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Having competed for First, driving a Stagecoach bus, Jonathan Welch then posed for photos on Arriva’s LT188. JOE MACKIE
It’s a people business
I
t’s often said both in the wider industry and in this publication that the coach and bus sector is a people business – yet we tend to hear from those ‘higher up the tree.’ However, as you will have doubtless seen, our main cover story this week has been penned by Bus Driver of the Year Jonathan Welch. He has shared his experiences of being behind the wheel at the final in Blackpool. It’s a different angle, one firmly from the grass roots. Jonathan’s enthusiastic, yet down to earth nature is all too apparent in the way he writes. I certainly enjoyed reading it – and I hope you do too. If you’re at the sharp end and would be interested in writing something about your job, please drop me a line. On a separate but related note, as you will read in my ‘Office Diary’ column on p75, two colleagues and I spent
Wednesday with Edwards Coaches in Llantwit Fardre. Here we found a people-driven culture. Staff know the rules and are rewarded for their success. Indeed, we were told the firm boasts an impressive 97% staff retention rate. We interviewed a cross-section of the firm’s team, with the Edwards family keen to stress that without the input of the team, the business would be unable to function. In case you hadn’t put two and two together, Wales’ largest independent operator is to be the subject of our next ‘superfeature’ in issue 1161 on October 28. If you’re not a subscriber, you can order your copy from our subscription team on 01733 293240 or email samantha.noble@ coachandbusweek.com.
Gareth Evans Editor
Kinglong would like to thank all of you that attended the road show event: all shows proved to be a massive success with multiple orders secured. If you were unable to attend the event please do not worry, call a member of our sales team today on 02476 363 004 to arrange an appointment at the Coach & Bus Live 2014 show at the NEC.
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CONTENTS
20 24 30
CHINESE BRT
Zhengzhou in north-central China develops Bus Rapid Transit
DRIVERS
Jonathan Welch reports on Bus Driver of the Year 2014
VEHICLE BUILDER How Mellor Coachcraft expanded after its acquisition of Bluebird
Bus Driver of the Year 2014 p24
34 38 42
PASSENGER PERSPECTIVE
Phil Tonks experiences the Arriva Midlands and Whittles bus services from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth
DELIVERIES
New coaches for operators in Oxford, Workshop, Dundalk and Westbury
SUPPLIER
RWT Commercial Services believes in traditional customer services
Top Stories
Regulars
6 l Stagecoach’s megabus.com to launch new network of services in the Benelux region and open a new base in Belgium
O6 l News 08 l Bus News 10 l Coach News 12 l Regional News 16 l International News 40 l Big Picture 75 l Last Stop 76 l People
8 l Bristol BRT to receive £34.5million funding for a new segmented busway next to Bathurst Bridge 10 l King Long medical coach is fitted with a PLS stretcher lift to improve the accessibility to the ‘Jumbulance’ service
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NEWS B R I E F LY l A DECADE after it was launched, Government-owned journey planning website www. transportdirect.info is to shut down at the end of the month – according to The Guardian. The DfT said it had been largely superseded by newer sites and apps. l A NEW lane linking the M4 at Cardiff with the A470 heading north has been officially opened by Welsh Transport Minister Edwina Hart. The dedicated slip lane will take traffic from the M4’s westbound junction 32 at Coryton onto the northbound route of the A470 heading to Pontypridd. The changes aim to reduce traffic on the Coryton roundabout by 20%. Around 60% of traffic goes north at the junction, studies have shown. l 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY has delivered dedicated training to Tower Transit engineers to enable them to maintain the on-board 21st Century CCTV systems used in the operators vehicles, and to enable them to keep up with technological developments. l PLANNING PERMISSION has been granted for an £8.5m 1000-space park-and-ride site in Leeds. The site on Temple Green Road, which lies within the Aire Valley Enterprise Zone, will be the city’s second new park-and ride scheme. As reported in CBW at the time, an 800-space facility at Elland Road opened in June. Leeds City Council said the new site was expected to be operational in 2016, with buses to the city centre every 15 minutes. According to BBC News, the authority said the scheme would be one of the first to be funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s transport fund, which was established in April.
Stagecoach’s megabus.com to launch new European network Company is establishing new dedicated base near Brussels, with space for six vehicles Megabus.com is set to launch a new network of services in the Benelux region from next month and open a dedicated base in Belgium. The plans have come about after significant growth in the popularity of low-cost intercity coach travel in Europe. The company has announced plans for new low-cost coach services which will link Brussels with Luxembourg and Rotterdam from October 6, claiming to offer fares from €1. Megabus.com, part of Stagecoach Group, is also creating 20 jobs with the establishment of a base near Brussels. The depot, located at Sint-Pieters-Leeuw in the province of Flemish Brabant, will house a fleet of six vehicles and the operation will be headed by a general manager. The base will be located at an existing depot owned by Belgian coach company Bell Tours. The new network of routes will see daily services between Brussels and Rotterdam. In addition, megabus.com plans to operate services between Brussels and Luxembourg and Brussels and Lille. The new services will operate on the following frequencies: l Brussels to Luxembourg – one service per day in each direction (journey time three hours); l Brussels to Lille – three services per day in each direction (journey time under two hours); and l Brussels to Rotterdam – one service per day in each direction (journey time two hours 20 minutes). In addition to serving Luxembourg for the first time, the company also plans to increase the frequency on some of its
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A megabus.com coach boasting its low fares existing Europe services from the same date. This will include more services a day between Brussels and other key European cities. There will be five return journeys per day between Brussels and Paris; four return journeys between Brussels and Amsterdam; and four daily return journeys between Brussels and Cologne. The new timetable also means that Antwerp will now have a link to Cologne for the first time, operating one service a day in each direction. Elsewhere in Europe new services are planned between Paris and Cologne and between Amsterdam and Cologne, and an increased frequency between Amsterdam and Lille. The coaches are equipped with air-conditioning, a toilet and free WiFi. Stagecoach Group continues to invest in new vehicles for its European services. Last year, megabus.com introduced a fleet of 10 new 72-seat coaches to operate on its network in Europe. Megabus.com uses bigger, higher capacity 72-seat coaches, rather than standard vehicles with around 50 seats. This allows the
company to have a low cost per passenger, keep fares down and ensures the service is profitable. A further six coaches – representing an investment of over €2m - are set to be introduced on the European network in Belgium from October 6. The 72-seat vehicles have all been manufactured by Belgiumbased coach builder Van Hool. Commenting on the latest developments megabus.com Managing Director Elizabeth Esnouf said: “This will be our first base in mainland Europe and gives us scope to operate these new services, as well as increasing the frequency on a number of our existing routes to and from Brussels. “We have been operating in Belgium for a couple of years and we are seeing an increasing number of people choosing coach travel for long journeys. “We’re pleased to be able to offer even more travel options to people living and working in Belgium, and visitors to the country, and we look forward to attracting even more people on to our greener, smarter coach services.”
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National Express exits German coach market National Express Group (NEG) is to withdraw from the German long-distance scheduled coach sector when it shuts down its city2city operation on October 13. The business has become the
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�irst player to exit the market, which has become ferociously competitive – only 18 months after it began. Based in Frankfurt and Main, city2city is part of National Express Germany GmbH, a whollyowned subsidiary of NEG. The �leet of Mercedes-Benz Tourismos equipped are free WiFi and power sockets. The �irm’s �ive-route network serves key destinations, which includes Cologne, Dortmund, Hamburg, Hannover,
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Stuttgart, Munich and Bremen. An NEG spokesman told CBW: “city2city regrets to announce that due to continued challenging local market conditions it will stop operating coach services on Monday, October 13. “Services will continue to run up until that date and any customer who has a ticket for later travel will be contacted and refunded. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees, passengers and partners over the
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past 18 months.” city2city was quoted in the German media as saying: “We believe that we are the �irst, but certainly not the last company that will cease operations.” The German long-distance scheduled coach market has been opened up to competition since January 1, 2013. Legislation dating back to the 1930s which protected state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn from competition was repealed.
city2city’s fleet is made up of Mercedes-Benz Tourismos
Stagecoach launches new Chester – Liverpool route Stagecoach has launched a new service connecting the Liverpool and Chester primary retail and leisure hubs. The X8 will allow passengers to travel between the two cities in around 45 minutes – the fastest bus service currently available. This new service will enable shoppers from both cities to reach key leisure and shopping destinations Liverpool ONE and Cheshire Oaks in under an hour. The route runs from Chester Foregate Street and the Rail station to Hoole Road, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and Ellesmere Port bus and rail stations. It then travels up to Bromborough and by motorway to Liverpool, where it terminates in the heart of the city
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Branded ADL Enviro300s are being used on the service centre. The new service launched on September 7 and provides free WiFi on board. The X8 service
runs seven days a week, every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday, and every hour on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Elisabeth Tasker, MD at Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, said: “This is set to be an incredibly popular route, which connects Liverpool and Chester. “Shoppers from both cities are now able to reach brilliant retail and leisure destinations including Cheshire Oaks, Liverpool ONE and great family attractions like the Blue Planet Aquarium and Chester Zoo in under an hour. “We’re focused on delivering a fast, affordable and friendly service for our passengers. Taking the bus is fast becoming the most convenient and sustainable transport option and we hope that this new rapid service will encourage people to leave the car at home, and try this option instead!”
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7 22/09/2014 19:36
4,250
NEWS › BUS
Gross vehicle weight in kilograms of the Orion Lite, built by Mellor Coachcraft
119
Number of drivers participating in the Bus Driver of the Year 2014 competition in Blackpool
SHARE WATCH
Bristol BRT to receive £34.5m funding
Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, September 22. BAE Systems saw the greatest proportional rise, while 21st Century saw the greatest proportional drop. Most figures obtained from www.lse.co.uk
The 2.5mile segmented busway should be operational by the summer of 2016
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The Department of Transport (DfT) will fund up to £34.5m of the £45m that will be spent to improve Bristol’s public transport with a new rapid bus network. The city will gain better bus connections between key areas of employment, housing, retail and leisure. The network will reduce congestion, help create regeneration, and support new jobs and homes. Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “The Bristol Metrobus will provide a step change improvement for public transport serving in the city and surrounding communities. Buses will be able to get around quickly, travelling along dedicated busways and priority lanes around Bristol and into the city centre. The new link will stimulate economic development and link communities with jobs. “Our £34m investment towards the network shows we are serious about funding the infrastructure needed in this country to drive economic growth.” The Metrobus will encourage car drivers coming into Bristol to use public transport instead. Existing
bus services in the west of the city will be able to use the new infrastructure with swifter travel times. The rapid transit scheme will supply a new bus service from the south west of the city to the centre on a new 2.5-mile segregated busway from the Long Ashton Park and Ride site. The dedicated busway follows former rail routes and will feature a new bridge over the Bristol to Portishead rail line. The city centre section will run on existing roads with added bus lanes and upgraded junctions. The Joint Transport Board of the West of England commented:
Stagecoach Group has announced that it is investing over £6.5m in a �leet of new buses and coaches for its Cambridge operations. 18 new Plaxton Elite coaches will service the popular X5 route which operates between Cambridge and Oxford. The new coaches have Euro 6 engines and can seat 57 passengers or 55 when the wheelchair space is required. The vehicles also feature toilets and free WiFi and are expected to go into service by the end of this year. Stagecoach has ordered a further six Scania/ADL Enviro400 buses to go into service on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway which connects Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives. These buses have Euro 5 engines, free WiFi, power sockets, air chill and are fully accessible. The X5 route operates dozens
of services a day between Cambridge and Oxford calling at St Neots, Bedford and Milton Keynes among other stops. Managing Director of Stagecoach East, Andy Campbell said: “This is great news for our customers. The X5 service is used by 1.3 million passengers a year and provides a vital public transport link between Oxford and Cambridge. “The Busway has proved to be a great success and we’re pleased to be delivering more new buses for the customers who rely on those services every day. The announcement follows the news that Stagecoach Group has placed a record £100m orders for new buses and coaches to go into service across the UK. Both sets of new vehicles are expected to go into service by the end of 2014.
New vehicles for Stagecoach Cambridge operations
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The proposed new bridge alongside existing Bathurst Bridge “This is really positive news ― we are delighted to have received full funding approval from the Department for Transport for the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads route of the MetroBus network. “We can now �inalise everything with our contractors and actually get on with construction work. “If all goes according to plan the �irst services, providing a modern public transport route that is faster, more reliable, and more comfortable than existing bus services, will be running in the Summer of 2016.” The work is due to be completed in April 2016.
Go North East upgrades to SCRT technology
Eminox, designers and manufacturers of emissions reduction systems, has secured a contract with Go North East to upgrade 40 buses with its SCRT technology. Sunderland City Council, Durham County Council and Gateshead Council each successfully bid to secure over £600,000 from the DfT Clean Bus Technology Fund – set up to encourage local authorities to contribute to improving air quality in their regions. Eminox won the contract having demonstrated the most impressive emissions performance. The SCRT system reduced NO2 by 96.7%, the minimum requirement being 50% reduction. The buses have been �itted with Eminox’s SCRT system, which was specially designed to �it in a smaller space envelope. www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 19:18
10,497
The number of drivers caught exceeding the 40mph speed limit through the roadworks on the A14 J7–9
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First Eastern Counties unveils ALX400 in original 1980s livery First Eastern Counties has unveiled a heritage liveried Alexander ALX400 in Ipswich. The bus boasts an original 1980s livery and is now running on service around the town. The vehicle was launched alongside an original liveried Bristol FS Lodekka Formerly a training bus, the Lodekka was built in Lowestoft but spent most of its life on service in Ipswich before being withdrawn in 1976. Ipswich Transport Museum bought it in 1993 and restored it to mid-1970s
The heritage-liveried Alexander ALX400 alongside a Bristol FS Lodekka condition complete with authentic adverts. First Eastern Counties’ Business Manager Chris Speed and General
Manager Hugo Forster came up with the idea to commemorate First Eastern Countries’ former liveries. Workshop Manager Barry
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Spurling spoke to members of staff about their favourite liveries and they voted for the original 1987 design. Chris Speed said: “It’s important to remember the history of our local community. We have already received so many positive comments about the bus and plenty of people are stopping to take photographs. We are really pleased with it. “Initially we struggled with the paint codes but then we found an old vinyl and matched the colours.” The ALX 400 bus was painted at a First Bus workshop in Rotherham and fitted with new leather seats and WiFi. The bus runs on regular service around the town, mainly serving route 66.
Arriva adds six double-deckers to Sapphire Service 101
Arriva Southern Counties has launched a fleet of six brandnew Enviro400 double-deckers for use on Sapphire service 101 between Gillingham, Chatham and Maidstone. The buses, which represent an investment of £1.2m, are equipped with power sockets and USB power points to charge phones and laptops, free WiFi, audio-visual next bus stop announcements and E-leather seating. They are also painted in the striking two-tone blue ‘Sapphire’ livery. Heath Williams, Arriva’s Regional Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing the Sapphire brand to the area and we’re extremely excited to be announcing this investment.” The new fleet was launched at the Royal Engineers’ Museum in Gillingham. Royal lookalikes Kate and Harry made sure guests and passers-by enjoyed a
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One of the new Enviro400s for Arriva’s Sapphire Service
‘royal welcome’ as Sapphire was presented to the public. Arriva representatives were on hand at the event to talk about the benefits the buses offer and introduced the dedicated Sapphire
bus drivers to the customers and guests. Sapphire service 101 runs every 15 minutes for the main part of the day on Mondays to Saturdays and half-hourly on Sundays. The
Monday to Saturday evening service between Maidstone and Chatham has also been increased to run half-hourly as part of the route’s upgrade to Sapphire standard.
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 9 22/09/2014 18:03
NEWS › COACHES
PLS lifts King Long accessibility Unique stretcher lift installed in ‘Jumbulance’ service in UK and France PLS (Passenger Lift Services), a Mobility Networks company has successfully engineered and installed a unique stretcher lift to a medical coach built by King Long. PLS designs, manufactures and maintains powered lifts and ramps for accessible buses, coaches, ambulances and specialist vehicles. PLS was commissioned by King Long to install a specialist accessible lift to a flat floor, 12.2m XMQ6129 coach. This Across ‘Jumbulance’ now operates in the UK and France, providing transport for severely disabled passengers and medical personnel. The completed conversion of the King Long coach to a fully accessible, specialist care vehicle took 12 months. The coach was fitted with floor rails for wheelchair tie-downs and removable seating so that several wheelchairs could be accommodated along with four
stretcher beds. PLS designed and fitted a stainless steel, fully automatic stretcher lift that is housed in the base of the main locker. This design brought together lifting principles and components from several, individual PLS Access designs. The result was a platform with a 500kg lifting capacity that smoothly
rises from ground level up to a raised side door entrance. The lift requires no manual operation and incorporates all the safety features associated with PLS products – from automatic ‘roll-off stops’ and anti-slip surfaces to a flat bridging plate for seamless transfers. The 2100x925mm platform provides enough space and lifting capacity
National Express has launched a new coach service from the University of Bristol to London. The coaches run directly from the University’s Stoke Bishop campus which houses 2,500 freshers. Comprising six outbound and
eight return journeys, the new service opens up a direct transport link to London for freshers as well as other students, staff and nearby local residents. The new service from Stoke Bishop compliments National Express’ existing University of Bristol service. For the first three months a ticket to the capital starts at £5, and with a journey time of just under three hours the service is ideal for a day out or sightseeing trips. Tom Stables, National Express UK Coach Managing Director said: “Freshers week is one of the
highlights of university, so we are thrilled to add to that experience by opening this new service that opens up a fast, direct and affordable transport link to the capital.” Patrick Finch, the University’s Bursar and Director of Estates said: “The University has a well established and successful travel plan. I am excited about our partnership with National Express and hope that the service will prove to be a great success.” Students can also benefit from the Young Persons Coachcard, entitling them to a third off their coach
New National Express direct service from University of Bristol to London
Stephan Frank, Across Transport Manager (left) and Andy Palmer, PLS UK Sales Manager (right) with the King Long coach fitted with a PLS stretcher lift.
10 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 010_011_CBW1156_News&Buzz copy.indd 10
for a stretcher-bound passenger along with a carer who can operate the lift via a roaming controller. Adam Beck, PLS Managing Director commented: “The PLS team and I are proud to have produced such a pioneering solution for King Long. In the past 20 years I would regard this as the most complex, yet rewarding installation PLS has ever achieved. Throughout the build we worked closely with King Long and Blackpool Design Consultants (BDC) to ensure the highest quality was delivered in terms of lift installation. This in turn ensures maximum safety and peace of mind for operators and passengers.” Ray McNally, King Long Director said: “It certainly was a challenging adventure, but King Long was keen and enthusiastic to accept this specialist project. By coordinating and working closely with both PLS and BDC, we were able to offer a one stop solution with a combination of practicality and luxury.”
Tom Stables, Managing Director of National Express UK Coach and Patrick Finch, University of Bristol’s Bursar and Director of Estates journeys and 10% off travel to top student events such as Glastonbury and Wembley football matches.
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DFDS Seaways’ Portsmouth to Le Havre service on closure consultation
DFDS Seaways has announced a route closure consultation on the twice-daily Portsmouth to Le Havre ferry service. The announcement follows a meeting with its union representatives in the Extraordinary Works Council in France. DFDS Seaways France took over the Portsmouth-Le Havre service in 2012 as part of its joint-venture with LD Lines. Both LD Lines and DFDS Seaways France have recorded heavy �inancial losses on this service since 2005. DFDS said that costs have been cut on the route to make it more
competitive, including replacing Norman Voyager with a smaller vessel, in addition to a series of sales and marketing initiatives designed to expand the potential customer base. Unfortunately, the service has continued to be economically unsustainable, which is why DFDS Seaways France has begun a period of consultation in France. Passenger and freight customers currently booked onto the service will not be affected by this process, and all bookings that have been made will be honoured, the �irm said.
Pre-pay accounts for Dartford crossing
Dartford Crossing introduces Dart Charge from late November
The Highways Agency has announced that new payment arrangements will now come into effect at the Dartford Crossing during late November. Registration for pre-pay accounts will open in advance of these changes. The full bene�its of the scheme will be delivered by the end of April 2015, when all changes to the road layout will be completed. Testing of the installed website, systems and infrastructure has begun to ensure they operate reliably and are simple to use. The timeframe will make sure that drivers have enough notice to prepare for the changes. Highways Agency project leader Nigel Gray said: “Dart Charge is a massive change for drivers using the Dartford Crossing and it’s only right that it is thoroughly tested before being introduced. www.coachandbusweek.com
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“We want to help drivers be ready for the improvements we’re making at the crossing. “Drivers will be given plenty of notice before the changes are introduced and will have considerable time to sign up for a pre-pay account, which for most will be the easiest and cheapest way to pay the charge.” Until Dart Charge goes live, the current payment arrangements for the charge will continue cash at the crossing, through a DART-Tag or local residents account.
