Preparations are well underway and BusNSW has commenced discussions with its partners and other industry suppliers wishing to exhibit at the show. “The 2013 event in Sydney was hailed by many suppliers and attendees as a world-class exhibition and the best ever undertaken in Australia,” BusNSW executive director Darryl Mellish says. “In 2016 we are hoping to build on that success with an increased number of national and international displays covering more than 15,000sqm…

People talk about the importance of thinking outside the box, but what does that actually mean? We all face problems throughout our daily lives, and the case is no different for businesses and essential community service providers. The environment in which you live and work has a strong infuence not only on who you are, but also what you do and how you do it. Such a problem struck the State Transit Authority (STA) at its Waverley Depot in Sydney’s inner-north. Its bus drivers were getting stuck on corners in the coastal suburb of Tamarama and had been having trouble negotiating its notorious bends for years. This presented a unique challenge that on the face of it appeared to require millions of dollars of road modifications in some of Sydney’s…

“You need the new with the old and to never forget your origins” Australian body builder BCI is celebrating 25 years of business in 2016, and with that comes the completion of the manufacturer’s brand new Melbourne site. BCI was founded in 1991 in Perth by Ron Nazzari and has since expanded into each state and territory of Australia, as well as New Zealand. The new Melbourne-based site was operational from July 2015 and boasts a size of 4,500sqm, doubling as a workshop and show room, and also has sales and administration offices. Many of the experienced Western Australia staff made the move interstate with the company, assuring customers of a continued standard in quality and care. General manager of finance Ivan Furlanetto has been with the manufacturer for 20…

“More than 3300 pieces of feedback were considered” Anew bus network and timetable that will deliver more buses and higher frequency services when the Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) opens mid-year, as announced recently. An extensive six-week community consultation was instrumental in shaping the Queensland government’s final plan for network. “More than 3300 pieces of feedback were considered to design the new bus network and deliver the best outcome for the region,” Queensland minister for transport Stirling Hinchliffe says. “The changes to the local bus network will support the new MBRL train timetable and achieve a better integrated public transport network for the Moreton Bay region, delivering more high frequency buses and improving transport connections across the community.” The timetable provides connections to the new train stations, services new and…

It is not every New Year that brings with it changes to Federal Government policymakers, but this is 2016 and the political state of play has indeed changed. The announcement that a brand new ministerial portfolio – minster for cities – had been created when Malcolm Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott as Australian prime minster in September last year signalled the start of a new era for bus industry advocates. But Jamie Briggs’ stint as the first minister for cities was short-lived and he resigned in December following an incident overseas where his conduct was deemed inappropriate for a minister. While Turnbull has remained relatively silent on the minister for cities subject since, he appointed environment minister Greg Hunt to the role temporarily, saying the Federal Government’s focus on cities will…

Renault Australia has launched a 12-seater passenger bus based on the Master L3H2 long-wheelbase van. The front-wheel drive Master Bus uses the same Euro 5-compliant engine teamed with 6-speed automated manual transmission that has been available in the van versions since 2012. “We’ve decided to bring the Master Bus to the Australian market because we recognise the demand for an affordablypriced, high quality, well-equipped, comfortable and spacious bus that requires no compromises by customers or passengers,” says Renault Australia model line manager Lyndon Healey. “Renault has long been a supplier of buses for hotels, schools, aged care and private transport companies across Europe, and we are pleased to be able to offer this product to similar customer groups here in Australia in 2016,” he says. “We’ve spent 18 months talking…

PERCENTAGE BY REGION PERCENTAGE BY APPLICATION SALES BY CHASSIS Just 92 buses were delivered in January, compared to 117 in December. Volvo led the way with 30 buses delivered, followed at a distance by Yutong with 21 deliveries. Notable deliveries include eight route service buses to the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. SALES BY BODY Volgren built the bodies of 27 buses delivered last month, while Yutong was involved in 21 deliveries. BCI also had a strong showing in January and was involved in seven deliveries. SALES BY AIR-CONDITIONER Air-conditioning suppliers were less busy compared to December and Thermo King units were included in 38 deliveries, down from December’s result of 46. Spheros was included in 15 deliveries, a huge increase on the month before (two). Kingtech was also…

Free off-peak public transport for seniors card holders has been a success in South Australia, according to a new study by the University of Adelaide released this week. South Australian transport minister Stephen Mullighan says free travel for seniors at all times outside of the morning and afternoon peak weekday periods was introduced in December 2013, and since then patronage has been excellent. “The university’s study found on average, seniors card holders are making more than 150,000 trips on public transport in the Adelaide metropolitan area every week,” Mullighan says. “This is a huge number of people using public transport to visit friends, family, go to appointments or do the shopping.” Public transport is a vital service for many South Australian seniors, and Mulligan believes the provision of free off…

“Necessary decisions are imminent for Box Hill infrastructure” Melbourne’s Box Hill bus interchange and adjoining train station needs an upgrade to meet growing passenger numbers, according to a technical report released by Whitehorse City Council recently. Box Hill is one of Melbourne’s most rapidly growing suburbs and the report highlights its ageing station’s inability to cope with the six million passengers travelling through every year, as well as the council’s ability to capitalise on the housing boom. “Redevelopment of Box Hill transport interchange appears to be highly beneficial from a state economic perspective,” the report reads. “Around $188 million in direct transport-related benefits has been identified, while timely redevelopment of the transport interchange offers the opportunity to underpin around $3 billion in broader economic benefits at Box Hill, mainly in…

Australia’s first 12-patient ambulance bus was launched in Adelaide recently to widespread fanfare. The vehicle will allow the ambulance service to respond to major emergencies and treat multiple patients at once without the capacity limitations of regular ambulances. “Our ambulance service will have more capability than ever to care for sick and injured South Australians with this revolutionary vehicle,” South Australian health minister Jack Snelling says. “It’s equipped with state of the art technology and can treat six stretcher patients and six sitting patients. “It’ll give our hardworking paramedics a critical advantage when attending major incidents resulting in multiple casualties, like bushfires and car crashes.” At more than 12m long, the vehicle has room for two clinicians in the patient treatment area and another paramedic to drive the vehicle. The…

Regional areas are places where one must travel – in some cases long distances – just to access vital community services. In these places community leaders must come up with ways to make it easier for locals to get an education, so they can create a better life for themselves. For young people in regional areas, getting a broad literacy and numeracy-type education is never an issue. But once students come of age and start to look at specialised trades, the tyranny of distance becomes a factor. This is a problem young people face in regional areas around Australia, but all it took was a bunch of forward-thinking teachers and an adaptable local bus operator in South Australia’s Riverlands district to break down this barrier. The Industry Participation Program (IPP)…

PLUSES • Looks good, with great vision • Light tare weight • Drives and handles well MINUSES • Early days on Australian roads • Accelerator pedal too far back • Air bag problem on test drive The Optare Tempo is a high-tech bus with advanced electronics options, including as many smart cameras as you want. And that’s just as well for Joe Oliveri, who loves bus cameras. The more the merrier as far as Joe is concerned. That’s because as well as providing security, cameras have vindicated his Interline Bus Services drivers many times after dingles with motorists who possess good imaginations. “People say, ‘Your driver smashed into us’, and we go, ‘Nuh uh, no, we’ve got CCTV footage showing that you’re the one that smashed into us,” Joe says.…