Further details about registering for pre-pay accounts will be announced in due course. Operators can �ind out more information and subscribe for updates on Dart Charge at www.gov.uk/highways/ dartford
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Stop papering over the cracks and get honest
I
n the summer, the Buzz team trooped off down south to Marketing Week Live in London. Two packed days of buzzing about with other marketeers and agencies seeing what’s new, talking about the latest trends, attending seminars on content, digital, social and anything and everything you need to know to get more people interested in your product. The team were enjoying the seminars and learning the latest trends but I couldn’t help thinking – have I heard this all before? Maybe it’s because I’m older or more sunk in the realities of the tough world of public transport marketing? Or maybe it’s because I know that no matter how good the marketing, how spinny the PR or how beautiful the brand – if the product is substandard then it’s just papering over cracks (or my preferred phrase of “you can’t polish a t***!”) I like to work with like-minded people, I like to be honest with them about what the marketing can achieve for them – I’m not flamboyant, dramatic or crazily attired. I’m an honest northerner who knows a fair bit about marketing - if I do say so myself. After over 13 years in the industry I’ve seen a lot of good service, excellent on occasion but I see more average to poor. No amount of great marketing or branding is going to change that. Getting the basics right is not something that wows people when I go to see them but it is something that builds a long term realistic relationship in how we can take the business forward and grow it properly for the long term. It’s hard for me to meet someone new and tell them that they need to get some basics right before we can start doing some serious marketing; that we need to tidy up the brand, the logo, the basic communications along with tidying up the buses and
the team. Then we can start the serious business of getting more bums on seats. It’s usually a 50/50 result – some ask me to stay and the others tell me to bugger off and off they go to find someone that will promise them they can make them fabulous with marketing alone. If money were no object there are things that could be turned around in months – more cleaners, more drivers, top notch customer service training, fantastic uniforms, great driving standard, every engineering spare for never missing service and of course great branding on the buses with complimentary informative and especially NOT dull marketing (including the timetables the industry is obsessed with making as complicated and boring as possible with the obligatory bus photo pride of place on the front.) Thing is – money is a problem – but these things can be achieved over a longer period and be done right… – I’ve seen it. Planning, preparing and prioritising what we want and need for the business is effective. Not panicking and rushing something means the end result is not sub-standard. So that when the fancy wrapping comes off they find that we are everything we promised. So am I getting old and the buzzy sparkle is rubbing off all these new marketing trends? No – marketing is very important but the product is too. I’m just thinking about every customer day I’ve ever been to and what they tell me. Turn up on every time, on time, be clean, friendly, value for money and safe – and communicate with me in a way I like and understand. A lovely lady in Bolton once told me (as I was dressed as a huge super hero) ‘If you can just get those basics right love, just do that, then one day I might be wowed by your fancy marketing…maybe.’ By Claire Johnson, Director, JR Buzz
For more information or to see what we can do for you Contact Claire Johnson on 07512 798 084 or email claire.johnson@jrbuzz.co.uk’ JR Buzz is a public transport marketing specialist September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 11 22/09/2014 18:37
NEWS › REGIONAL SCOTLAND LOTHIAN BUSES has become the first regional Scottish operator to sign up to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) accessibility charter. Part of the charity’s Stop for Me Speak to Me bus campaign, the charter contains commitments which blind and partially sighted people want bus operators to make to improve their services. Campaigners met with Lothian Buses in summer to hold a Swap With Me event where drivers and passengers swapped places and shared experiences. Ian Craig, Chief Executive of Transport for Edinburgh, said: “We are determined to play our part in breaking down the barriers that prevent people from travelling. All of our buses are low-floor easy access and our newest buses all have next stop information announcements on screen and in audio. “We are delighted to be working with RNIB and signing up to and embracing this charter is great way of demonstrating our commitment to providing a great service to all of our blind and partially sighted passengers.” James Adams, Campaigns Manager for RNIB Scotland, said: “Bus travel is a life-line to blind and partially sighted people in Edinburgh, who rely on buses to take them to work, the shops or just to get out and about with friends. We are really impressed with Lothian Buses’ willingness to make improvements for their blind and partially sighted passengers. They are clearly doing a lot already but now that we are working together and with their commitment to our charter, we are sure things can only go from strength to strength.”
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NORTH TO MARK the 40th year since the formation of the original Cleveland Transit bus company, Stagecoach North East is opening its doors and inviting the public along to a day of celebrations. The open day is being held this Sunday (September 28), and will include a static display of historic buses from the 500 Group, a wellknown Teesside bus enthusiast group. Alongside the historic vehicles will be examples of the firm’s modern frontline fleet, with gas and hybrid buses available for visitors to view. In addition, a series of activities and games will be available, including a chance to see behind the scenes at how the buses are maintained, hazard perception tests, rides through the bus wash and visitor’s
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is free, there will be small charge to take part in some of the activities, with all proceeds going to charity. Visitors are encouraged to use the free shuttle bus provided from Stockton High Street, starting at 1100hrs from the bus stop near the Stagecoach travel shop.
SCOTLAND NORTHERN IRELAND REP OF IRELAND NORTH WALES MIDLANDS EAST LONDON SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST
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SOUTH EAST
names placed on bus destination screens. With free entry for all, there will also be refreshments, stalls, a depot quiz, a recruitment stand and an official cake cutting ceremony with the Mayor of Stockton, Cllr Barbara Inman. Abbey Pettigrew, Operations Manager for Stagecoach’s Stockton depot, said: “The open day is a great opportunity for the local community to see behind the scenes and find out more about what we do, as well as have fun and enjoy a day out. We are also delighted to join the 500 Group in celebrating 40 years since the formation of Cleveland Transit, the bus company which Stagecoach North East bought in 1994.” The event is open from 1100 until 1600hrs at the Stagecoach Stockton depot on Church Road. While entry
ARRIVA SOUTHERN COUNTIES is making changes to a number of its services in Surrey and West Sussex with effect from September 27, including an improved service between Guildford, Cranleigh and Horsham, as well as a more frequent evening service between the University of Surrey and Guildford town centre. There will also be extra buses designed to suit commuters travelling from the Burpham and Merrow area to Guildford Station and a new weekly ticket providing unlimited travel for seven days on the same route which will cut the cost of travel for regular users of the service. The existing hourly service 63 between Guildford and Horsham will be supplemented by new route 63X which will also run hourly but will take a more direct route between Cranleigh and Horsham. In conjunction with Surrey County Council, the frequency of evening buses between the university campus and Guildford town centre will be improved to provide buses every 15 minutes from Manor Park and the main campus into town on Mondays to Saturdays, running up to midnight. This improvement further develops the network of services to and within the university in time for the start of the new academic year. Following the success of the weekly ticket that was introduced
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BUCKINGHAM 3 & 2 • Ideal for 3 & 2 configurations • Ergonomic design for maximum support, comfort and legroom • Tried & tested: fitted into many new coaches as OEM • Full range of legs and fitting options make the Buckingham ideal for upseating to 70+ seats • Lighter weight makes easier for installation Prime Passenger Seating Limited 6/7 The Apex Centre, Clywedog Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham LL13 9XS Telephone: 01691 898 665 Fax: 01691 770 798 Email: johnm@primeps.com
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NEWS › REGIONAL in 2013 for use on the Guildford to Bell�ields service, Arriva has extended the concept to a £15 weekly ticket which gives unlimited travel on Services 36 and 37 between Burpham, Merrow and the town centre. The ticket can be used any number of times over a seven day period on the 36 and 37 and can be bought from drivers. For those wanting to travel on other buses across the Guildford area there is still the Guildford Weekly Saver ticket at £20 that can be used on any Arriva services in the area for a whole week. Arriva’s Regional Publicity Manager, Richard Lewis, said: “We have taken the opportunity to review our services in the Surrey and West Sussex area and are pleased to introduce some improvements that we hope will be popular with our customers.”
SOUTH WEST
UP TO 11 SUPPORTED bus routes in Dorset could be reduced or cut
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under proposals to save up to £150,000 next year. The Borough of Poole council has launched a consultation on the plan to reduce the bus subsidy budget in 2015/16. According to BBC News, the authority said the routes being considered operated mainly in the daytime and included some services to primary schools. It said about £750,000 was spent on bus subsidies during 2013/14 after about £100,000 of “ef�iciency savings.” The proposals affect routes 15, 20, 32, 26, 50 (Monday to Saturday), 50 (Sunday), 52, 128, 445, 462, 744. The consultation runs until December 5. Cllr Ian Potter, Cabinet Member for Transportation, said the council was facing “unprecedented” budget cuts, which meant it had to make “dif�icult decisions.” He said: “Following discussions with the bus companies and councillors, the proposed routes have been identi�ied for reduction or withdrawal.”
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
2014 ■ September 25 Group Leisure Show Hall 8, NEC Birmingham. 01908 613323 http://leisureshow.com ■ September 25 - October 2 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show. Hannover, Germany. www.iaa.de ■ September 27 Lothian Buses Doors Open Day Central Depot, Annandale Street, Edinburgh, EH7 4AZ 12 – 1600hrs http:// lothianbuses.com/our-community/ community/events ■ October 5 Amersham Running Day. Running Day based at car park, adjoining MET Station, King George V Road, Amersham on the Hill. www.amershammotorbussociety. co.uk ■ October 5 Bluebell Railway Vintage Bus Day. 01825 720800, visit www.bluebell-railway.com or email d.morgan52@btinternet.com ■ October 5 Oxford Bus Museum Bus & Classic Vehicle Rally & Running Day Station Yard, Long Hanborough,OX29 8LA. 01993 883 617. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk ■ October 5 Wirral Bus & Tram Show Birkenhead www.201busgroup.wordpress.com. Call John Nolan on 0151 639 4929. ■ October 6–7 CPT Scotland Annual Conference. Cameron House Hotel, Alexandria. 0131 272 2150. www.cpt-uk.org ■ October 12 Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Annual Open Day. Bridgeton Bus Garage, Broad Street entrance, Glasgow. www.gvvt.org
FIRST MANCHESTER has ■ launched 27 new buses for two cross-city services. The
new Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400 double-deckers will operate on Cross Connect services 41 (Sale / West Didsbury – Eccles) & 42 (North Manchester General Hospital – East Didsbury). The buses replace single-deckers, providing additional seating capacity to meet growing demand. This latest investment of over £5.5m brings the total spend by First on new buses in Greater Manchester in 2014 to over £12m. All of these new buses are fitted with Euro 5 engines. The vehicle interiors feature increased legroom and leather seats.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chairman of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “I welcome First’s continued investment in cleaner, greener and more comfortable vehicles, offering an improved journey experience for passengers on these popular routes and encouraging more people to travel by bus.” David Shurden, Business Manager for First Rusholme, added: “This is fantastic news for customers. The great value fares and new cross-city routes are proving really popular so these new double deck buses will help us serve the growing customer demand. We look forward to welcoming customers on board and enjoying the great service we offer.”
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■ October 19 TransportFest 2014 London Bus Museum, Brooklands, Surrey. 01932 837994 www.
londonbusmuseum.com
■ October 19 30 Year of Tracline Running Day Aston Manor Road Transport Museum, Shenston Drive, Aldridge, Walsall. 01922 454761.
www.amrtm.org
■ October 23-24 Young Bus Managers Network Conference Novotel, York www. youngbusmanagers.org.uk
Seen working the Wirral Bus & Tram Show at Liscard Crescent are preserved Alexander PS-bodied Volvo B10M and an Alexander ALbodied Leyland Atlantean. TOM HARRISON ■ November 4-6 Euro Bus Expo Expo 2014 NEC Birmingham www. eurobusexpo.com ■ November 4 – 7 QV Associates Introduction to Bus & Crew Scheduling course. Birmingham. 01905 613527. http://qv-associates. com ■ November 16 Dewsbury Bus Museum Silver Jubilee Open Day. Foundry Street, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, WF13 3HW. 1030 – 1630hrs. www. dewsburybusmuseum.co.uk ■ November 18 UK Bus Awards Presentation Ceremony London Hilton Park Lane www.ukbusawards. org.uk ■ December 6-7 The Christmas Cracker Museum of Transport Greater Manchester Boyle Street, Cheetham. 0161 205 2122 http://gmts.co.uk
2015 ■ April 18 – 19 UK Coach Rally. Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire 01753 631170. www.ukcoachrally. co.uk ■ April 23 UK Coach Awards Ceremony Mercure Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester. 0870 900 1450. www. ukcoachawards.co.uk ■ May 3 – 4 Friends of King Alfred Buses Running Day Winchester www.fokab.org.uk ■ May 11 – 13 ALBUM AGM & Conference Carden Park Hotel, near Chester www.album-bus.co.uk
■ October 26 Swansea Bus Museum Running Day. SA1 Business Park, Langdon Road, SA1 8QY. www.swanseabusmuseum.com
■ June 21 Welsh Coach Rally National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. For details, call Ashley Lovering on 07814958379.
■ October 28-31 International Bus and Coach Trade Fair Feria de Madrid Avda del Partenon, 5 28042 Madrid, Spain www.ifema.es
Send your event details to gareth.evans@ coachandbusweek.com
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September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 15
NEWS › INTERNATIONAL
MAN Lion’s City GL CNG‚ Bus of the Year 2015 German manufacturer secures top honours for its low carbon high capacity bus GERMANY MAN’s Lion’s City GL CNG, an 18.75m natural gasfuelled articulated bus, has been voted Bus of the Year 2015. The trophy will be awarded at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show in Hanover this week. The Euro 6 CNG engine of the bus offers an environmentally friendly public transport mobility solution with extremely low pollutant levels, says MAN. The vehicle is virtually carbon neutral offering emission levels comparable to that of fully electric vehicles. As well as being a sustainable fuel source, natural gas is also a particularly economical solution. Thanks to significantly reduced fuel costs over 10 years a MAN Lion’s City GL CNG saves approximately 15% on the life cycle costs compared to a diesel bus from the same model range. Not only is the manufacturer proficient and skilled in the servicing and repair of highpressure gas systems, if requested by the customer, training courses can be arranged to ensure that MAN’s expertise is competently transferred to the customer’s own
MAN’s 18.75m natural gas-powered articulated bus has won the coveted title service personnel or an external service team. A global supply of spare parts for natural gas buses is guaranteed. All of this ensures that the operation of MAN vehicles runs smoothly. The vehicle concept, designed for inner city routes with particularly high passenger volumes, also played a role in securing the title
of ‘Bus of the Year 2015’. The 18.75m articulated bus can carry 142 passengers and features five double width doors. The only five door bus on the market, it ensures optimal passenger flow and reduced waiting time at stops. The vehicle is also fitted with three fold-out chairs which the driver can control, meaning more
10 luxury Setras for Riis-Reisen DENMARK Three Danish touring coach operators have purchased together 10 Setra TopClass S 517 HDH luxury touring coaches from EvoBus Denmark in the Zeeland seaport of Koge south of Copenhagen. The order is significant as only 30 to 40 units are sold in this segment in Denmark each year. The first six coaches have been collected from Setra’s Neu-Ulm customer centre. Of the 10 units half a dozen were purchased by Papuga Bus in Vejle, while Dana Turist in Terndrup and Kobenhavns Bustrafik in Copenhagen have taken two each. All three companies represent Riis-Reisen, a coach tour operator which provides premium trips throughout Europe. All the new coaches are the 14.17m model, the longest TopClass 500, with a 375 kW (510 hp) engine and eight-speed GO
The first six vehicles at Neu-Ulm ready for the journey north to Denmark 250-8 transmission. The vehicles are the four-star version boasting 54 seats, a TopSky panoramic glass roof and ski box. For Papuga Bus the completion on this sale is considered of
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great importance as it frequently operates rail replacement services for Danish state rail operator DSB. This purchase coincides with the 50th anniversary of Papuaga Bus.
standing room can be made available in the event of a large influx of passengers. The ticket validation machines are capable of scanning electronic tickets purchased by smartphone, the bus offers passengers internet access via a free WiFi hotspot and its screens are individually programmable.
Malta negotiations continue
MALTA Negotiations between the Maltese government and Autobuses Urbanos de León S.A. (ALESA) for a new public transport service continue. It’s believed to be financed in part by subsidies rising to €29m annually although the government has issued a statement saying that speculation on the level negotiated is as yet “premature.” Malta Today reports that Transport Minister Joe Mizzi has not denied that a rise in bus fares will take place. However, he is quoted as saying that “I will ensure that they will be affordable to everyone.” He has also suggested that the staff www.coachandbusweek.com
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Massachusetts New Flyer Xcelsiors USA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has exercised options for the purchase of 60 40-foot heavy-duty New Flyer Xcelsior buses powered by diesel-electric BAE hybrid drives. Over the last 15 years, New Flyer has built and delivered 352 heavy-duty transit buses for MBTA in 40-foot and 60-foot lengths, and with propulsion systems ranging from diesel to diesel-hybrid and natural gas. The 60 buses will be manufactured starting in the third quarter of 2014 with all buses being delivered in the �irst quarter of 2015. “BAE Systems is proud to be chosen as the hybrid propulsion supplier for MBTA,” said Steve Trichka, Vice President and General Manager of HybriDrive Solutions for BAE Systems. “MBTA will be receiving Series-E, our latest low emission, ef�icient, fuel-saving system. With Series-E, passengers experience clean and quiet boarding with new anti-idling technology deployed at bus stops.” “We’re thrilled to continue to build on our relationship with MBTA and the opportunity to provide them with our best-inclass Xcelsior bus for the very �irst time,” said Paul Soubry, New Flyer President and CEO. inherited from Arriva would remain employed. “If the bus �leet increases,” referring to the need for more vehicles to serve the Maltese route network, “it will be Maltese drivers who will be employed.” The Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure is currently considering a much lower offer than what was put forward during the expression of interest phase by other bidders. Arriva, as the previous operator, had requested a €45m subsidy to continue operating in Malta. “The aim is to have an ef�icient public transport service that meets people’s needs including an increase in routes,” the Minister is reported as saying. “Therefore it is important to balance the economic and social aspects to prevent a repeat of the negative impression left by Arriva.” www.coachandbusweek.com
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Adelaide O-Bahn extension outlined
AUSTRALIA Adelaide’s O-Bahn is to be extended via a tunnel beneath Hackney Road, near Plane Tree Drive and under the busy North Terrace and Rundle Road intersections. According to Australasian Bus & Coach magazine, South Australia Acting Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tony Piccolo said the extension will create about 450 jobs during the three-year construction period. “We have stringent tender requirements to make sure as much of the work as possible goes to local contractors and workers,“
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he said. “The State Government wanted to bring interested parties’ to the table to help them have the best chance at securing work and being involved in this exciting project. The project will also be delivered in line with our Industry Participation Policy that ensures competitive small and medium enterprises are given every opportunity to be considered for these major works.“ Around 60 people attended a brie�ing to discuss the project, which, when completed, will reduce congestion for city traf�ic by diverting bus services to a new corridor. “Buses will no longer travel across the two very busy intersections at Hackney/Botanic Road and Dequetteville Terrace/ Rundle Road where over 71,000 and 44,000 vehicles travel daily,“ said Tony.
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The �irst round of geotechnical and ground water investigations were completed in mid-August and the �indings are now being assessed. Works are currently focussing on further planning, preliminary design, geotechnical, groundwater and services investigations, traf�ic management analysis, construction staging and stakeholder engagement. Various tunnel engineering professional services have also been engaged to provide expert advice on mechanical, electrical, �ire, IT and geotechnical tunnel engineering. Major works are expected to begin in mid-2015 and be completed in mid-2017. The O-Bahn guided busway was �irst introduced in 1986 to serve the city’s rapidly expanding northeastern suburbs. The guideway is 12kms long and includes three interchanges at Klewzig, Campbelltown and Modbury.
Golden Dragon’s major Saudi deal SAUDI ARABIA 638 Golden Dragon school buses have been shipped from Xiamen in China to Saudi Arabia, an order valued at over US$27 million. The Saudi Arabian government invited bids internationally for purchasing school buses. To ensure the safe operation of the vehicles, it set standards concerning the school bus operators, the quality of the vehicles and delivery period. Golden Dragon says it successfully won the bid because of its attractive bus design, quality and the aftersales support
it can provide. SEITCO, Golden Dragon‘s customer, is a major bus operator jointly set up by SAPTCO and ETC, two leading transport service providers. In the �irst half of this year, Golden Dragon exported 3,424 buses to Egypt. In Taiwan it has sold 140 buses and coaches this year and is also planning to export its electric bus to the island. In July, its aluminiumbodied low-�loor electric bus arrived in the Netherlands. By constantly improving the quality of its products, upgrading its R&D capabilities
and innovating its aftersales services, Golden Dragon says it has continuously strengthened its overall competitiveness. Overseas Sales Director Bao Hongquan said the company‘s overseas sales went up by over 40% in the �irst seven months of this year and it has entered 10 new markets. He estimated that exports will account for about 20% of the �irm’s annual revenue. He added that the company wants to increase this to 40% within the next �ive years, believing its road to internationalisation will become increasingly smooth.
All 638 Golden Dragon school buses were shipped from Xiamen in China
September 23, 2014| COACH & BUS WEEK | 17 22/09/2014 15:36
NEWS FOCUS › AUDIO-VISUAL
The talking tour bus Guide Dogs tours the UK to promote Talking Buses and its petition for legislation on audiovisual systems, on a vehicle upgraded by McKenna Brothers When Guide Dogs for the Blind decided to do something to highlight the need for full audio next stop and final destination information on buses, it chose to go on a tour of the UK. The charity used a bus which had been fitted with a Mobitec audio-visual ‘Talking Bus’ system, courtesy of Middleton, Manchester-based McKenna Brothers. The ‘Stand Out Talking Bus’ has been raising awareness of the charity’s Talking Buses campaign, inviting members of the public to sign its petition calling for all buses to be fitted with audio-visual equipment. The bus in question is a 1982 Roe-bodied Leyland Olympian double-decker registered ‘TPD 118X’. It was new to London Country in 1982, and was sold to Oxford Bus Company by the end of 1998, before moving on to Jeffs Coaches of Helmdon. It is now in the hands of Roe Roadshow Promotions, where it has been used as an NHS Health Bus along with other functions. The signs on the tour bus have been programmed to simulate a route, providing full audio announcements for next stop and the vehicle’s final destination. Guide Dogs says this system will offer blind and partially sighted passengers the detailed information required to instil more confidence in their use of public transport. The Stand Out Tour started on September 4 in London. It was based in Birmingham on September 5 – 7, where it was open to the public at Centenary Square from 1000 – 1800hrs on September 6 and 7. From there, the vehicle travelled to Cardiff, where it was based from September 12 – 14. Again, it was open to the public for the latter two days at the same times, on Queen Street. Liverpool hosted the vehicle from
The vehicle was covered in various statistics and facts to help promote audio-visual systems
Cardiff was the third stop on the tour, following London and Birmingham
An example of one if Mckenna Brother’s low cost internal LED signs September 19 – 21. The final stop of the tour will be Glasgow, where the bus will reside for three days, from September 26-28. It will be on Argyle Street for the last two days of the tour, open to the public again from 1000 – 1800hrs. After the tour is concluded, Guide Dogs will hand in its petition at Downing Street.
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In September 2013 the Transport Select Committee (TSC) issued its Access to Transport for Disabled People report. In the report, the TSC recommended that: “The Accessibility Action Plan should require a phased introduction of buses with audiovisual information systems over the next 10 years. The DfT should
therefore require new buses to have audio-visual systems in place.” Guide Dogs for the Blind has continued to campaign for all new buses to be fitted with full audio and visual information. McKenna Brothers said it will continue to support the campaign. Ian Grimshaw from the company attended the launch in London. Ian told CBW: “It was a great opportunity for us to fit our Mobimaster ICU602 system, which can provide voice announcements and internal displays. “Whilst I was at the launch in Covent Garden, London, I boarded the bus while blindfolded and found it to be a very daunting experience, having to reach around for the handrails and seats. I can understand how difficult it is for someone with poor eyesight to use the bus. “I’m fully behind what Guide Dogs is pushing for. There is a small cost to install the system, but there it isn’t any ongoing cost for the operator once installed.” Call McKenna Brothers on 0161 655 3244 or visit www.mckennabrothers.co.uk Contact Guide Dogs on 0118 983 5433 or visit www.guidedogs. org.uk To sign the Guide Dogs Stand Out for Talking Buses petition, visit http://tinyurl.com/nrfrywt www.coachandbusweek.com
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BUS RAPID TRANSIT › ZHENGZHOU
Plugged in
China style As CBW highlighted in the introduction to our South East BRT superfeature (July 30) Bus Rapid Transit is being embraced in emerging economy countries around the world. Zhengzhou in China is one city where it’s rapidly developing as Andy Izatt reports
Z
hengzhou is the capital of Henan Province in north-central China. The city with a population of more than 9.2m, lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River and is one of the eight great ancient capitals of China. Greater Zhengzhou was named as one of the 13 emerging megacities in the country in an Economist Intelligence Unit report two years ago. A distinctive landmark is the 388m-high Zhongyuan television tower, completed in February 2011 and for a time claimed to be the highest steel structure in the world.
Public transport is provided by the municipally-owned Zhengzhou Bus Communication Corporation (ZBCC) through its operating businesses, the Zhengzhou City Public Transport Company and Zhengzhou BRT Company. It is responsible for 6,176 buses based at more than 80 operating centres that carry 2.5m passengers daily. Fleet availability is around 93% and what the Chinese call ‘new energy’ buses – in Zhengzhou’s case a mix of CNG (Compressed natural Gas), hybrid and plug-in hybrids – now number 2,695, delivering average 30% fuel
The 30.5km circular B1 BRT route is around the centre of the city with 38 stations and 26.6km of segregated busways
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Zhengzhou with a population of 9.2m has been described as one of China’s emerging megacities
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BUS RAPID TRANSIT › ZHENGZHOU
Inside the Zhengzhou Bus Communication Corporation’s control centre where literally every aspect of the operation can be monitored
Even with one bus following another, capacity loads are the norm in the peak on the BRT
‘New energy’ buses are increasingly in demand as air quality has become a key issue in China. This is a Yutong diesel electric hybrid
There is a long history of CNG bus operation in China. One of the recently introduced 18-metre Yutong Zhengzhou is no exception although this Yutong bus ZK180CHEVNPG3 plug-in hybrids for the goes one better as it’s also an electric hybrid expanded BRT network
Double-deckers are confined to two routes and make ready mobile advertising hoardings. Again, Yutong supplied.
savings over diesel equivalents. Air quality has become a key issue in China and the development of ‘new energy’ buses has been rapid, arguably ahead of what’s happening in Western Europe. A variety of full-size hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric buses are now in full production with several manufacturers. Liquid and compressed gas has been used as a mainstream fuel for many years and Zhengzhou is no exception with some of its hybrids also being CNG fuelled. There are two routes, the 60 and 909 that are double-decked as neither is suitable for articulated bus operation. ZBCC has a central control centre that monitors literally every aspect of the operation with a degree of readily available detail the like of which this correspondent has yet to see in the UK. Using GPS tracking, telematics, CCTV and
passenger boarding and alighting counting technology everything that’s happening out on the street is being recorded and monitored monument by moment. It can all be checked at the touch of a button. For passengers the relevant information to them is available through an app that tells them everything they need to know.
World class BRT
ZBCC has its own Bus Rapid Transit system, the first route opening in May 2009. The 30.5km circular B1, also known as ‘Ring Ring’, around the centre of the city covers Sea Road, Tongbai Road, Agricultural Road and Plains Road. It has 38 pairs of stations and 26.6km of segregated busways mostly in the centre of the roadway. Platform height is 35cm and the average distance between stations is 800m. An initial fleet of 170 diesel
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buses comprised 105 ZK6128HGK 12-metre rigids and 65 18m ZK6180HGC artics. Average passenger occupancy at peak times was 108 with the busiest time being between 0730hrs and 0745hrs. Average peak hour speed was 15km/h comparing with 5.8km/h for the rest of the network. Two additional main routes have been subsequently introduced. The 20.2km B2 links the bus station with Agricultural Road and Plains Road while trial operation of the 44.3km B3, also known as the ‘tricyclic ring’, started on June 26, 2014. Like the B1 it has segregated busways and links Plains Road/Zhengbian Road with South Third Ring University Avenue via the Third Ring Road, forming a double loop with the B1. There are 45 pairs of stations, 29 of them dedicated to the BRT. Average speed across the B1 and
B3 is now 17km/h. With 36 feeder services there are more than 1,000 buses on the BRT network, currently carrying 700,000 people a day over 669km of route. Newly introduced are 490 plug-in electric hybrids, the largest fleet of its type in China and probably globally so far. 180 of them are 18-metre ZK180CHEVNPG3s while 310 are 12-metre ZK6125CHEVNPG4s. Like the rest of ZBCC’s fleet, all have been supplied by the Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company, better known simply as Yutong the world’s largest bus and coach manufacture. While the BRT scheme is impressive, the bus builder is more so and that was the reason why CBW was in Zhengzhou. Learn more about what it has to offer and what its UK and Ireland importer Pelican Bus & Coach Sales is planning in our October 7 issue. n www.coachandbusweek.com
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COMPETITION › BUS DRIVER OF THE YEAR 2014
Winning at BDoY 2014 Jonathan Welch, winner of the UK Bus Driver of the Year 2014, shares his experiences of taking part in the popular competition
One of the most popular tests amongst spectators was the chicane, with many drivers getting a cheer from the crowd above 24 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 024_028_CBW1156_BdOY.indd 24
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O
ver the weekend of September 13 and 14, bus drivers from all four corners of the UK took part in the annual UK Bus Driver of the Year (BDoY) competition in Blackpool. Now in it’s 48th year, the BDoY competition is continuing to go from strength to strength, showcasing the best of what the industry has to offer, and is a firm fixture on the calendars of many. Following the successful formula used in previous years, the competition was based at the town’s Hilton hotel, which provides excellent facilities for the drivers’ briefing, theory and Highway Code tests, as well as quality accommodation for many of those taking part. Furthermore, it is ideally located for the driving part of the competition, which traditionally takes place along the Promenade. Blackpool has been host to the event since the early 1980s, and again this year, the town’s Mayoress welcomed participants to the event, and to Blackpool, clearly pleased that BDoY has remained loyal to the town for so long, bringing with it visitors and valuable income to local hotels, restaurants and other facilities.
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such events, and recognise the positive publicity to the industry as a whole. Working in driver training in his everyday role, Keith designs the course every year to try and represent typical situations in a driver’s daily routine. “Nothing we do is designed to trick the drivers,” he explained. “We want them to enjoy the competition,” though to ensure fairness, no driver is ever allocated a vehicle from his or her own company, so that everyone, as much as possible, is driving an unfamiliar vehicle type. Thanks to the many companies who support the event, including a number of new ones this year, there was a wide variety of vehicles available for competitors. London United’s Mercedes-Benz Citaro looked very businesslike, while at the opposite end of the scale was Stagecoach open-top ‘Rocky the Seasider,’ its bright and colourful livery and smiley face attracting lots of attention, proudly advertising its home town of Skegness. Every year, the Vice President’s cup is awarded
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to the best vehicle, and this year, judges were torn. In the end, the cup was shared between joint winners Arriva North West and Wales, who supplied an almost-new Wrightbus single-deck bus, and municipally-owned operator Rosso, the trading name of Rossendale Transport, whose immaculately turned out seven year old Volvo really showed what can be done with a little effort and a lot of pride. Talking about the cup, Keith remarked: “We introduced the Vice President’s cup in order to raise the standard of vehicles that operators were supplying almost 10 years ago. It has had a great effect, and we witnessed at least one bus arriving this year, its crew checking in, then going back outside and starting to polish their bus again after the journey. It’s great to see so much pride – and it does wonders for the industry as a whole.” Turning to the drivers themselves, Joe Mackie, BDoY Chairman was clearly pleased that there were so many new entrants at this year’s event
A change of course
This year, though, to shake things up a little and make the competition more interesting for those who had been in previous years, there was a slight change to the course. Buses now operated northbound along the Promenade, where all the precision and manoeuvring tests were carried out, before returning driving under normal conditions along the public road. Buses leave the start-finish line every two minutes, and with around 120 competitors again this year, ran from just after breakfast and continued into early afternoon. Over the course of the weekend, I spoke to some of those organising the event, and came to realise what a huge logistical challenge it is, with planning already started for next year’s event. Orchestrating so many drivers, ensuring that the vehicles and stewards are in place, in time, takes a lot of work, but it was clear that all of those involved are passionate about what they do, and about BDoY. Justifiably, they are proud of what it has become, and the event’s place in the industry calendar. Talking to Keith Fieldhouse, BDoY Operations Director, his enthusiasm is clear, despite the hard work he puts in during the weekend, and behind the scenes. “We plan everything down to the last detail, but until it starts, we never know how it will work,” he said. With more entrants and additional marshals available to help with the running of the event, this year he believed the event has been “an amazing success.” “If the drivers have enjoyed it, we’ve got it right”, he enthused. “It’s all for the drivers.” Of course, there’s an element of competitiveness between colleagues, depots and companies, but at the same time, all the drivers at the event are at the top of their game, and have the right to be proud that they are there, and no-one is made to feel left out. Indeed, around two thirds of this year’s entrants were at the national final for the first time, a very pleasing number and an indication that many companies are willing, even in times of financial restraint, to embrace www.coachandbusweek.com
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London United’s very smart looking Mercedes Citaro negotiates the chicane, with driver Andrew Nash of Arriva Southern Counties at the wheel
Operators who took part in BDoY 2014 • Arriva London • Arriva North East • Arriva North West & Wales • Arriva Southern Counties • Arriva the Shires • Arriva Yorkshire • Blackpool Transport • Bluestar • Brighton & Hove • Cardiff Bus • Damory • EnsignBus • First Aberdeen • First Bristol & Avon • First Cymru
• First Eastern Counties • First Hampshire, Dorset & Berkshire • First South West • First South Yorkshire • First West & North Yorkshire • Go-Ahead London • Halton Borough Transport • London United • Lothian Buses • McGill’s • Metrobus • National Express Dundee • National Express West Midlands • Peoples Bus • Plymouth Citybus • Rossendale (Rosso) • Southern Vectis • Stagecoach Bluebird
• Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire • Stagecoach East • Stagecoach East Midlands • Stagecoach East Scotland • Stagecoach Highland • Stagecoach London • Stagecoach Manchester • Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire • Stagecoach Midlands • Stagecoach Oxford • Stagecoach South East • Stagecoach South West • Stagecoach West • Stagecoach West Scotland • Stagecoach Yorkshire • Tower Transit • Wilts & Dorset • Yellowbuses Bournemouth
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COMPETITION › BUS DRIVER OF THE YEAR 2014 – almost two thirds competing for the first time. Keith explained that all drivers are sent comprehensive information packs before the event, ensuring that no-one is at a disadvantage, and to give everyone the best chance at success, although as he said, “it doesn’t matter where you come, everyone here can be proud of themselves for what they have achieved.” Joe agreed: “They’re the best in the UK.” As always, there were guest speakers, including the Mayor of Blackpool and Traffic Commissioner Richard Turfitt, whose short but inspirational speech reminded the drivers of their roles, their importance, both now and in days gone by, and as London celebrates its ‘Year of the Bus,’ he remembered the capital’s drivers of 100 years ago, who went with their vehicles to the battlefields of France and Belgium. It seemed fitting that those drivers, with vehicles much cruder than ours, and under much more difficult circumstances, should be remembered now, as we celebrate the best of the best.
Jonathan Welch, UK Bus Driver of the Year 2014
From The Driving Seat
2014 was my second year taking part not just in the national final of the Bus Driver of the Year competition, but also taking part at local level, having previously done so in 2012, finishing first in First’s Aberdeen depot and a rateable 22nd in Blackpool. Therefore, the pressure was on this year to improve on that, and I arrived for the final hoping – like every other driver no doubt – to finish in the top 10. Arriving in Blackpool by train, I made my way to the Hilton hotel, where many of the buses which we were to use for the competition were already parked, and checked into my room, with no idea how the next two days were about to unfold. Once I’d made myself at home, I headed downstairs again to the drivers briefing, where all competitors are given details of the driving course and the plan for the day ahead. Although everyone is there to win, the atmosphere was friendly – with groups of drivers congregating in the lobby, finding out a little about the competition or relaxing with their families.
Bus Driver of the Year Winners
Best Newcomer The Ticketer Shield and £50 Cash Award Craig Lockyer - National Express West Midlands Competitor in most consecutive National Finals The Dawsonrentals Shield and £50 Cash Award Andrew Evered - First Bristol & Avon Youngest National Finalist The Mistral Group Shield and £50 Cash Award
Andrew Brentnall - Stagecoach East Midlands Oldest National Finalist The Gordon Asbury Memorial Cup and £50 Cash Award Malcolm Langran Arriva London Best competitor from a depot in England The Giles Fearnley Shield and £50 Cash Award Phil McAvoy - First South West Best competitor from a depot in Scotland The Joe Mackie Shield and £50 Cash Award Jonathan Welch First Aberdeen
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Best competitor from a depot in Wales The Donald Macdonald Memorial Shield and £50 Cash Award Peter Mascall - First Cymru Best Driver CPC Knowledge Test Result The Wrightbus Shield and £100 Cash Award Philip Connor - First Cymru Best Highway Code Test Result The Wrightbus Shield and £100 Cash Award Peter Mascall - First Cymru Highest-placed competitor from an ALBUM member The ALBUM Trophy and
£500 cheque Scott Crosbie - Lothian Buses
Michael Todd - Arriva North East
Highest-placed competitor from an independent company The Wrightbus Trophy and £500 cheque Tomasz Jageillo - McGill’s Bus Services
Highest-placed FirstGroup competitor The FirstGroup Trophy and £500 cheque Jonathan Welch - First Aberdeen
Highest-placed Arriva competitor The Arriva Trophy and £500 cheque Andrew Sykes - Arriva Yorkshire Second-highest-placed Arriva competitor The Arriva Shield and £250 cheque
Second-highest-placed FirstGroup competitor The FirstGroup Shield and £250 cheque Peter Mascall - First Cymru Highest-placed Go-Ahead Group competitor The Go-Ahead Trophy and £500 cheque James Staggs - Go-Ahead London
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Although I was there alone this year, I was pleased to see the number of drivers there with their partners and children, it gives the event a very friendly feel. After a brief introduction, the drivers were given details of the course itself, the various driving skills tests were explained, and there was an opportunity to ask questions if anyone was unsure on anything. Everyone goes to win, but the atmosphere was relaxed, with plenty of banter between drivers, last year’s winner in particular being on the receiving end of a few jokes. Of course, being bus drivers, we need feeding too, and as usual on the Saturday evening, all participants were invited to a large gala dinner, with an introduction from BDoY Chairman Joe Mackie, and a welcome from the Mayoress of Blackpool. It was a good opportunity to get to know other competitors, and sharing a table with drivers from Lothian meant that the Scottish independence debate came up more than once. After some strictly non-alcoholic drinks, it was time for bed.
TESTING TIME
Before any driver can take part, they must pass a breathalyser test on the morning of the competition, which shows that despite the convivial atmosphere, BDoY is a very professional organisation, and safety is paramount. Whilst some drivers started with their driving test, I had my Highway Code and Theory test first. Feeling confident before I went in, I came out worrying that although some of the questions should have been easy, I’d doubted myself and thought about it too much, possibly changing a right answer for a wrong one, or being complacent. Anyway, I couldn’t change it, so went for a walk along the promenade, noticing that quite a few passers-by were taking an interest in what was going on, and grabbing a few photos, before heading back to the hotel to ‘sign on’ and collect my driver number – 107 this year – before making for the start-finish area.
Perhaps cheekily advertising Stagecoach’s Skegness seafront service, as featured in CBW just a few weeks ago, recently refurbished open-top ‘Rocky the Seasider’ proved very popular with drivers’ families and the general public alike, and is seen here posing at the start line with Blackpool’s iconic Tower in the background. First Eastern Counties driver Tim Scott is seen behind the wheel
MANOEUVRES
Some drivers were understandably nervous, many were there for the first time, but I tried to keep on top of any nerves, and relax behind the wheel. As in 2012, the luck of the draw meant that I was driving a Stagecoach Alexander Dennis single-decker – a good bus for the test, though the open topper would have been my first choice I think. After setting up my seat and mirrors, I headed for the start line, to be given the signal to go, and headed towards the deceptively narrow entrance to the normally pedestrian/cycle-only section of promenade. First up, the length test. No amount of
The National Express Trophy and £500 cheque Craig Lockyer - National Express West Midlands
The Stagecoach Shield and £250 cheque Thomas Grant - Stagecoach Midlands
Highest-placed London Buses competitor The London Buses Cup and £500 cheque James Staggs - Go-Ahead London
Second-highest-placed National Express competitor The National Express Plaque and £250 cheque Bob Green - National Express West Midlands
Best-presented bus in use at the National Final The Vice-President’s Cup: Arriva North West & Wales jointly with Rossendale Transport
Second-highest-placed London Buses competitor The London Buses Shield and £250 cheque James Monk Stagecoach London
Highest-placed Stagecoach competitor The Stagecoach Trophy and £500 cheque Daniel Wilton Stagecoach Manchester
FIFTH PLACE The Vix Technology Trophy and £150 cheque The McKenna Shield and cash award of £100 James Staggs Go-Ahead London
Highest-placed National Express competitor
Second-highest-placed Stagecoach competitor
FOURTH PLACE The RouteOne Trophy and
Second-highest-placed GoAhead Group competitor The Go-Ahead Shield and £250 cheque Darrell Hadland - Southern Vectis
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practising with your own depot’s buses can help when you’re in a strange vehicle, but everyone’s in the same boat, and everyone made a good stab at it. This was the test I’d been most worried about, but I felt confident as I pulled up and applied my handbrake, the back of the bus over the area marked in green, or so I hoped. Feeling confident, it was off along the course towards the first of the bus stop tests. Here, the requirement was to stop at the predetermined distance from the kerb, two to four inches, with the front wheel in line with a marker. Easier said than done, and I worried that I’d been over confident here, and gone too far forwards.
£250 cheque The Voyager Alliance Cup and £250 cheque Daniel Wilton Stagecoach Manchester
Bus Driver of the Year 2014 Winner of: The Coventry Trophy Donated by Coventry Road Accident Prevention Council
THIRD PLACE The Volvo Bus & Coach Cup and £500 cheque The Best Impressions Trophy and £250 cheque Phil McAvoy - First South West
The Road Operators’ Safety Council Award £1,000 cheque
RUNNER-UP The Compak Trophy and £750 cheque Donated by Compak Ramps The Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers’ Union Trophy and £250 cheque Peter Mascall - First Cymru
The John Boxall Medallion Donated by the UK BDoY Council The Unite Trophy and £500 cheque Jonathan Welch - First Aberdeen Company Award The Brian Evans Memorial Trophy First Aberdeen
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 27 22/09/2014 19:31
COMPETITION › BUS DRIVER OF THE YEAR 2014 However, there’s no time to dwell on it as the marshal says: “Move on when you’re ready.” Off we go again, just one passenger on my bus, no open-top loadings here. And then we arrive at the chicane. Certainly the most interesting to watch as a spectator – and there were quite a few at times looking down from road level – it’s easy to lose sight of just one cone, and the slightest contact incurs penalty points. It’s also one of my favourite parts of the course, so I was pleased to hear a cheer from the small crowd as I drove away, confident of a clear run. Next up, another bus stop, this time with cones representing a badly parked car. Again the aim here is to pull up at the correct distance from the kerb, and with the leading edge of the door in line with the stop. It sounds simple, but under the pressure of everyone watching, it’s very easy to roll on a little too far, and here, every centimetre counts, and just a few centimetres can be the difference between first, second and third places. Here, I was much less happy with my performance, fearing that I had over-compensated at the last second, and stopped too far away from the kerb. However, no time for worry now, its time to close the doors, raise the step, and carry on, avoiding clipping my tailswing on the way out. A final manoeuvre, stopping with the front of the bus over a marker, and designed to test the driver’s awareness of his front blind spot, immediately below the windscreen, and then it’s across the tramway and onto the roundabout at Gynn Square, before heading back along the seafront, stopping at two more stops en route, both measured for accuracy, before finishing back at the start point.
CONCLUSION
Having finished 22nd in 2012 – and not taken part in 2013, as I was on holiday – I was not confident this time. Although I had no idea how well I had done, I felt that I was probably
Rosso’s Wrightbus-bodied Volvo B7RLE, joint winner of the Vice President’s cup for best presented vehicle going to finish in the mid-30s. Admittedly, not a bad ranking, but of course I wanted to beat my previous position. I had time for a spot of lunch, before meeting others in the hotel bar to relax for a while before the presentations – everyone was nervous, worried what they’d done wrong, and anxious to find out how they had done. Despite knowing that we’d all done well to be
First is a longstanding supporter of the BDoY competition. A marshal measures the feet distance from the kerb of First Manchester Wrightbus StreetLite at the first of the bus stop tests as Bluestar driver Vijay Rajakrishnan looks on 28 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 024_028_CBW1156_BdOY.indd 28
there, that we were all among the best in the country, and could be proud of ourselves, we wanted to know who had won. Knowing that I’d be writing a short piece for CBW afterwards, I’d already asked if I might have a short interview with the winner, and after many other categories were announced, we got to the one everyone had been waiting for. Camera in hand, ready to capture the moment, as BDoY Chairman Joe Mackie announced the winner, I was a little slow to realise that he was, in fact, saying my name. Yes, despite my feeling that I’d done worse than last time, I’d won, I was now the UK Bus Driver of the Year 2014! It took a while to sink in, as I collected the trophies and prizes, feeling proud, yet still somewhat in disbelief, but there was more to come! Having sat down again, a final prize was announced: as many of you will be aware, 2014 has been London’s ‘Year of the Bus,’ and in partnership with Transport for London, I was to be invited to London, including travel and two nights’ accommodation. Following suitable training, I will be given the chance to drive one of London’s iconic ‘New Routemasters’ in service in the capital, a rare and very generous privilege, of which I’m sure many will be envious. Many companies support the event, and many more enter drivers in it, and I feel privileged not only to have taken part, and represented my company, and my colleagues, in the national competition, but to have taken home the trophies too. To any other drivers thinking of entering the 2015 competition, my words are: “go for it!” n www.coachandbusweek.com
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MANUFACTURER › MELLOR COACHCRAFT
Mellor’s one stop
minibus shop A
fter a bit of an ordeal of a train journey to Rochdale, which following a series of train delays and cancellations somehow saw me arriving half an hour earlier than intended, I arrived at Mellor Coachcraft, part of the Woodall Nicholson group and conveniently located around the corner from the station. After a warm welcome and a much needed glass of water, I was introduced to Allison Prince, Mellor Coachcraft Sales Manager, who told me about how the business is developing. After Scarborough-based Bluebird went into administration in July, it was Woodall Nicholson which stepped in to take over the business. Woodall Nicholson is a group of companies consisting of CM Specialist Vehicles, Coleman Milne and Mellor Coachcraft, with each
company building different types of vehicles. CM Specialist is aimed towards the blue light industry, Coleman Milne builds limousines and hearses, and Rochdale-based Mellor Coachcraft builds coachbuilt vehicles up to 35 seats. For this reason, Mellor was one of Bluebird’s direct competitors, speci�ically in the low�loor market. However, the companies were different enough for Bluebird’s vehicles to �it neatly within the Mellor business. Allison said: “Bluebird built different types of low �loors vehicles, from the smaller Tucano constructed on the Volkswagen Transporter T5 to the Orions built on Fiats. “Bluebird’s Orions were moving towards a stage carriage type of vehicle, which we really didn’t have in our product range. When they went into administration, it was a good opportunity for Woodall Nicholson to step in
In the wake of its acquisition of Bluebird, Mellor Coachcraft is growing quickly and expanding its offering, as James Day reports
and buy it out. “Bluebird really adds to our portfolio. We’re not dropping any vehicles in favour of building these – that’s not how it works. These vehicles are being added to our �leet. “This opens quite a few doors for us and gets us into different marketplaces.”
Business as usual
The market seems to have taken comfort in the Mellor Coachcraft takeover. The sheer size of Bluebird’s client base has also come to light. “Since taking over the Bluebird business, we’ve had about 70-80 enquiries,” Allison said. “Bluebird used to have a lot of warranty issues and through phone calls we’ve received, we’ve identi�ied the top 10 warranty issues. What we’re trying to do is build them out, rather than keep building the vehicles with the same
The wheelchair accessible Tucana
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The versatile Orion Plus
Demonstrating the Orion’s ramp side entry in going anywhere else. “We supply the parts that have been designed by the people who actually designed and engineered the vehicle.
Full market coverage
The Orion Plus can be configured for bus work
Mellor offers flexible seating options warranty problems. “Because of the phone calls that we’re having on warranty and parts, we can see exactly how many vehicles are out there in the marketplace. I myself had no idea it was quite as large of a number as it is. It’s amazing really. “Customers are extremely happy that a company as big and successful as Mellor Coachcraft has taken on Bluebird. This includes our existing customers as well. “We’ve been in the market for a long time and I think we’re the only company out of our competitors which has actually kept our name through the years. We’ve never gone bump and reinvented ourselves.” While the business may be under new management, the same Bluebird vehicles and parts are still very much available. “These vehicles are still available – they’re part of the Mellor Coachcraft product range now. We’re the only ones who can supply the original spare parts for these vehicles. There’s no point www.coachandbusweek.com
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The Bluebird acquisition means that Mellor can now cover the vast majority of the minibus market, producing vehicles for a wide variety of different requirements. Allison said the firm is now a one stop shop. “We can supply wheelchair accessible vehicles, from those made to generally carry a single wheelchair, all the way up to 35-seaters. Whether it’s a standard coach-built van conversion, or a low floor, we’ve got them all within our range.” Alternative fuels are also a potential future avenue for the business. “We’re very aware of the way the market is going and are working on a hybrid vehicle to be released in the near future,” Allison explained.
IN DEPTH
The Orion & Orion Plus The standard Orion and the Orion Plus are versatile products, which can serve almost any purpose. It offers two different lengths, along with a choice of wheelbases and different gross vehicle weight options. It can be configured to carry varying numbers of wheelchairs or seated passengers. There’s a vast configuration of what customers can have on this particular vehicle. The Orion can have 16 seats, and the Orion Plus up to 22 with room for two standing
“We’re hearing the word hybrid used a lot. There’s talk about London going zero emission. “We’ve been looking at electric vehicles for at least a decade, before anybody else was. At the time, there wasn’t the interest and the batteries were like houses. You put one battery on a vehicle and you ended up taking most of the seats out because you didn’t have the carrying capacity. “Once all the dust has settled with the Bluebird acquisiton, our engineers can really start to make inroads.”
Growing the business
The acquisition of Bluebird has come at a good time for Mellor. The company has just altered its factory and is in the process of putting in production lines. The Orion and Tucana can have their own defined production line alongside Mellor’s existing vehicles. On a brief tour of the factory, I saw how several walls have been taken out to make the building much more open plan, ready for the production lines
passengers – the Orion Plus mostly aimed at the general hire and reward bus market. Both vehicles are accessible, with full length flat floors, which are free of obstruction, fitted with a slip resistant vinyl with high-visibility step edging, and either single step or ramp side entry. Seating configurations are customisable, with space for four wheelchairs on the Orion or five on the Orion Plus. Seating can be a combination of fixed, removable and tip-up/ fold seats. The interior has a comfortable, airy feel thanks to its large windows and glass roof hatch. There is also a selection of
seating available and the option for air conditioning and destination equipment. The vehicle also features interior LED lights and is supplied with two fire extinguishers, a first aid kit and an emergency escape type roof vent. DETAIL l Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato l Engine: Four cylinder 3000CC Euro 6 diesel, 157bhp at 3500rpm l Dimensions: 7,472mm or 7,772mm long by 2,200mm wide by 2,645mm high l Weight: 5,000kg gross vehicle weight (2,100kg front axle, 2,900kg rear axle)
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 31 22/09/2014 18:02
MANUFACTURER › MELLOR COACHCRAFT to be installed, and plenty of vehicles were under construction. Woodall Nicholson group is also growing overall, having recently purchased a new company, Auto Electrical Services (AES) of Manchester, on September 5, mostly for the benefit of CM Specialist vehicles. The Managing Director of Bluebird, Rob Miller, has also brought a wealth of knowledge to Mellor. His new role focuses on the export potential of the business. “We have demonstrator vehicles over in Australia and we’re also looking at Canada as a potential export market,” Allison stated. “Rob is now tasked with looking purely at business overseas and the bus market. “We’ve exported a couple of vehicles in the past, but nothing major. We’ve never looked at that market before.” Mellor has already received orders to build Tucana and Orion Plus vehicles. The company will be making changes to the vehicles in the future, but for now, it is still familiarising itself with them and gaining experience building them. “There are changes which we do want to make, and not just what has been brought up by keeping a log of all the parts and warranty issues,” Allison said. “Bluebird’s vehicles were hard-wired, while ours are going to use the
IN DEPTH
The Orion Lite The key selling point of the Orion Lite, which is primarily aimed at community transport groups, is the ease with which drivers can be found to drive it. There is no need to pay for drivers to obtain a D1 licence and training if the vehicle is not operated for hire or reward, thanks to the low gross vehicle weight of 4,250kg. Mellor claims that this can save about £1,000. What this all means is that a volunteer driver can drive the minibus if the company is operating under a section 19 permit and is not for profit, the vehicle has fewer than 16 seats, the driver is aged between 21 and 70 with a licence for more than two years and the vehicle is under
3,500kg, or 4,250kg if adapted for wheelchairs. To ensure the vehicle keeps to these requirements, the specification is more set in stone. Its four cylinder, 2300cc engine, which will be made to Euro 6 standards in the near future, provides greater fuel economy than the alternative Orion builds. The vehicle has a full length flat floor and can seat up to 16 passengers, or be configured to accommodate up to four wheelchairs. The vehicle uses a set seating layout which is optimal for the type of vehicle, using CT ultra-light removable seats. Seatbelts, seats and fixings have all been tested to ensure they meet ECE regulations for category M2 vehicles. It is low floor, meaning there is no need for lifts, and it can be built with a single step or a
ramp for side entry. Again, it is has anti-slip vinyl fitted to the flat floor. As with the Orion and Orion Plus, large windows and a glass roof hatch provide plenty of natural light and give the Orion Lite a spacious and airy feel. The vehicle still finds space for the same amenities as the Orion and Orion Plus, and also carries two fire extinguishers and a first aid kit, along with the roof vent escape. DETAIL l Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato l Engine: Four cylinder 2300CC Euro 6 diesel, 130bhp at 3500rpm l Dimensions: 7,472mm long by 2,200mm wide by 2,645mm high l Weight: 4,250kg gross vehicle weight (1,850kg front axle, 2,900kg rear axle)
The Mellor factory is now much more open plan
The Orion Plus alongside one of Mellor’s other midfloor demonstrators also built on a Fiat Ducato
IN DEPTH
The Tucana The Tucana is specially made for wheelchair accessible transport. The vehicle can carry up to 15 seated passengers, but will usually be configured for wheelchair users and can hold up to three of them. Low floor, kneeling air suspension and a single step or ramp entry make the vehicle very accessible to all passengers. Rear independent trailing link air suspension make entry and exit easier and contribute to ride quality.
Another key selling point of the Tucana is its width. At just over two metres, it can easily fit down narrow streets which would usually restrict such a vehicle from entering them. Like the Orion, large windows have been specified and a glass roof hatch is included. A similar slipresistant vinyl is applied to the floor. Seatbelts, seats and fixings comply with ECE regulations for category M2 vehicles. All interior lights are LED with blue night lights and include LED load lamp, cab lamp and step lamps. The
32 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 030_032_CBW1156_Mellor.indd 32
vehicle is supplied with fire extinguishers, a first aid kit and an emergency escape type roof vent. DETAIL l Base vehicle: Volkswagen Transporter T5 140PS l Engine: Four cylinder 1968CC diesel, 140bhp at 3500rpm l Dimensions: 6,830mm long by 2,080mm wide by 2,450mm high l Weight: 4,100kg gross vehicle weight l Entrance: Step height 250mm, entrance width 1,050mm
Cambus system – a wiring upgrade basically. We’re going to make changes like which will be easier for both us and the customer.” Promotion is another important aspect of the business’ development, and at Euro Bus Expo 2014, Mellor will be exhibiting the Orion Lite. It will also be showcasing a customer’s Orion Plus used on scheduled local bus work which has been on the road for a few years. It will be the first time that Mellor as a company has targeted the bus market. “We’ll have an Orion Plus on our stand in the Rescroft Accessibility Zone. It has a coachback, rather than two double-doors, and a ramp at the nearside entrance. It also features destination equipment.” n
CBW would like to thank Lavinia Stana, Woodall Nicholson Group Marketing Executive, for her help in producing this feature. Call Mellor Coachcraft on 01706 860610 or visit www.mellor-coachcraft.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 18:02
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PASSENGER PERSPECTIVE › KIDDERMINSTER TO BRIDGNORTH
Tales of the
riverbank T
housands of tourists travel the River Severn between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth every year on the gorgeous Severn Valley Railway’s steam trains. Less famous, and with no steam present, the humble bus also serves both sides of the river. I went riding to see what the locals experience…
Kidderminster
Kidderminster railway station has ‘olde worlde’ appeal. As you step off the train, you’re greeted by a forecourt of cobbles and the Severn Valley Railway’s southern terminus. However, bus/ rail integration in this town famous for its carpets is sadly lacking. The railway station is on Comberton Hill, with the town centre and bus station a good 10-minute walk away. The Victorians must have believed in �itness. Buses do link the station with the town, but they aren’t particularly obvious, and aren’t of a uniform frequency. So I run the gauntlet of Comberton Hill, negotiating not one, but two less than salubrious subways, which underpass the never-completed Kidderminster Ring Road – i.e. it’s a Ring Road that only goes three-quarters of the way around. Before you arrive at the bus station, the Town 34 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 034_036_CBW1156_Phil Tonks.indd 34
Phil Tonks shares his experiences of using Arriva Midlands and Whittles bus services between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, along with the roadside infrastructure at the two Midlands market towns Hall sees a lot of bus action. Some routes start here and don’t use the bus station. It’s a heady mix of parked cars, taxi ranks, bus loading, rear-ends sticking out and horns-a-honking. I take a moment to observe the scene. Pensioners haul themselves aboard buses, whilst a delivery driver activates his middle �inger as his progress is hindered. It all seems par for the course as a small gaggle of other passengers shuf�le into position for the next bus. This one can’t access the kerb, so stops in the middle of the street and shouts something unintelligible to the masses. Either he’s forgotten to set his destination, or it isn’t working as ‘Sorry, I’m Not In Service’ adorns it. He drives off and the passengers will seemingly never know if it actually was their bus or not. Buses in Kidderminster only used to be one colour when this was Midland Red territory. Since the Red’s eventual successor First �logged
the operation to Rotala a couple of years ago, there are now buses of various strains of the rainbow. Diamond appear in various shades of blue and black (‘at the heart of the Black Country,’ proclaims one, as if to provoke these Worcestershire passengers) and Whittle’s green and white are the two prominent operators. Except Whittle also has a brown vehicle with the name of its parent company EYMS circling, as if to complete the colouring book. The bus station is another three-minute walk away. Fairly modern, if basic, this was part of the huge Tesco redevelopment a number of years ago. Diamond and Whittle inhabit, alongside some aged minibuses which no doubt provide rural links. Worcestershire County Council’s in-house ‘Woosh’ red buses hang on for dear life – next month their operation will be gone, a victim of the relentless cuts that are de�ining this era of bus history. www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 15:25
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Above: The less than salubrious subway facing people walking from the railway station to the town centre in Kidderminster Left: Confusing timetables
Bridgnorth High Street, where several Arriva services start and/or terminate
Arriva experience
It’s 1243hrs and my 1245hrs departure on the 297 seems unlikely. This Arriva Midlands service is two-hourly during the day and is the German-owned giant’s only incursion into the town. Then, the aquamarine appears and the queue shuffles, only for the bus to park up at the other side of the bus station whilst the driver stretches his legs. We’re only a few minutes late departing though, despite me being the only fare payer on the journey – this took him by surprise so much that he had to scramble round in the bottom of his bag for change for my £5 note for what was a £4.40 single fare. He’s friendly enough though, and we’re soon off into the country lanes on a route he’s obviously used to, deftly avoiding tractors, etc. There are 13 people
About the author
Phil Tonks is a long-standing and respected advocate of good public transport. He has worked for both Bus Users UK and Passenger Focus. He continues to travel the UK to find out and comment on what services are on offer.
www.coachandbusweek.com
034_036_CBW1156_Phil Tonks.indd 35
on this trip so far, with a few of them unable to see much out of the windows due to the external advertising of fare offers for Telford. We get close to the river at Arley, where a three-point-turn is exercised, and there are quintessential views of the English countryside abound. Arley Arboretum is served, and the Severn Valley Railway station, used in many a film and the comedy ‘Oh Doctor Beeching’ is only a short walk away. We pass farmyards, goats and expensive barn conversions with 4x4s on the dirt track, which gives some idea that this type of route is a challenge to maintain financially. At Alverley, several dismount and a few more join. Everyone appears to know each other and there’s a real community feel to this service. An advert for Alverley’s ‘Donkey Derby Day’ is apt – the state of some of the roads provides excellent practice.
Bridgnorth bus stop bother
Through the delightfully-named Quatt and then Quatford, we speed along the A442 into Bridgnorth – a finalist in ‘Britain in Bloom 2014.’ Our 297 climbs to ‘High Town’ and terminates outside The Harp pub alongside a fellow Arriva vehicle, causing minor traffic chaos. Bridgnorth is as charming as ever, but for
non-regular bus users, is hardly enticing. Some services depart from The Harp, but others are a fair walk away outside the hospital – and there is no ‘where to find your bus’ information. The locals seem to know it all, but what about us ‘tourists’? I peruse the timetables. A nightmare. There are codes everywhere for different days of the week, different routes, schooldays, school holidays, even one that seems to suggest a service runs ‘during January only.’ It is all too much for my limited intelligence and decide to take shelter down the road in the Severn Valley Railway’s Railwayman’s Arms pub. Now, I think I’m being a bit savvy. My next journey – the 125 down the other side of the river – passes the railway station, so I decide I can safely down a pint and nip out for my next trip. But there’s an ‘issue.’ For buses coming into Bridgnorth, there’s a convenient bus stop right outside the station. For those in the opposite direction there is none. The bus stop flag doesn’t say ‘and opposite,’ and I presume this is because the road bends slowly and it might be considered dangerous if cars were to overtake stationary buses at this point. However, I see no bus stop before either. In fact, there is nowhere to stop all the way back up September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 35
22/09/2014 15:25
PASSENGER PERSPECTIVE › KIDDERMINSTER TO BRIDGNORTH
The external window advertising on the Arriva 297 service
So it’s a mad sprint across the road and a ‘Linford Christie’ to the shelter with no timetable.
Whittles’ service
Whittles’ commercially-operated extension of the 125 to Stourbridge is set for to be reduced this month. TONY HUNTER the hill to the town centre – a good uphill walk of around 10-15 minutes. So I decide to forgo the beer and hoof it back up to the town, where I am confronted by more misdemeanours. As mentioned, if the buses aren’t outside The Harp, they appear to be outside the hospital. There are two shelters, on opposite sides of the road. Only one of them has timetable information, and it’s the usual dreaded list of codes – including two different explanations for the letter ‘D,’ if only to confuse matters further. It’s now pouring with rain and several intending passengers cram under the shelter whilst I brave the timetable information (on a post, away from the shelter) under a brolly. I conclude that my 125 Whittles service will depart from here, as that’s where the timetable information is, but of course, you know what’s coming next. An Arriva bus appears, drops off, a small bang is heard and something pours out onto the road. The driver inspects and decides it’s not good. Meanwhile, through rain-splattered glasses, I happen to spot a Whittles bus with 125 on the rear pull up on the other side of the road.
36 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 034_036_CBW1156_Phil Tonks.indd 36
The Whittles driver appears unimpressed at my impression of a 6’7” drowned rat emerging onto his bus. His huge beard gives the impression he’s just stepped off a Harley Davidson, but he’s happy to relieve me of £4.95 for a ride down the side of the river. He too is struggling for change. Does no one ever pay a cash fare anymore? Like the earlier Arriva bus, this Whittles single decker is also very smartly turned out. However, the weather conditions have the windows all steamed up, so I can’t really see much as the bus heads southbound through the former mining village of Highley and the chocolate box-sounding Button Oak into Bewdley and then Kidderminster. It seems reasonably well used, although the extension to Stourbridge
Follow the trail
If you would like to follow in Phil’s footsteps on this journey or a variation on it, you can find details at: ● ARRIVA MIDLANDS Visit www.arrivabus.co.uk/midlands or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 ● WHITTLES Visit www.whittlecoach.co.uk/bus.asp or call 01562 820002. ● SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY Visit www.svr.co.uk or call 01562 757900.
Bridgnorth remains a delightful place – according to Phil. TONY HUNTER – provided commercially – is being cut from hourly to two-hourly this month.
Conclusion
It’s been a classic rural/market town bus scene. A vital lifeline for locals, overwhelmingly used by concessionary pass holders, quite steep single fares for those paying, and County Council provided at-stop information which isn’t simple to understand unless you use the service day in, day out. There’s potential for tourists here, but who is going to pay to market it? To sum up, I would make the following observations. Rural Greats: ● Vital service, with friendly drivers; ● Potential for more use by tourists; and ● On time services. Market Town Gripes: ● Quite expensive single fares; ● At-stop information dif�icult to understand; and ● Where to board information in Bridgnorth non-existent. ■ www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 19:19
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The latest news, views, features, jobs, vehicles for sale AND MUCH MORE... 22/09/2014 11:10
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DELIVERIES CHANDLERS COACH TRAVEL One of Wiltshire’s wellknown operators, Chandlers Coach Travel has taken delivery of a new Euro 6 Volvo Bus B11R Jonckheerebodied coach. The coach was needed to meet obligations by the beginning of June this year and the order for the new vehicle was secured and delivered in plenty of time. “We had a very full schedule and workload ahead of us at the start of summer and not only did we need a new coach, it was also vitally important we had it in place and ready to enter into operation for the summer season,” owner Margaret I’Anson explained. “This is our seventh new Volvo and we were confident in the build
JOHNSON BROS Two more Irizar i6 Integrals have joined the Johnson Bros Tours fleet. The Worksopbased operator has been running two other vehicles, bought from Irizar UK, for a season and states that its decision to make another purchase was based on the performance of the DAFengined coach. The highly specified i6 Integrals are two-axle, 12.9m coaches with 55 seats and 57 seats. They both have the Johnson Bros. signature air horns and marker lights, a driver’s bunk, all-round
quality and specification we’ve come to expect from their vehicles. At the right price the B11R ticked all the boxes, so once we knew our deadline could be met, we had no hesitation in placing the order. I would add that Jo Standbridge (Volvo Regional Sales Manager) has been brilliant throughout the whole process from specification through to delivery, so we’re very pleased.” Chandler Coach Travel’s new B11R coach features all the latest facilities for the comfort and convenience of passengers, including TV screens and DVD players, plus hot drinks server and fridge - as well as an onboard toilet. The vehicles are being used for a variety of purposes including school contracts, UK tours and
CCTV cameras, alloy wheels and factory-fitted satellite navigation. One of the coaches is dedicated to tour work for Travelstyle of Chesterfield, one of Johnsons’ partnering tour operators. “If these perform as well as the previous two, we’ll be looking at Irizar UK again in Autumn,” said Lee Johnson, Director of Johnson Bros. Tours. “The driver reaction to them is very good, and I love the styling, which seems better thought through than other coaches, with nice, flowing lines.” Lee said his company has
38 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 038_039_CBW1156_Deliveries.indd 38
event trips as well as some overseas work with schools’ holiday groups. Volvo Bus Regional Sales Manager Jo Standbridge said: “The B11R chassis continues to be widely recognised by operators across the UK for its quality and technical specification, as well as giving excellent service and comfort for passengers. This latest order from Chandlers Coach Travel highlights our strong relationship and their confidence in our vehicles.” FACT FILE
CHASSIS/BODY: Volvo B11R/
Jonckheere ENGINE: Euro 6 TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift SEATS: 53 SUPPLIED BY: Volvo Bus
02476 21050 www.volvobuses. com
PLASTOWS COACHES
Oxford-based Plastows Coaches has added a fourth Volvo B9R to its nine-strong fleet of coaches. The new B9R Jonckheerebodied coach has a 53 seat capacity and has been specified with TV screens, on-board toilet, hot drink servery and a reversing camera which was added to the vehicle by special request from Plastows Coaches. The new Volvo B9R features a rear-mounted D9B 380hp 9.4-litre diesel engine which is connected to the 12-speed fully automated Volvo I-Shift gearbox. Volvo says the vehicle offers outstanding fuel efficiency and has an exceptionally wide rev range resulting in excellent driveability, while the electronically controlled air suspension provides a high level of comfort for passengers. Jo Standbridge, Regional Sales Manager for Volvo
Bus, said: “We’ve a very successful and long standing relationship with Plastows Coaches. “Over the years they’ve found our coaches meet all of their requirements of sound, efficient and reliable vehicles with excellent after sales back-up as well as the good availability of quality spares. “We’re delighted to be working with Plastows again and the fact they have further invested in our popular B9R chassis clearly underlines the quality of service we provide and their faith and trust in our vehicles.” FACT FILE
CHASSIS/BODY: Volvo B9R/
Jonckheere ENGINE: D9B 380hp TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift
automated SEATS: 53 SUPPLIED BY: Volvo Bus 02476 21050 www.volvobuses.com
Johns Bros. runs 100 vehicles, including those of subsidiary Redfern Travel, at Mansfield Woodhouse. It provides a full range of coach services, including private hire, and runs its own extensive tour programme – in addition to home to school transport. FACT FILE
CHASSIS/BODY: Irizar i6
Integral
nothing against the standard auto-shift AS-Tronic gearbox but it has always preferred traditional automatics: “I’m sure the fuel economy is
slightly better with an ASTronic-shift gearbox but we’re getting well into doublefigures of mpg from our ZF Ecolife, which is fine.”
ENGINE: 360hp Euro 5 TRANSMISSION: ZF Ecolife SEATS: 55/57 SUPPLIED BY: Irizar UK 01909
500514 www.irizar.co.uk
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ANCHOR TOURS Anchor Tours based in Bellurgan, Dundalk, County Louth has taken delivery of a new Volvo B13R Euro 5 coach with 9700 bodywork. “We’ve been specifying Volvo since 1963,” explained Anchor Tour’s Managing Director Seamus Keenan. “We have a large fleet of Volvo coaches and this latest vehicle afforded us the capacity and reliability that we required.” The Volvo B13R 9700 is built on the Volvo tri-axle, 13 metre B13R chassis and is powered by a rear-mounted Euro 5 incentive, 13-litre diesel engine, rated at 460hp. The new vehicle also features a servery and 53 seats which have a quality half leather finish. However it wasn’t just the aesthetics which appealed to Anchor Tours. “I’m keen to see the long-term level performance results with this vehicle,”
added Seamus Also featuring Volvo’s I-Shift 12-speed gearbox and electronically controlled disc brakes and air suspension, Anchor has specified a coach which it knows and trusts. Seamus continued: “We’ve had 9700s before. They are excellent quality and they
are reliable, plus we know that we have the superb back-up support of the Dennison Commercials and Irish Commercials Volvo dealerships. “This is also the first time that we have taken advantage of the support packages provided by Volvo.
Volvo Financial Services put together an excellent package for us and we were delighted to utilise that option in the purchase of the new vehicle.” Anchor Tours’ new Volvo B13R 9700 is being used on the company’s UK and Irish tour contracts, including
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some safari park work. Seamus said: “This type of tour tends to be quite popular, especially during the summer months. As a result the 53 seats and onboard toilet were fundamental requirements.” “Anchor Tours has always been a loyal Volvo customer,” explained Regional Coach Sales Manager, Richard Mann. “They appreciate our customer service and the reliability and quality of our vehicles. “This is the first time they have taken advantage of our VFS offer and they are pleased with the overall package.” FACT FILE
CHASSIS/BODY: Volvo B13R
9700 ENGINE: 460hp Euro 5 TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift SEATS: 53 SUPPLIED BY: Volvo Bus 02476
21050 www.volvobuses.com
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September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 39 22/09/2014 18:20
THE BIG PICTURE
David Bell has been to Oxford to photograph the first of the 14 Euro 6 Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400s that the Oxford Bus Company is introducing to the BrookesBus network serving Oxford Brookes University. Not only are the buses the first production examples of ADL’s Enviro400MMC (Major Model Change) bodywork, they’re also the first fitted with hybrid Gyrodrives supplied by GKN Hybrid Power. Gyrodrive is a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) which uses a high speed carbon fibre flywheel to store the energy generated by a vehicle when it brakes.
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SUPPLIER PROFILE › RWT COMMERCIAL SERVICES
Commonsense and pragmatism Bob Turnock believes in delivering customer service, the old fashioned type of customer service that we all value. Andy Izatt talks to Bob and his wife Sue about RWT Commercial Services, the business they founded eight years ago
I
f you asked a �itter to list the tools that are essential to the job, it’s unlikely that a 10p coin would get a mention, but that’s exactly what Bob Turnock used to block a compressor pipe that was leaking air. The fault had brought a Neoplan to a halt on a motorway hard shoulder, but the temporary repair meant air could build up and the coach could be moved to a place of safety. Lives have been lost in similar circumstances in the past so the importance of what Bob did shouldn’t be underestimated, but you won’t �ind his solution in any instruction manual. “My objective is always to get the vehicle moved off the motorway as quickly and ef�iciently as possible, and without the help of a tow hook,” explained Bob who is Managing Director of Lye, Stourbridge-based RWT Commercial Services. “It’s about always trying to think outside the box.” RWT is a commercial vehicle engineering company that Bob founded with wife Sue eight years ago, but Bob draws on more than four decades of industry experience both as a mechanic and driver. He’s a stickler for doing any job correctly, but he comes from an engineering tradition that still values common sense and pragmatism - qualities that he feels are sometimes sidelined in today’s workshops where so much emphasis is placed on computer
42 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 042_044_CBW1156_RWT.indd 42
diagnostics. Bob trained as a �itter with Walter Mills Coaches of Dudley, passing his PCV test in 1977. Subsequent employers have included some of the West Midlands most well known names – operators like Hardings Coaches, Bowens and Flights. Ken Flight in particular is someone who Bob still holds in high regard. He’s worked on the dealer side as well and that brings us to another story that personi�ies what Bob is all about. We won’t mention the dealer by name, but suf�ice to say it was one owned by one of the manufacturers. It’s late Friday afternoon and Bob is endeavouring to complete work on a coach because he knows the operator concerned needs it back ASAP as there’s passengers booked to travel on it. He has given the proprietor his word that the coach will be available. In walks the Managing Director (MD) of the dealership to ask why Bob is still working after 1730hrs. Bob explains the situation and points out that he’s not leaving until the job is complete. Workshop staff at the dealership aren’t supposed to work alone so he persuades the MD to stay until 1830hrs. In fact the job’s done by 1815hrs, but Bob knows the damage has been done. Sure enough, 0832hrs on Monday morning
he’s summoned to the MD’s of�ice. Before the MD has a chance to give him a month’s notice, Bob hands him his resignation with immediate effect. Before the afternoon is out he’s driving a tour coach for one of his many industry contacts. How you view this story probably depends on your work history – whether you’ve always been employed or whether you’ve been self employed and run your own business. Bob is a man of his word and does everything he can to keep it. In today’s world where promises seem to be all too easily made and all too often broken, this matters to people, particularly those running their own businesses. Bob’s approach is quite simple. He says what needs to be said and he does what needs to be done. He’s always straight with people and has little time for those who don’t show him the same courtesy. “Don’t hold a pistol to my head unless you’re prepared to pull the trigger,” he explained. Generous to a fault, Bob always tries to help people. Regular services from RWT include six-weekly inspections, general workshop maintenance and parts supply, air conditioning upkeep and welding repairs. 24/7 roadside assistance is available as is escorting abnormal loads, but when it comes to engineering, he’s always prepared to take on a challenge. In fact
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but after three months it was clear that wasn’t going to be big enough either, such were the growing demands on the business. When a larger adjacent unit that had previously been used as an illegal cannabis farm became vacant, Bob and Sue quickly grasped the opportunity. Combined, the two units mean that four full size vehicles can be worked on undercover at a time. As the business has developed so has the number of staff. 10 are now employed in addition to Bob and Sue who is Office Manager. Jayne Humphries is Works Coordinator while Ashley Taylor is Workshop Supervisor. Finding it hard to find qualified engineers who share his work ethic, Bob now prefers to recruit young
240v supply and are fully weatherproofed. As well as Texa IDC4 multi-brand diagnostics, the firm has Star diagnostics. Liquid fill Autocraft Equipment is used to replenish air conditioning because it’s quicker than regassing. When it comes to Mig and Tig welders, they’re only retained for three years to ensure they remain in good condition. Other workshop equipment includes the latest laser line headlamp beam setters. When CBW visited a 2003 Van Hool Scania was undergoing an engine overhauled as was a 2005 Marcopolo-bodied MAN. A 2002 Neoplan Starliner was having a new Telma retarder fitted amongst other work. The fact that operators
people with the right aptitude as apprentices and train them himself. Health and safety is taken very seriously and RWT has its own Fire Safety Risk Assessment policy. Staff have been trained by West Midlands Fire Service so they know how to respond in the event of a fire. “Every Christmas we clean and paint the workshop,” explained Bob. “I’m walking the floor all the time so my staff can always find me. I know what the booked time should be for a job. Sometimes we’ll need to go over that, but we won’t necessarily pass that cost on because I know what the customer is expecting. We only fit genuine parts with part numbers and that’s documented on the invoice so customer have warranty protection. We’re sensible on how we charge ‘consumables’ as well.” RWT is using new Maxima wireless heavyduty column lifts and is also a distributor for the product. Four are in operation and another two sets of four are due shortly. Each leg has a 7.5-tonne capacity and wireless operation means there are no cables trailing on the workshop floor. Battery packs are charged via a
from as far afield as Essex, the Isle of Wight, London, the south coast and Yorkshire regularly send vehicles to RWT for attention is testament to the firm’s reputation.
‘We always try and do the honourable thing and it’s because of our reputation customers keep coming back’
there isn’t really anything he’s not prepared to tackle and that includes structural work and replacing stretched panels. Bob’s sense of satisfaction is all the greater when the job is something that a competitor has said can’t be done, as was the case with the correct installation of a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) on an early Neoplan Starliner. However, the one area that he won’t tackle is paint spraying simply because RWT doesn’t have the necessary facilities.
Professional cleaning
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) fitting and cleaning has become an important aspect of the business and RWT Commercial Services has a dedicated subsidiary, 0800 DPF Cleaning.com, established around two and a half years ago, to undertake the work. Bob has a thorough understanding of the technology, even designing and building a SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system himself for fitting to a King Long coach. He was able to price it at significantly less than what’s available through the usual outlets. For a long time he was aligned with one DPF supplier, but changing dynamics in the market mean the business is now multi-franchised. 0800 DPF Cleaning.com’s customers include Transport for London contractors, but Bob is circumspect about naming them because, sadly,
Step-by-step growth
When Bob established RWT he original planned to work as a mobile engineer. The recession was starting to bite at the time and some coach operators were reducing the size of their engineering teams. That created opportunities. He sold his car to buy a van and fitted it out with a bed and a microwave as well as his tools. “It was just me and the dog,” he recalled. “Operators knew me. They were looking to reduce staff so my workload soon built up.” However, it wasn’t long before Bob started renting a workshop in Halesowen. That lasted just 18 months before the move to the Lye Industrial Estate, RWT’s current home, four years ago. The industrial estate is just around the corner from Prospect Coaches of Lye. Initially a 3,000 square feet unit was rented, www.coachandbusweek.com
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Sue and Bob: ‘If we can help, we will. We’re here to do the job right.’ September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 43 22/09/2014 14:46
SUPPLIER PROFILE › RWT COMMERCIAL SERVICES
Up to four full size vehicles can be worked at a time
business associates have taken advantage of his openness in the past. Fitter Nick Broom, who has worked for Bob and Sue since leaving school, travels to the capital almost daily in one of the firm’s five vans to collect and deliver filters for “some big names.” Bob sees London as a market opportunity to develop. There are two further vans out each day up and down the country collecting and returning DPF filters for cleaning. Normally filters are collected one day, cleaned the next and returned the following day, but overnight cleaning is also available. Those prepared to bring a vehicle to Lye can take advantage of a same day service. It’s particularly popular with smaller operators. The firm’s thermal pulse oven is the only one of its type in the country. As well as heat, air is pulsed through the filter cleaning it more thoroughly and quickly. Both silicon carbide and cordierite filters can be treated, taking just two and half to three hours a time – a distinct advantage when a customer is waiting. Bob and his team work to high standards, but it’s a real concern that not all their competitors do the same. “It bothers me that there are people who are not doing the job right,” he said. “Would you really entrust the cleaning of your highly technical DPF to a total stranger armed with a jet wash and a van? Do you really want to forfeit the traceability of your new filter? Would you entrust the servicing of your DPF to a salesman rather than an engineer? “It was only when I got involved with DPFs that I fully realised just how invasive particulate matter (PM) can be and how much of a threat it represents to health. If you doubt this, think about the direct link that has been established between PM and cancer by the World Health Organisation. 44 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 042_044_CBW1156_RWT.indd 44
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) fitting and cleaning has become an important aspect of the business
“A DPF has a limited life so traceability is of paramount importance. To retain traceability you need to have the filter removed from your vehicle. It should be cleaned to the most rigorous standards, refitted and then subjected to a smoke test to ensure that the filter is completely up to scratch. “We carry out an opacity test before the filter is removed and also institute a raw smoke test directly from the engine to confirm that the engine’s characteristics have not changed since installation. When the filter is refitted, a third test is carried out to ensure that the vehicle is fully compliant with the regulations. “Many manufacturers recommend that a filter is cleaned at least annually. This obviously depends upon your duty cycle. For the systems we install, we issue a notification by post when each filter is ready for its annual clean. We’re all busy people and sometimes you’ll miss an email.”
Philosophy of life
The firm’s vans are out daily collecting and returning DPFs that are booked for cleaning
A fast dedicated service for the supply and installation of DPFs is VOSA compliant
RWT is a DVSA (Driver Vehicle Standards Agency) compliant installer and is also a service provider for Van Hool. “My Dad gave me a dictionary with a lot of words crossed through in red in it,” said Bob who, aged 64, has no plans to retire. “They were all negatives. My Dad said that I didn’t need them because if I started using them I’d be lost. “This is our business. I want every penny that’s owed to me, but not a penny that isn’t. We’re real people and we try and help people. We always try and do the honourable thing and it’s because of our reputation customers keep coming back. If we can help, we will. We’re here to do the job right.” Bob’s mobile number is 07919 253679. It’s never switched off. n www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 14:46
over 1,500 vehicles for sale online are your vehicles among them? Statistic taken on friday 5th august 2014
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M O C . T E K R A M S COACHANDBULES FOR SALE
VEHIC
Contact Gemma Ireland
GREAT VALUE FOR OPERATORS UNLIMITED ONLINE vehicle advertisEments on coachandbusmarket.com
Tel: 01733 293247 Fax: 0845 280 2927 Email: gemma.ireland@ coachandbusweek.com
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2011 Bova Futura Classic FHD
12m, 49 seats, ZF auto, sat-nav, centre toilet, power continental door, A/C, 2 monitors, radio/PA, CD, DVD, on-board vacuum, Euro 4, MOT March 2015.
New Bova Futura 2 FHD
Euro 6, ZF auto, 57 Vogel reclining seats + courier, fresh water centre, sunken WC, continental door, double glazing, air con climate control, 3 point belts, two flat screen monitors, radio/PA, CD, DVD, hot water boiler, fridge, alloy wheels and drivers bunk.
2002 Volvo B12M VanHool T9
Manual, 49 seats, WC, fridge, boiler, radio/PA, DVD, monitor, air conditioning, MOT December.
2009 Bova Futura FHD
Automatic, 53/55 seats, centre sunken toilet, centre continental door, radio/PA, DVD, 2 monitors, boiler and fridge, MOT May 2015.
£POA
£POA
£POA
£POA
Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501
Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501
Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501
Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501
2002/02 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI UVG Treka
2002 (02) Mercedes 814 Vario Plaxton Beaver 2
2008/08 LDV Maxus 3.5T LWB (Euromotive)
16 seater, welfare/accessible, COIF, automatic, power door, tacho, PLS, one owner from new.
29 seats with lap & diagonal belts, automatic, 283,000km, MOT Aug 2015, PLS underslung chair lift, LEZ compliant.
7 seats, internal chairlift, full tracking, all seats on Unwin quick release, 1 owner and genuine low miles, side loading door, bonded windows.
£6,495 + VAT – CHOICE OF 5
£11,950 + VAT
£6,495 + VAT
BNL Coaches 0208 363 8572 / 07971 785390
BNL Coaches 0208 363 8572 or 07971 785390
BNL Coaches 0208 363 8572 / 07971 785390
New EVM Sprinter X-Clusive
Euro 6 Low Floor Sprinter
New EVM Sprinter
Mercedes Benz Sprinter
16 executive seats in leather+ driver, automatic, power door, coach back boot, in-dash and saloon A/C, panoramic windows, monitors and DVD.
22 mixed between seating/standing/wheelchair, sliding 120 cm entry door, multiple drop box combinations are available for luggage storage.
17 high back seats in Automotive trim, 3 point seat belts, Euro 6, manual gearbox, metallic silver, saloon sliding door, air-con, colour coded bumpers and trim, 3 year Mercedes Benz UK warranty.
6 speed manual gearbox, white, manual door, luggage racks with individual passenger service units, double rear doors, saloon air-con, parking sensors, 16 seats finished in moquette, 3 pt seat belts, saloon lighting, 138,800 miles.
POA
POA
£40,000
£19,500 +VAT
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
46 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
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VEHICLES
2002 Scania Irizar K114
Ford Transit 17 seat minibus
2007 Ford Transit
2006 VW LT35 TDi
• 15 seats • 112,000 miles • Full Ford service history Wheelchair accessible, 64,000 miles, one owner, FSH, white with grey interior. Choice of four vehicles.
• White with grey interior. 49 exec, W.C., A.C., 7 speed C-Shift, MOT 21/5/15, excellent condition.
Immaculate condition throughout, in-dash air conditioning, recent new clutch and flywheel.
NOW £37,000
• Choice of two vehicles.
£5,800 + VAT
£7,800 + VAT
Crystals Coaches Ltd 020 8960 8800/07971 000111
Kingdoms Tours Ltd 01884 252646 / 07702 626542
keith.cabincoaches@gmail.com
Crystals Coaches Ltd 020 8960 8800/07971 000111
Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
Volvo B7R
55 seats, two available. £POA
53 seats, several M reg coaches available. £POA
57 seats. £POA
55 seats. £POA
Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com
Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com
Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com
Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com
Luxury VW Crafter
2009 Mercedes 0816 Sitcar Beluga 2
2006 (56) Autosan Eagle 1012T
2006 Volvo B12M
25 leather trimmed seats with lap belts, courier seat, power plug door, air con, audio & DVD, fridge, drivers door, drivers electric window, reverse camera, digital tacho, Telma retarder. POA
67 seats, 3 point belts, air don, destination front side and rear, digital tachograph, Webasto, wheelchair tracking and side door (no lift fitted), new Allison auto gearbox fitted last year, will have MOT to Oct 2015.
£60,000 + VAT o.n.o.
51/53 seat executive, WC, AC, auto, Berkoff LEZ, MOT 12/11/14, excellent condition. NOW £65,000
Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South
Rhodri Evans 01267 237584 or 07748 637362
01884 252646 / 07702 626542 Kingdoms Tours Ltd
2003 (53) Volvo B12M
2000 Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer
51/53 seat executive, WC, AC, Berkoff, LEZ, MOT 12/11/14, excellent condition. NOW £44,000 – MAY CONSIDER PX
37 seats with seat belts, good working condition for age, MOT June 2015, in daily use. £4,500 +VAT ono
01884 252646 / 07702 626542 Kingdoms Tours Ltd
Travelsure 01668 219291 / 07919 215905
2006 Volvo B12B Caetano Levante
1998 Volvo B12B Plaxton Premier 350
49 seats, automatic gearbox, air conditioning, toilet, LEZ compliant, wheelchair accessible.
51 seats, automatic gearbox, air conditioning, fixed toilet, ABS, LEZ compliant, 973,866km, MOT Nov.
2007, 16 seats, A/C, DVD, microphone, 135,000 miles, 7 months MOT, excellent condition.
£21,000
£11,500
Slick Rides – 07823 770978
WANTED MERCEDES COACHES 1999 to present year,16 to 35 seats, finance settled, with or without MOT, accident damage etc. CONTACT TIM FOR AN IMMEDIATE DECISION
Tel: 01404 47502 / 07790 966667 Email: parnell-coaches@supanet.com
2005 Indicar Iveco Euro Cargo
29 seats plus courier, manual gearbox, ABS, air conditioning, tinted windows, MOT March.
1999 MAN Neoplan
48 seats, nanual gearbox, fixed toilet, courier seat, air conditioning, LEZ compliant, MOT October.
£POA
£POA
£POA
£POA
Ventura Sales 01342 835206
Ventura Sales 01342 835206
Ventura Sales 01342 835206
Ventura Sales 01342 835206
www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 47
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VEHICLES
Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com
1996 Scania Irizar Century
1994 Volvo B10M Plaxton Premier 350
1999 Volvo B7R Plaxton Prima
2010 Scania K360 Omni Express
67/70 seats, luggage racks, curtains, 3 point belts, reading lights, power door, double glazing, ZF automatic gearbox, DVD monitor, tinted windows, Telma Retarda, air conditioning, underfloor lockers.
49 reclining coach seats, lap retractable belts, N/S/R floor mounted toilet, ZF auto, tachograph, power door, aisle carpet, radio/CD, air con, newly retrimmed seats, curtains, new repaint in white, double glazed.
70 re-trimmed coach seats, 3 point seat belts, luggage racks, forced air ventilation, reading lights, 6 speed manual, Telma retarda, 174,969 kms, radio/ cassette, excellent condition.
51seats + courier, 3 point seat belts, plug door, double glazed side windows, air con, rear floor mounted toilet, powered continental door, radio/PA/CD audio system, DVD, monitor, water boiler, fridge, reverse camera, integral retarder, automatic, alloy wheels, digital tacho.
£17,500 + VAT
CHOICE OF 2 – £9,000 + VAT
£25,000 + VAT
£POA
Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524
Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524
Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524
Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South
2006 (06) Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI
2000/2001 X/Y Reg Volvo B7TL’S
2006 BMC Falcon
2001 Y Reg Tridents
80 seats, Voith gearboxes, Euro 2 engines with traps, or full Euro 3 with traps, Plaxton President bodies, can be DDA with 78 seats. Why pay more for less. FROM £20,000 + VAT
40 seats, low floor bus, Cummins engine, MOT January 2015, ideal vehicle for school bus conversion, in daily use. £11,950 +VAT ono
D L O
S
Lowered front entry, extended rear, one owner from new, huge boot separate from passengers,12 months MOT, forced air, wood dash, electric windows and mirrors, COIF, below average mileage.
£14,750 + VAT – WILL P/X
01404 47502/07790 966667 parnell-coaches@supanet.com
Cummins C series engines, Voith gearboxes, Plaxton President bodies, 78 seats. Why pay more for less. FROM £18,000 + VAT
EnsignBus 01708 865656
Travelsure 01668 219291 / 07919 215905
New EVM Sprinter X-Clusive
New EVM Sprinter Classic
New EVM Sprinter Classic
New EVM Sprinter Avantgarde
Automatic, Plug type power door, coach back boot door, large drop boot, in dash and saloon A/C, 16 executive class seats, 2 saloon tables, panoramic roof, double glazing, monitor and DVD.
22 seats + driver, automatic, power door, double rear doors, privacy glass, in-dash and saloon A/C, saloon heater, 3 stage entry step, luggage racks.
16 seats + driver, automatic, hinged entry door, double rear doors, in-dash and saloon A/C, saloon heater, privacy glazing, PA system.
6 speed manual gearbox, Plug type power door, double rear doors, drop boot, in-dash A/C, saloon A/C, 19 Club Class seats in moquette, 3 point belts, panoramic double glazing, body styling.
EnsignBus 01708 865656
£POA
POA
POA
£POA
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
EVM Direct – 0845 5205160
1998 Volvo Caetano Salvador
2007 Ford Transit T430 ELWB
2003 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI
2008 Iveco Eurorider Beulas Cygnus
49 reclining seat with seat belts, mid toilet, centre door, monitor + DVD, radio + cassette, courier seat, tax and tested, fitted with air con but needs belts and re-gas.
17 seats with lap and diagonal belts, 6 speed manual gearbox, ABS, PAS, radio/CD, digital tacho, air con, electric front windows & mirrors, remote central locking, COIF/PSV.
17 seats with lap and diagonal belts, 5 speed manual gearbox, ABS, PAS, radio/CD, analogue tacho, front entry lowered step, tow bar, coach style rear with dropwell boot, COIF/PSV.
53 seats + courier, 3 point seat belts OR 49 reclining seats with ONE wheelchair position, plug door, air con, wheelchair lift & access, radio/PA/CD, DVD & monitor, fridge, continental door, driver’s safe, cruise control, digital tachograph, integral retarder, automatic.
£14,500 + VAT o.n.o.
£9,995
£10,495
£POA
01833 660471 / 07730 486708 paul.watson@btconnect.com
Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111
Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111
Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South
2007 Volvo B12B’s
2011 Iveco Eurorider Plaxton Panther
2011 VDL Bova Futura FHD 127.365PR
Iveco Daily
61 seats + courier, 3 point belts, Plug entrance door, double glazing, air con, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD system coupled to drop down monitor, panelled rear, Webasto heater, wired for CCTV, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.
53 seats + courier, lap seat belts, Plug entrance door, double glazing, air conditioning, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD & twin monitors, Webasto heater, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.
Euro 5, automatic, 12m, front wheelchair lift, Hanover LED’s, converted and certified with 70 seats and 3 point belts, only 3 available. £80,000 EACH
EnsignBus 01708 865656 48 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
£POA – CHOICE
£POA – CHOICE
8 passengers plus driver (COIF for 14 seats), front entrance with lowered step, 3 point seat belts, large tinted panoramic windows, MOT Sept, tax Oct 2014. REDUCED – NOW £3,000 incl VAT
Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South
Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South
Tel: 0121 788 8848 Marsden PTS Ltd www.coachandbusweek.com
p49_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 13:28 Page 49
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VEHICLES
2000 MAN VanHool EOS 90
Mercedes Benz UNVI Touring
48 reclining seats plus courier, WC/washroom, double glazed windows, forced-air ventilation, radio/CD and PA system, clean condition, MOT Jan, 640,000 kms.
Atego chassis, air suspension, 41 Esteban Ergos seats with 3 pt belts, in Holdsworth moquette, courier seat, air con, double glazed, radio/CD/PA, large luggage capacity, new test.
£21,500
£POA
Coachtraders - 01501 744000
2001 MAN Neoplan
Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CD Unvi Vega GT
Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CDI Unvi Vega LUX
18 passenger seats, air conditioning, double glazing, manual or automatic gearbox option, radio/CD/PA system with microphone, large rear luggage boot plus side locker, reversing camera.
16 passenger seats, air con, double glazed large panoramic windows, large rear luggage boot, radio/CD/PA system with microphone, manual or automatic gearbox, electric powered entrance door.
£POA
£POA
Coachtraders - 01501 744000
Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010
Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010
2006 Scania Irizar Century
1995 Scania K113 VanHool Alizee
Mercedes Benz UNVI Touring
Auto, one year’s MOT, 49 seats: new 70 Cogent seats on order and the conversion will be carried out shortly, so pick your own trim.
Converted this year to 70 seater using Cogent seats with 3 point belts, tea machine, TV/DVD.
Atego chassis, air suspension, 37 Esteban Ergos seats in moquette, courier seat, AAAirbus air con, double glazed, fridge, radio/CD/PA, DVD & monitor, MOT April 2015.
Contact Gary – 07930 377051
£90,000 + VAT Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365
£17,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365
Coachtraders - 01501 744000
2001 Renault Master Rohill
2003 Mercedes Vario 614D
2002 Volvo B7R Plaxton
Mercedes Benz Vario 814
16 seats with three point belts, 6 removeable seats with tracking for wheelchairs, manual entry ramp, low floor with kneeling facility, destination blind, Webasto, 5 speed manual, radio/cassette, tacho, used daily, MOT Dec.
15 removable seats, or 6 wheelchairs, 5 speed manual, external wheelchair ramp, tachograph fitted, very clean condition, MOT May 2015.
28 seats with 3pt belts, bonded glass, luggage racks with mahogany effect edges, forced air, reading lights and adjustable air vents, coach style rear with deep drop boot, KVC body styling kit, test March 2015.
12 months MOT & tax, full tank of fuel, one owner driver for the last 5 years, 49 seater, toilet, aircon, drivers bunk, alloy wheels, just refurbished, 2 new 22in Samsung LED monitors, black-out windows, TV tuner, DVD system all fitted 8 months ago, good mpg, 3 new air bags, new belts, hoses and interior LED lights just fitted, 600,000km, based in Glasgow.
£25,000 + VAT
£POA
£2,700 + VAT
£5,100 + VAT
53 seats plus courier, automatic, A/C, used only on tour work, removable vinyls, seat belts, available with new test. £39,000 Call Anthony Kelly
Chalkwell Coach Hire 01795 423982 andy.bates@chalkwell.co.uk
Chalkwell Coach Hire 01795 423982 andy.bates@chalkwell.co.uk
PAB Tours – 0113 320 0780 ant@pabtours.com
Coachtraders - 01501 744000
2008 58 reg Renault Master LM39 DCI 100
2006 56 reg Mercedes Sprinter 311 CDI
2006 56 reg Ford Transit 100
Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CDI Unvi Vega EX
A very well presented minibus in standard layout. The interior is easy to keep clean with wipe down hard wearing surfaces. 16 passenger seats, comes with COIF and digital tacho. £7,995 + VAT
A very clean and tidy 16 passenger seat vehicle that has had only one owner as a minicoach. Features front entry, DVD playback system, luggage racks with blown air and reading lights. £18,495 + VAT
Direct from the MOD, comprehensive mechanical history, excellent condition,16 full size passenger seats with 3 point seat belts. Comes complete with COIF. Digital tacho can be fitted at cost. £8,495 + VAT – CHOICE OF 2
19 passenger seats, air conditioning, double glazed panoramic windows, large rear boot, radio/CD/PA system, manual or automatic gearbox option, electric power door.
UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk
UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk
UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk
Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010
1993 Volvo B10M Plaxton Premier
2002 Scania VanHool K124
2003 Mercedes Benz Setra
1988 DAF MB230 Plaxton
49 seat with belts, 2 monitors, DVD, centre toilet, centre power door, cool box + boiler, leather headrests inserts, seat back tables, foot rests, good tyres, 6 speed ZF, LEZ box, tax and test ready to work.
£22,000
£POA
49 seats, automatic, good condition for year, removable vinyls, choice of 3, only one remaining. £8,950
49 exec, W.C., A.C., 7 speed C-Shift, MOT 30/9/14, excellent condition.
NOW £39,000
£40,000 + VAT o.n.o.
53 seats, automatic, very good condition for year, currently in dry storage, additional vehicle also available. £2,750
0113 320 0780/0035 386 8138165 Anthony ant@pabtours.com
Kingdoms Tours Ltd 01884 252646 / 07702 626542
01833 660471 / 07730 486708 paul.watson@btconnect.com
PAB Tours – 0113 320 0780 ant@pabtours.com
www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 49
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VEHICLES
Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com 2002 52 reg Volvo B12B Jonckheere Mistral 50
2009 Iveco Beulas
7HO
ZF auto, 53 seats, air-con, monitor, radio, fridge, alloy wheels, RPC/LEZ compliant, MOT February 2015, taxed Sept 2014, good condition.
£28,000 + VAT
55 seats on 2 axles, LEZ Compliant, 12.7m, 1 owner since new, full exec, MOT March 2015, in daily use, choice of 2. £78,500 +VAT ono
Diamond Coaches 01243 870010 / 07711 868976
Travelsure 01668 219291 / 07919 215905
1998 Mercedes Sprinter
2004 Iveco Beulas
15 seats, front entry, Mellor conversion, MOT 16/5/14, very good condition, with tail lift.
£ 3,700
1998 Iveco 40 / 10 15 seats, front entry, MOT 22/8/14, very good condition.
£ 2,500
1995 Iveco 49 / 10 19 seats, front entry, power door, MOT 13/1/15, very good condition.
£ 3,000 Kingdoms Tours Ltd
Auto, 51 seat executive coach, WC, DVD, A/C, drinks boiler, fridge, etc, in exceptional condition for age, MOT July 2014.
£34,500 ono + VAT
01884 252646 / 07702 626542
Tel 01249 742000/07717 768315
2007 Toyota Optimo Caetano
2006 Transit Tourneo
2006 Transit Tourneo
2004 Dennis Tridents
9 seater, tax till Jan, will have new MOT, 190,000 miles, runs well, front and rear air-con, tow bar. £3,500 + VAT
Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, LEZ compliant, DDA compliant, Alexander ALX400 bodies, dual door 67 seats or single door 77 seats.
26 reclining seats, 3 point seat belts, 6 speed manual, forced air vents, power door, luggage racks, CD player, MOT Sept 2015.
£POA
£26,500
EnsignBus 01708 865656
Lakeside Coaches - 01691 622761
Crystals Coaches Ltd 020 8960 8800/07971 000111
2006 56 plate ADL Enviro School Bus
New Optimo CS700
2007 Ford Transit LWB
Hailstone Travel Ltd 0845 388 3848
2007 Optare Solo SE 7.8m
8 seats, 72,000 miles, immaculate, air con, one owner, FSH, silver with grey interior. Choice of three vehicles.
£6,000 + VAT
Wheelchair accessible, 40,000 miles, FSH, blue with grey interior. Choice of two vehicles.
57 belted seats, Cummins engine, CCTV.
Euro 5 engine, manual gearbox, reclining seats, courier seat, 3 point belts, Eberspacher, power door, radio/CD, PA, large boot, side lockers.
£30,000 + VAT
£35,000 + VAT
£76,950
£12,000 + VAT
Henderson Travel 01698 713007 or 07803 002603
Henderson Travel 01698 713007 or 07803 002603
Tel: 01302 833203 sales@ministomidis.com
Crystals Coaches Ltd 020 8960 8800/07971 000111
2006 Volvo B12M Plaxton
2004 Mercedes Sitcar Beluga
2009 Citroen Relay 35 HDi 120 LWB
2005 Mercedes Vario 614 SWB
29 seater plus courier, arm rests, seat belts and reclining seats, A/C, entertainment/PA system, excellent example of year.
14 seats, manual gearbox, ABS, PAS, Radio/CD, electric front windows & mirrors, satnav, Eberspacher, electric side loading door, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon inboard wheelchair lift.
15 seats with lap and diagonal belts, 5 speed manual gearbox, PAS, power plug door, Unwin tracked floor, offside emergency door, part exchange to clear.
27 seats, Mercedes engine, CCTV, Hanover destination.
53 reclining seats, 3 point belts, air con, WC, TV etc, PLS lift, tracking for 4 wheelchairs, MOT Oct, this coach can be painted in to your livery.
£87,500 + VAT o.n.o.
Tel Adrian – 07717 768315
£POA
£POA
£OFFERS
Cannon Bus 07436 536259 wcannon@btconnect.com
Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111
Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111
50 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
p51_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 13:31 Page 51
www.coachandbusmarket.com
VEHICLES
2003 Volvo B12M Jonckheere Euro 3
Ford Transit 3.5 Ton
Ford Transit 115PS
Ford Tourneo GLX
48 x 3 point belted seats + crew, air con, saloon mounted WC, rear continental door, MOT November 2014. £POA – NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED
15 seats, dual passenger seat, COIF, remote central locking, LEZ compliant, side loading door.
17 seats, side loading door, 5 speed gearbox, anti-lock brakes, power assisted steering, twin rear wheels, driver’s airbag, low miles.
9 seats, CD player, dual passenger seat, fully air-conditioned, heated windscreen, digital tachograph, remote central locking.
£5,995
£7,495
£7,495
Nigel McCree - 01509 502695
M4 Minibuses - 01249 247424
M4 Minibuses - 01249 247424
M4 Minibuses - 01249 247424
Ford Transit 430 115PS
1998 Dennis Javelin Caetano Cutless
2006 Optare Solo 8.8m
1999 Volvo Olympian Alexander
28 seats, Cummins engine, Look CCTV, Hanover destination.
78 seats + 13 standing, automatic, limited to 90 kph, seatbelts throughout, ideal for school trips and contract hire, Hanover displays.
High roof, 4100kgs, radio/CD player, digital tachograph, LEZ compliant, 6 speed gearbox.
Recent 70 seat conversion (not Cogent), manual gearbox, 11 months MOT, ideal contract vehicle, excellent fuel economy, sale due to fleet upgrade. Possible px for 33 seater or newer coach.
£15,000 + VAT
£25,000 + VAT
£POA
M4 Minibuses - 01249 247424
Wilkins Travel 01639 852600 wilkinstravel@hotmail.co.uk
Henderson Travel 01698 713007 or 07803 002603
Steve 0161 775 0800/07445 266345 operations@travel-master.co.uk
2002 Bova Futura
2002 Iveco Beaulas
1995 Dennis Dragon Dominator
1996 Caetano Optimo
£10,495
DAF engine, air conditioned, twin monitors, DVD, toilet, boiler, fridge, Eminox-LEZ, 49 seats, green cloth trim, manual gearbox, ready to go, MOT March 2015.
£40,000 + VAT
Automatic gearbox, air conditioned,
• 18 seats
twin monitors, DVD, toilet, boiler, fridge,
• MOT January 2015
49 seats, Euro 3, MOT March 15.
£25,000 + VAT
93 seat double deck bus, automatic, imported 1998, for sale at Manheim Auctions, Colchester CO7 7DX, Monday, 15th September at 11.00am.
£POA
• Good runner
£3,500 + VAT
L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622
L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622
Manheim Auctions Tel: 0844 502 3001
L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622
Setra 315
DAF SB3000 Plaxton Premier 320
2007 Scania PB
Mercedes 814 Beaver 2
6 speed manual, 49 seater executive, MOT April 2015, LEZ, Eminox system. £32,000
ZF automatic gearbox, 53 seats, lap belts, double glazed, in-swing power door, seats have dootrests, curtains, ZF intarder. £15,000
49 seater executive, MOT April 2015, this vehicle has been owned by us from new. £95,000
31 seats, 3 point belts, new MOT, choice of 2. £POA
Williams Coaches 01874 622223
Williams Coaches 01874 622223
Williams Coaches 01874 622223
Williams Coaches 01874 622223
2003 MAN Neoplan Starliner
2011 Iveco Plaxton Panther 2
2009 Iveco Plaxton Panther
2005 Volvo B7R Plaxton Profile
51 new seats, A/C, TV/DVD, toilet, walk-in kitchen, towbar, good condition, MOT May 2015.
Euro 5, ZF auto, 57/61 seats, A/C, 3 point belts, crew seats, low mileage, good condition, MOT May 2015.
Euro 5, ZF auto, 53/61 seats, A/C, 3 point belts, sunken toilet & continental door, crew seats, low mileage, good condition, MOT May 2015.
LEZ, 70 seats, A/C, 3 point belts, wheelchair lift, low mileage, very good condition, Hanover display, CCTV, rear view camera, TV/DVD, MOT June 2015.
£33,500 + VAT ono
£145,000 + VAT ono
£109,995 + VAT ono
£85,500 + VAT ono
Telephone: 01487 843333 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk
Telephone: 01487 843333 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk
Telephone: 01487 843333 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk
Telephone: 01487 843333 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk
www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 51
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VEHICLES 58 plate Renault Master
Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com 2010 Toyota Optimo V
2008 Toyota Optimo V
2002 52 reg Mercedes 814D Vario Beaver 2
S Manual gearbox, grey cloth interior, 3 point belts, side entry door to rear 14 seats, factory glazing, radio/CD, digital tachograph, towbar with electrics.
Manual, digital tacho, 3 point belts, air con, power door, radio/CD, PA, Fainsa Gala reclining seats, courier seat, large boot, side locker, LEZ compliant.
Manual, analogue tacho, 3 point belts, air con, power door, radio/CD, PA, reclining seats, courier seat, large boot, side lockers, LEZ compliant, reverse camera.
Owned from new with 33 highback coach seats with three point seats belts, destination equipment, manual gearbox, interior luggage racks and rear luggage boot, power door, MOT Dec 14.
£7,995
£39,995
£29,995
£16,750 + VAT
Tel: 01302 833203 sales@ministomidis.com
Tel: 01302 833203 sales@ministomidis.com
Tel: 01302 833203 sales@ministomidis.com
Chalkwell Coach Hire 01795 423982 andy.bates@chalkwell.co.uk
2008 Mercedes Tourino
2002 Volvo B7R Plaxton Prima
2009 VW Transporter
2 x 1999 Scania L94 Irizar
10 metre, 30 luxury F1 reclining seats + courier, toilet and servery, PA & DVD, manual gearbox, continental door, MOT April 2015, 380,000 km.
53 belted seats, Euro 4, Eminox exhaust, MOT March 2015, 470,000kms.
T32 130, 2.5TDI, 6 speed manual gearbox, air-con, CD player, semi high roof, side loading door, 2 rear seats with grey leather throughout, lowering suspension for rear folding ramp, tracking and winch fitted, only 35,196 miles, MOT June 2015.
MOT May 2015 & March 2015, 49 seats with belts and toilet, ZF automatic. These coaches are in good condition.
£79,950 + VAT ono (PP not incl)
£25,000 ono
£16,500 + VAT ono
Hunts Coaches 01507 668127 or 07834 053439
£9,995 + VAT
Hunts Coaches Contact Andrew 07834 053439
Chalkwell Coach Hire 01795 423982 andy.bates@chalkwell.co.uk
E&M Horsburgh Brian Martin on 01506 432251
2008 Mercedes Sprinter
2000 Volvo B10M Plaxton Panther
2007 Volvo B12B Plaxton Panther
2002 VDL Bova Futura FH
LWB, 10 soft leather reclining seats, automatic executive, power sockets, dark tinted windows, huge luggage area, DVD player.
49 seats, PA system, DVD player, climate control, toilet, continental door, water boiler, not subject to LEZ, recent re-trim, sale due to fleet replacement.
65 seats, Hanover displays, WC, front w/chair lift, A/C, 3 point belts fitted, ZF auto, inspection welcome, ready for work, sale due to fleet replacement.
Converted for use as a mobile training unit and does not currently have passenger seating specified, 354,918km, currently no MOT, number of high specification custom additions, such as full disabled access via hydraulic lift, and audio visual facilities.
£POA
£POA
£POA
£POA
Steve 0161 775 0800/07445 266345 operations@travel-master.co.uk
Steve 0161 775 0800/07445 266345 operations@travel-master.co.uk
Steve 0161 775 0800/07445 266345 operations@travel-master.co.uk
Hilditch Auctions 01666 822577 lucyp@hilditchgroup.co.uk
59 Reg Ford Transit Factory 17 seater
2003 53 Reg Mercedes 411 CDI Sprinter
1996 P Reg Dennis Dart Caetano Cutlass
51 Reg Mercedes 814D Vario Plaxton Beaver 2
With tacho and low miles of only 38,000, new COIF and PSV MOT.
15 high back seats, PSV with new test, ideal schools etc.
43 seats, 37 with 3 point belts, new MOT and paint, ideal school bus.
27 high back seats, 3 point belts, luggage, racks, large rear boot, automatic gearbox, undergoing full re panel and paint, ideal dual purpose vehicle.
£12,950 + VAT
£5,950 + VAT
£5,450 + VAT
£10,950 + VAT
Stafford Bus Centre 01782 791774 martin@staffordbuscentre.com
Stafford Bus Centre 01782 791774 martin@staffordbuscentre.com
Stafford Bus Centre 01782 791774 martin@staffordbuscentre.com
Stafford Bus Centre 01782 791774 martin@staffordbuscentre.com
Renault Master
1999 MAN Marcopolo 18.310
2011 Mercedes-Benz 516 CDI Sprinter
Mercedes-Benz 814 Alexander
6 speed manual, ideal 70 seater conversion vehicle, recent new gear cables and recon gearbox, no MOT but 95% prepared, unfortunately it has four misted side windows.
16 high back leather reclining seats, LED lighting, reading lights, forced air, drop step, coach back end + large boot, MOT June ‘15, LEZ compliant, 39,600 mls.
Auto, 27 coach seats with 3 point belts, ideal for school/contracts, MOT September 2015.
8 high back passenger seats, 75,901 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, SLD with electric side step, external fully automatic cassette tailift.
£6,995 + VAT
Heatons Motor Co 01942 864222
£POA
£42,000 + VAT
£7,250 + VAT
Wilkins Travel 01639 852600 wilkinstravel@hotmail.co.uk
Call Karl at Whitegate Travel Tel: 01606 786833 Mob: 07841 110426
Call Karl at Whitegate Travel Tel: 01606 786833 Mob: 07841 110426
52 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
p53_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 13:20 Page 53
WANTED
B & L COACHES bandlcoaches@btconnect.com Darren or Paul 0208 363 8572
Nigel McCree
2003 Volvo B12M Jonckheere Euro 3 48 x 3 point belted seats, 1 crew, air conditioned, saloon mounted w/c, rear continental door, MOT November 2014. Direct from SHEARINGS HOLIDAYS fleet with full service history.
£POA – NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED
29/33 seaters MERCEDES CHEETAH OR SIMILAR OLD OR NEW, AUTO OR MANUAL WITH OR WITHOUT AIR-CON ANY CONDITION – FINANCE SETTLED
Call now 07896 266616
Nigel McCree Mobile: 07817 542113 Office: 01509 502695 or Nev Simpson Mobile: 07814 716149 Email: nigel@nigelmccree.com Insurance Stock updated weekly on the website:
www.nigelmccree.com SHORT OF CASH? RE-FINANCE YOUR VEHICLES WITH US – CALL 07736 850375
VEHICLES AVAILABLE FOR SHORT AND LONGER TERM HIRE
www.staffordbuscentre.com email: martin@staffordbuscentre.com Telephone: 01782 791774 Mobile: 07803 222552 View our latest arrivals on www.staffordbuscentre.com
MERCEDES SPRINTER 313 CDI 2011 11 REG
90K MILES, WITH NEW CONVERSION TO MAKE A 16 SEAT NEW MINICOACH CONVERSION TO A QUALITY USED VAN COIF + 12 MONTHS PSV MOT MINI COACH, FRONT ENTRY, INTERNAL LUGGAGE RACKS, 16 COACH SEATS ON TRACK CAN HAVE TACHOGRAPH FRONT IF REQUIRED, COIF AND ENTRY,LUGGAGE RACKSMOT, DRIVERS LOCKER, NON SLIP FLOORING MUST BE SEEN, CHOICE OFTACHOGRAPH BLUE OR RED INTERIOR NEW INSTALLATION
FROM £23,450.00 £25,450.00
OTHERS IN BUILD SO CHOOSE YOUR COLOUR
www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 53
698896-1156-Ensign_Layout 1 22/09/2014 14:32 Page 1
Ensig
DOUBLE DECK E 2000/2001 X/Y REG VOLVO B7TL’s
80 seats, Voith gearboxes, Euro 2 engines with traps, or full Euro 3 with traps, Plaxton President bodies, can be DDA with 78 seats. From £18,000
These buses can be seat-belted
LEZ COMPLIANT
Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, LEZ compliant, DDA compliant, Alexander ALX400 bodies, dual door 67 seats or single door 77 seats.
2004 DENNIS TRIDENTS
1995 VOLVO OLYMPIANS
Cummins L10 / ZF, Alexander low height bodies, new MOT’s.
8.8m, 29 seats, Cummins Euro 4+ engine, Hanover LED’s.
2002 02 PLATE DENNIS TRIDENTS
2001/2002 51/02 PLATE DENNIS DARTS
I-shift, Plaxton Panther body, 49 seats, centre toilet, all seats with 3 point belts, air-con, LEZ compliant, long MOT.
6 speed ZF manual, Plaxton Premiere 350 body, 57 seats, long MOT.
2009 ENVIRO 200
Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, Plaxton bodies, DDA and LEZ compliant, 78 seats.
Cummins ISB Euro 3 engines, Allison gearboxes, 10.7m, 37 seats.
2005 VOLVO B12B
1998 VOLVO B10M
70 SEATS
2007 VOLVO B12B’s
Euro 5, automatic, 12m, front wheelchair lift, Hanover LED’s, converted and certified with 70 seats and 3 point belts. £80,000 each Only 3 available.
8.9m, 26 seats plus 3 tip-ups, long MOT.
2007 ENVIRO 200
2009 OPTARE SOLO M920
33 seats, Mercedes engine, Mobitech LED, long MOT.
OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY - B
Juliette Close, Purfleet Industrial Pa Telephone 01708 865656 Fax: 01708 86 Visit our website for current sto
698896-1156-Ensign_Layout 1 22/09/2014 14:32 Page 2
nbus
K ER SPECIALIST 2001 Y REG DENNIS DART
Cummins / Allison, DDA and LEZ compliant, 25 seats, long MOT, from our own fleet.
2001 Y REG TRIDENTS
2004 54 PLATE DENNIS DART MPD
£18,000 + VAT
Cummins C series engines, Voith gearboxes, Plaxton President bodies, 78 seats.
Cummins ISB Euro 3 engine, 8.8m, 29 seats.
2010 OPTARE SOLO SLIMLINE
Cummins Euro 5 engine, 28 seats, Mobitec LED’s. 8.8m long slimline, long MOT.
2003 03 PLATE DENNIS TRIDENTS
Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, DDA and LEZ compliant, 2 door 62 seats or can be single doored and upseated.
2000 X REG VOLVO B7TL’s
8.9m, 29 seats, Mobitech LED’s, Euro 5.
Euro 2, LEZ compliant, Plaxton President , CCTV, dual door 62 seats or single door 74 seats. £9,000 + VAT
2001/2002 DENNIS TRIDENTS
1994 L REG VOLVO OLYMPIAN
2010 ENVIRO 200’s
51 and 02 plate, Cummins Euro 3 ISC engines, LEZ, Plaxton President bodies, can be DDA, single door and 78 seats, or dual door 67 seats.
Volvo Euro 1 engine, ZF gearbox, East Lancs body, 84 seats with belts, tacho, long MOT.
2005 NEOPLAN SKYLINER
89 seats, air-con, toilet, MAN engine, ZF gearbox.
1996 VOLVO B10MA ARTICULATED COACHES ZF automatics, 71 seats.
2009 WRIGHTS HYBRIDS
65 seats, dual door, can be converted to single door, latest Wrights hybrid drive, brand new battery pack, cooling pack, and Cummins Euro 5 engine, body upgraded to Gemini 2, over £100k spent on upgrade. COMPETITIVELY PRICED
- BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BUS DEALERS Park, Purfleet, Essex, RM15 4YF 8 864340 e-mail: sales@ensignbus.com t stock at www.ensignbus.com
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60 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
701915-1156-DrewWilson 22/09/2014 12:16 Page 1
DREW WILSON coach sales
2003 MERCEDES VARIO 614D 24 coach seats, 3 point belts, luggage racks, forced air ventilation, reading lights, large drop well boot, curtains, aisle carpets, manual, slam door, new paint, 418,273 kms. £19,500 + VAT
1998 VOLVO OLYMPIAN Alexander Body, Volvo engine, Voith automatic gearbox, 78/81 seater, power door, front destination, tacho, seatbelts.
2006 VW TRANSPORTER T30 LWB 9 seats with belts, sliding door, electric windows, 6 speed manual gearbox, current MOT.
1999 DENNIS PLAXTON MINI POINTER 29 seats 17 standees 1 wheelchair, ramp, Cummins engine, Allison auto box, power door, current test.
£8,000 + VAT
£6,500 + VAT
£6,000 + VAT
1994 TOYOTA CAETANO OPTIMO 3 GL 22 coach seats with belts, power door, manual box, new paint in white, current MOT.
2002 MERCEDES SPRINTER CDI 16 seats. Luggage racks, cd player. Manual. Slam door. Lovely condition.
2007 57 WRIGHTS GEMINI 2 68 leather seats, single door, CCTV cameras, Volvo B7TL engine - Euro 4, Voith automatic gearbox, low mileage.
£6,000 + VAT
£4,000 + VAT
£89,500 + VAT
2002 SCANIA VAN HOOL ALIZEE T9 49/53 recliners with belts, crew seat, air con, luggage racks with reading lights, carpets and curtains, ZF auto box, reconditioned engine fitted, very tidy condition. £35,000 + VAT
2000 DENNIS TRIDENT ALEXANDER ALX400 85 dual purpose seats, fully seat belted and certified, Cummins engine, Voith automatic, single entry front door, super low floor, DDA, very good condition, LEZ compliant. £17,000 + VAT
2002 DENNIS DART MPD PLAXTON MINI POINTER 29 seats, 17 standees, 1 wheelchair, wheelchair ramp, 107,424 miles, Cummins engine, Allison auto, FSR LED destination, retrimmed interior, power door, tidy condition, MOT’d. £10,000 + VAT
2009 MERCEDES 816 PLAXTON CHEETAH 29 coach seats with 3 point belts, double glazed, large boot, power door, 6 speed manual, DVD/CD/radio/ PA, new/paint, LEZ compliant, new MOT, 293,718 kms. £75,000 + VAT
2000 VOLVO B10M CAETANO ENIGMA 49 recliners plus crew seat with belts, power door, recent retrim, overhead luggage rack with reading lights, ZF manual, centre sunken toilet, MOT till September. £20,000 + VAT
2007 ADL ENVIRO 200 29 seater with 17 standees or 26 seater with 17 standees plus 1 wheelchair, automatic, power door, front, side and rear destination, DDA compliant, wheelchair accessible. £53,000 + VAT
1998 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIERE 320 57 coach seats, Cummins engine. MOT March 2015, 417,119kms, radio cassette, 6 speed ZF manual gearbox, power door, double glazed, tinted windows, tidy retrimmed interior. £15,000 + VAT – PX CONSIDERED
1999 MERCEDES 612D VAN CONVERSION 16 seats with belts, Unwin tracking, electric wheelchair lift, manual gearbox, new test. £4,500 + VAT
1999 VOLVO B10M PLAXTON PREMIERE 350 49/55 recliners with belts, ZF manual, air con, Eminox LEZ fitted, reduced pollution certificate, power door, recent paint into white, tested till March 2015. £19,000 + VAT
2004 SETRA 49 seat executive, DVD, toilet, recent new clutch, MOT Nov, 560,000kms, in plain white, all round very good condition. £POA
2001 DENNIS DART SLF Max capacity 65, power door, new MOT, Hanover front, rear and side destination, manual wheelchair ramp, all seats in good condition, very clean and tidy, choice of 2. WITH BELTS £7,000 WITHOUT BELTS £4,500 + VAT
2005 MERCEDES VARIO 814D 24 seats + crew seat, KVC conversion, manua, 241285 kms, 3 points belts, rear boot, fully trimmed interior, full body skirt kit, immaculate condition. £24,000 + VAT
2003 MAN AYATS ATLANTIS 49/53 recliners with seat belts, crew seat, centre sunken toilet, hot water boiler, air conditioning, continental door, power door, ZF auto gearbox. £29,000 + VAT
2006 MERCEDES BEAVER 2 814D 33 coach seats, automatic, luggage racks, 3 point seatbelts, power door, tail lift, Purmo heating, destination front, side and rear. £27,000 + VAT
1989 VOLVO B10M VAN HOOL 57 seats with lap retractable belts, luggage racks, reading lights, forced air heating, manual, crew seat, power door. 121,446kms. £3,500 + VAT
2003 IVECO INDCAR MAXIM 11 29 seats with belts, courier seat, CD/PA system, curtains, large boot, tinted windows.
2005 MERCEDES 814 PLAXTON CHEETAH 33 seats with belts, manual gearbox, power door, new paint, new trim, long test.
£21,000 + VAT
£45,000 + VAT
CHOICE OF OVER 350 VEHICLES • OPEN 7 DAYS 08.00-18.00
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.DREWWILSON.CO.UK Tel/Fax: 0141 248 5524 • Mob: 07764 200444 • Email: drew@drewwilson.co.uk Mob: 07827 325474 • Email: graham@drewwilson.co.uk
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BEN WEAVER PSV
02 51 IVECO 50C13 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WELFARE BUS 2.8 turbo diesel, white, Frank Guy conversion, Access rear wheelchait lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, analogue tachograph, sunroofs, ex local authority owned, 150,000 kilometers/94,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty REDUCED WAS £ 5,495 + VAT NOW £ 4,495 + VAT
2004 54 MERCEDES 814 PLAXTON BEAVER 2 29 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, yellow/green, COIF, analogue tachograph, PSV, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 10 wheelchairs, electric bi-fold front door, destination boards, 492,000 kilometers/307,000 miles, VGC, supplied with 12 months MOT or PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 15,995 + VAT
PSV
2002 02 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed sprintshift automatic gearbox, white, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, analogue tachograph, LEZ compliant, CD player, 109,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT
2004 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY 65C15 16 TO 23 SEAT WELFARE BUS WITH TACHOGRAPH COIF AND PSV 2800cc turbo diesel, metallic light blue, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 8 wheelchairs, currently fitted with 10 passenger seats, 6 more can be added to take 22 passengers, analogue tachograph, COIF, PSV, 214,000 kilometers/134,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,495 + VAT
PSV
2008 58 PLATE FORD TRANSIT XLWB JUMBO HIGH ROOF 11 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.4 turbo diesel 115ps, 6 speed manual gearbox, frozen white, tracking for up to 5 wheelchairs, currenlty fitted with 8 passenger seats but can be made up to 16 passnger seats, 65,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,995 + VAT
PSV
2003 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 40C13 15 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Analogue tachograph, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, 2.8 turbo diesel 6 speed manual gearbox, white, panoramic glass, front entry door, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, 166,000 kilometers 103,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,695
2008 08 PLATE NEW SHAPE MERCEDES SPRINTER 515CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE BUS Fitted with 8 passenger seats but will take 24 passnger seats, 2200 CDI turbo diesel 150ps, automatic gearbox, rear air conditioning, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, COIF for 16 passenger seats, digital tacho, PSV, electric front entry plug door, AVS electric side entry step, CD player, 71,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 19,995 + VAT
BEN WEAVER commercIals
2003 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY 65C15 16 TO 23 SEAT WELFARE BUS WITH TACHOGRAPH COIF AND PSV 2800cc turbo diesel, metallic light green, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 8 wheelchairs, currently fitted with 16 passenger seats, 6 more can be added to take 22 passengers, analogue tachograph, COIF, PSV, overhead luggage storage, 132,000 kilometers/82,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT
LEZ
2007 56 MERCEDES BENZ 813 25 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, Blutec 4 engine, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, Excel conversion, digital tachograph, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, electric plug front entry door, 119,000 kilometers/74,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to RTA standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 17,495 + VAT
PSV
2003 03 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed sprintshift automatic gearbox, white, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, COIF, PSV, LEZ compliant, CD player, 112,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 8,995 + VAT
2008 57 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER FRONT ENTRY WELFARE BUS 2461cc TDI turbo diesel 161ps, 6 speed automatic gearbox, white, rear air conditioning, underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, digital tachograph, electric front entry plug door, AVS electric side entry step, CD player, electric mirrors, rear blinds, currently fitted with 13 seats but 8 more can be to make 21 seats inc driver, 92,000 kilometers/57,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 18,995 + VAT
PSV
PSV
2005 05 MERCEDES 814 25 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, Frank Guy conversion, blue, certificate of initial fitness for 16 passengers, analogue tachograph, PSV, PLS Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 8 wheelchairs, electric bi fold front door, fold out side access step, 150,000 kilometers/93,000 miles, ex local authority owned, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months parts and labour warranty £ 13,495 + VAT
2004 54 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, 95,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT
PSV
PSV
2004 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 45C13 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Analogue tachograph, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, 2.8 turbo diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, front entry door, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, 189,000 kilometers/118,000 miles, very good condition condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,695 + VAT
PSV
2007 57 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic gearbox, COIF, digital tacho, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 53,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 14,295 + VAT
PSV
2004 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 50C13 15 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.8 turbo diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, analogue tachograph, panoramic glass, electric front entry plug door, Ricon underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, currently fitted with 14 passenger seats but 1 more can be added to make into a 15 passenger seat bus, 184,000 kilometers/115,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,795 + VAT
2005 55 VW TRANSPORTER T5 15 SEAT WELFARE BUS WITH COIF PSV Bluebird Tucana conversion, 2.5 TDI, metallic blue, automatic gearbox, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, gross vehicle weight of 4100 kgs so can be driven without a D1 licence, fold-out rear wheelchair ramp, tracking for up to 5 wheelchairs, electric front entry doors with fold out wheelchair ramp, alloy wheels, LEZ compliant, 166,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour £ 8,995 + VAT
PSV
2004 04 IVECO DAILY 45C11 16 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS White 2800cc turbo diese,l 6 speed manual gearbox, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 4 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 147000 kilometers 92000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty REDUCED WAS £ 5,795 + VAT NOW £ 5,195 + VAT
2002 52 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 16 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ricon underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, analogue tachograph, panoramic glass, LEZ compliant, 226,000 kilometers/141,000 miles,1 local authority owner from new, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,995 + VAT
PSV
2005 55 PLATE MERCEDES BENZ 614 VARIO 20 SEAT MINICOACH Onyx conversion, analogue tachograph, certificate of initial for 19 passengers, PSV’D, electric plug front entry door, coach style velour seats, overhead luggage racks, large boot, uplift skylight, waiting for full respray, can be painted into any colour of your choice, supplied with 12 months PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 11,995 + VAT
Gower Street, Sheffield, S4 7JW Tel: 0114 275 7076 www.minibuses-for-sale.co.uk
701829-1156-Ben Weaver DPS 22/09/2014 15:25 Page 2
commercials PSV
2005 55 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 45C13 13 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Analogue tachograph, electric front entry plug door with low access step, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 4 wheelchairs, 189,000 kilometers/118,000 miles excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,695 + VAT
2005 55 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 45C13 13 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Certificate of initial fitness, analogue tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with low access step, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, 166,000 kilometers/103,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,995 + VAT
PSV
2006 06 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, AVS side door access step, 92,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty REDUCED WAS £ 8,795 + VAT NOW £ 8,495 VAT
PSV
2005 05 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT35 LWB HIGH ROOF 17 SEAT MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, green, COIF, analogue tachograph, PSV, LEZ compliant, 125,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,995 + VAT
PSV
2004 54 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, 103,000 miles excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,895 + VAT
PSV
2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 121,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 11,795 + VAT
2005 54 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, COIF, PSV, analogue tachograph, LEZ compliant, 187,000 kilometers/116,000 miles, 1 local authority owner from new, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,495 + VAT
PSV
2007 57 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 83,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,795 + VAT
PSV
2006 06 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 13 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, silver, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 3 wheelchairs, electric plug side entry door with electric access step, digital tachograph, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, LEZ compliant, 104,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 8,995 + VAT
PSV
2004 04 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, COIF, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, 92,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty REDUCED WAS £ 7,195 + VAT NOW £ 6,995 + VAT
PSV
2004 04 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, COIF, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 8 seat seats but more can be added to make up to 16 passenger seats, 144,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,695 + VAT
2002 02 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 40C13 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.8 turbo diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, certificate of initial fitness, analogue tachograph, PSV, panoramic glass, electric front entry plug door, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, 150,000 kilometers 95,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,295 + VAT
PSV
2007 57 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 66,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,995 + VAT
PSV
2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tacho, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, fitted with 9 seats but additional seating can be added, remote central locking, electric windows, CD player, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 100,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,495 + VAT
PSV
2007 07 PLATE NEW SHAPE MERCEDES SPRINTER 515CDI 21 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE BUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 150ps, automatic gearbox, rear air con, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, COIF, tacho, electric front entry plug door, AVS side entry step, 13 seats but 8 more can be added, 98,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 18,495 + VAT
PSV
2003 03 REG IVECO DAILY 45C13 11 SEAT FRONT ENTRY LONG WHEEL BASE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2800cc turbo diesel white, white, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, tachograph, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 11 seats but can be made upto 17, 200000 kilometers, 124000 miles, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warrantry REDUCED WAS £ 5,495 + VAT NOW £ 4,995 + VAT
PSV
2005 55 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 416CDI 16 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 160ps, 6 speed Sprintshift automatic gearbox, red, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, 107,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 11,495 + VAT
PSV
2004 04 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, COIF, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 11 seat seats but more can be added to make up to 16 passenger seats, 151,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,395 + VAT
All vehicles supplied with 12 months MOT/PSV, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards and 1–3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty
2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 97,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,495 + VAT
PSV
2003 52 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed Sprintshift automatic gearbox, white, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, COIF, analogue tachograph, electric front entry plug door, LEZ compliant,155,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT
p64_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 15:27 Page 64
Southdown PSV - 01342 711840 www.southdownpsv.co.uk
2003 TRIDENT ALEXANDER • • • • •
62 seats / 20 standees Cummins 225 bhp Euro 3 engine ZF 5HP502C fully auto gearbox Synectics CCTV cameras fitted Fully DDA compliant £15,500 +VAT – choice Conversion to single door available – call for details
2002 DART PLAXTON 10.1m • • • • •
27 seats / 30 standees Cummins 145 bhp Euro 2 engine Allison fully auto gearbox Hanover destination Fully DDA compliant £8,500 +VAT Conversion to single door available – call for details
Finance available – subject to status | Full inspection facilities
Viewing by appointment please - we are 10 minutes from Gatwick Airport Southdown PSV Silverwood Snow Hill Copthorne West Sussex RH10 3EN
2012 (12) FORD TRANSIT 135 PS 17 SEATS 17,500 MILES COIF/PSV £16,995
2007 (07) IVECO 40C15 12 SEATS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE IN WHITE 107,250 MILES £10,495
2007 (07) MERCEDES SPRINTER 515 CDI KVC CONVERSION LUXURY BUS BLACK LEATHER RECLINING SEATS ELECTRIC PLUG DOOR DROP WELL BOOT SILVER METALLIC £26,995
NEW 2006 (06) CITROEN RELAY 8 SEATS INC DRIVER WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE INBOARD LIFT FOLDAWAY SEATS TO ACCOMMODATE 4/5 WHEELCHAIRS £7,495
2006 (06) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI EXTENDED BODY XL CONVERSION LUXURY MINIBUS 17 SEATS INC DRIVER COACH REAR/LARGE DROP WELL BOOT COIF/PSV £18,995
03 (53) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI 17 SEAT CREST CONVERSION LUGGAGE RACKS COIF/PSV £10,750
07 (57) FORD TRANSIT 85 T280S WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE 8 SEATS INBOARD LIFT FULLY TRACKED FLOOR £9,450
2013 (62) FORD TRANSIT 135 PS 17 SEATS 16,120 MILES COIF/PSV £17,995
NEW MERCEDES SPRINTER TOURLINE 519CDI • ALTAS CONVERSION • 17 SEAT MINICOACH • DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS • FULL AIR CONDITIONING • POWER DOOR LOW ENTRY STEP
P.O.A. (PONTYPOOL) LTD
MULTIPART & LDV/MAXUS PARTS STOCKISTS
Tel: 01495 757111 Mob: 07850 739446 (Haydn) or visit our website www.minibussales.biz to view the above stock 64 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
p65_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 16:40 Page 65
VEHICLES AVAILABLE FOR SHORT AND LONGER TERM HIRE
www.staffordbuscentre.com email: martin@staffordbuscentre.com Telephone: 01782 791774 Mobile: 07803 222552
View our latest arrivals on www.staffordbuscentre.com FORD TRANSIT FACTORY 16 SEAT BUS Choice of 56/57/59 reg all hand picked with low mileage, all with COIF applied for so ready for PSV work FROM £8,950
BMC 1100FE SCHOOL BUS
56 and 07 reg 55 seats but only 10 mtr length, can carry 1 x wheelchair + 49 seats, Cummins 4ISB engine, Alison gearbox. FROM £19,950 CHOICE
SINGLE DECKERS ADL ENVIRO 300 2006 56 REG. SLF BUS - dual use options, with 60 x 3 point belted seats, use on bus services or school contracts. PHONE FOR SPEC AND PRICE DENNIS DART CAETANO CUTLASS. Step entrance with 38 seats and 3 point belts. Ideal school contracts etc. £3,450 FORD TRANSITS 15-17 seats, available for short term rental. Rent for one week, month or year. Up to you. Always available. Phone for details MERCEDES 814 VARIO PLAXTON BEAVER 2 2004 54 REG. Fitted with 20 seats on tracking, and up to 10 wheelchairs, PSV, COIF and MoT, manual gearbox, power door, destination etc. long wheel base so could go to 32 seats. £14,950
SOLD
SOLD
www.coachandbusweek.com
VDL SB180 EVOLUTION 2009 59 reg SLF bus currently fitted with 25 belted bus seats and 2 x wheelchair pens but could be re seated with extra seats, only covered 27,000 kms from new £49,950
ADL ENVIRO 300 2002 reg Currenty fitted out as exibition/classroom, very low miles, very good condition, see website for details £17,950
MERCEDES 413CDI PLAXTON PRONTO 2006 56 reg 16 seat coachbuilt accessible PSV bus, choice of 2 with low miles £16,950 or rent for £350 per week (4 weeks min)
PLAXTON PRIMO/ ENTERPRISE BUS Nov 2006 56 reg Super low floor midi bus, DDA spec with ramp, plain white and long MOT, strictly a trade sale at this crazy price, come and have a drive £15,450
MERCEDES SPRINTER 313CDI 2011 11 REG 16 seat, new conversion, PSV, COIF and MoT, low miles £23,950
MERCEDES 413D SPRINTER 2004 04 REG. Extra long body with 16 seats and huge full height boot, COIF and long MoT. £11,950 VW LT 46. Extra long wheelbase and super low floor, currently only 8 seats but could be 16-20 seats or make superb accessible camper. CHOICE OF 2 FROM £4,950
IVECO DAILY 45 15 LWB HIGH ROOF 2005 55 REG. 16 seats wheelchair accessible with power door, new MoT £5,950 DENNIS DART PLAXTON SUPER POINTER. 47 fully belted seats, ideal for schools £9,450 DAF PLAXTON PREMIER 1996 PP. Fitted with 55 seats, automatic gearbox, new MOT upon sale £9,950 MERCEDES 814D VARIO 2004 04 REG. 32 high back seats, 3 point belts, manual gearbox £14,450 OPTARE SOLO M850 2000 W REG. One remaining with 23/25 coach seats with ramp, DDA etc £4,950 OPTARE SOLO SLIMLINE 7.8M 55 REG. Mercedes engine, 21/23 seats with 3 point belts, new paint etc £POA VDL SB180 2010 59 REG Cummins 6 ISB engine with MCV evolution body, only 20k miles £POA
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 65
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BUS & COACH
IN THE SOUTH LTD.
2010 SCANIA K360 OMNI EXPRESS - AUTOMATIC & EEV EMISSION LEVEL 51 reclining seats with 3 point seat belts, leather headrests inserts, Individual footrests & seat back tables, courier seat, powered plug entrance door, double glazed side windows, AIR CONDITIONING, rear floor mounted toilet compartment, continental exit with powered exit door, radio/PA/CD audio system, DVD player with front monitor, water boiler at courier side, dash mounted fridge, reverse camera, curtains, integral retarder, automatic transmission, alloy wheels, digital tachograph.
2008 IVECO EURORIDER BEULAS CYGNUS - AUTOMATIC & EURO 4 EMISSION LEVEL 53 reclining seats with 3 point seat belts OR 49 reclining seats with ONE wheelchair position, courier seat, plug entrance door, double glazed side windows, AIR CONDITIONING, near side wheelchair lift & access, radio/PA/CD player, DVD & monitor, dash mounted fridge, O/S rear continental exit with powered door, powered luggage compartment doors, curtains, driver’s safe, cruise control, digital tachograph, integral retarder, automatic transmission.
2007 KASSBOHRER SETRA S415HD - MERCEDES POWER - LOW MILEAGE 48 reclining seats with contrasting upholstery, leather headrests, individual footrests & magazine nets, courier seat, tinted double glazed side windows, AIR CONDITIONING, radio/PA/CD audio system, centre sunken toilet, continental exit with powered door, DVD & 2 motorised monitors, navigation system, dash mounted fridge, water boiler, curtains, parallel lift luggage locker doors, Webasto, digital tachograph, retarder, manual transmission.
BOVA FUTURA FHD 14.430XE ‘MAGNUM’ TRI-AXLE INTEGRAL - 13.7MTR 63 reclining seats including leather headrest inserts & individual footrests, courier seat, curtains, FUTURAIR AIR CONDITIONING, radio/PA/CD audio system, video player & monitor, double glazed side windows, panelled rear, manual transmission, intarder with hand control, Webasto.
Summerfield Avenue, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9JF
www.moseleysouth.co.uk Follow us @MoseleySouth on /moseley south
Telephone (01823) 653000 Fax: (01823) 663502 Email: sales@moseleysouth.co.uk
703535-1156-Moseley 19/09/2014 15:16 Page 2
BUS & COACH
IN THE SOUTH LTD.
2011 IVECO EURORIDER PLAXTON PANTHER - AUTOMATIC / EURO 5 EMISSION LEVEL /13MTR - CHOICE OF VEHICLES 61 reclining seats with 3 point seat belts, leather headrest pads, individual passenger footrests, courier seat, Plug entrance door, double glazing, AIR CONDITIONING, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD system coupled to drop down monitor, panelled rear, Webasto heater, wired for CCTV, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.
2011 VDL BOVA FUTURA FHD 127.365PR - AUTOMATIC / EURO 5 EMISSION LEVEL / 12.7MTR - CHOICE OF 2 VEHICLES 53 Reclining seats with lap seat belts, full leather upholstery with contrasting leather headrest pads,
D L
individual passenger seatback tables & footrests, courier seat, Plug entrance door, double glazing, AIR CONDITIONING, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD & twin monitors, Webasto heater, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.
O S
2004 SCANIA K124 IRIZAR PB - AUTOMATIC / EURO 4 (PM) EMISSION LEVEL / 12.8MTR - TEAM COACH 34 reclining seats with 3 point seat belts, full leather upholstery, seating around 8 tables, courier seat, Plug entrance door, double glazing, AIR CONDITIONING;, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD system coupled to four monitors, Webasto heater, rear servery with microwave, food warming cabinet, large fridge, hot & cold water supply & storage, inverter providing 240v power supply with landline provision, centre sunken toilet, continental exit with powered exit door; vacuum system, dark tint foiled windows, curtains, reverse camera, retarder.
O S
D L
2002 VOLVO B12M JONCKHEERE MISTRAL - NEW IN STOCK 51 reclining seats with lap seat belts, individual passenger footrests, courier seat, Plug entrance door, double glazing, AIR CONDITIONING, centre sunken demountable toilet, continental exit, radio/PA/cassette audio equipment, reverse camera, Eminox exhaust system.
Summerfield Avenue, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9JF
www.moseleysouth.co.uk Follow us @MoseleySouth on /moseley south
Telephone (01823) 653000 Fax: (01823) 663502 Email: sales@moseleysouth.co.uk
p68_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 13:21 Page 68
For further information please call
01634 377 577
www.thekingsferry.co.uk Jan 03 Castrosusa Body Scania N94 Chassis £18,000 35 seats, 629,241km, MOT expiry 29th March 15, non-LEZ compliant.
Sep 01 VanHool Elizee T9 Scania K124 Irisbus Indcar Maxim II Ford Iveco CC80 E18 MP
£29,000 49 seats with belts, toilet, fridge, hot drinks machine, air-con, DVD player and screen, automatic.
£18,500 29 seats, MOT Expiry 19th June 2015. DVD player, air con, manual gearbox.
Feb 03 Berkhof Axial 100 Scania K114
Feb 03 Berkhof Axial 100 Scania K114
£87,500 74 seats with belts, toilet, fridge, hot drinks machine, aircon, DVD player and screen, automatic.
£87,500 74 seats with belts, toilet, fridge, hot drinks machine, air-con, DVD player and screen, automatic.
For further information please call
01634 377 577
Part of
Kingdoms Tours
2002 Scania Irizar K114
2002 Scania VanHool K124
• 49 seat executive • WC • A/C • 7 speed C-Shift • MOT 21/5/15 £43,000 £37,000
• 49 seat executive • WC • A/C • 7 speed C-Shift • MOT 30/9/14 £45,000 £39,000
2006 Volvo B12M 2003 (53) Volvo • 51/53 seat exec B12M • WC • A/C • Auto • Berkoff LEZ • MOT 12/11/14 £79,000 £65,000
• 51/53 seat exec • WC • A/C • Berkoff LEZ 12/11/14 £52,500 £44,000
ALL COACHES ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION INSIDE AND OUT. PRICES REDUCED TO SELL – NEW COACHES ARRIVING
Kingdoms Tours Ltd 01884 252646 / 07702 626542 68 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
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Contact The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293484 Fax: 0845 280 2927 Email: Ian.Gillis@ coachandbusweek.com
AUDIO VISUAL
CMS BRADFORD - WEST YORKSHIRE
Coach Multimedia Systems
AUDIO/VISUAL/SECURITY SYSTEMS, LCD/LED MONITORS, DVD/HDD PLAYERS, REAR VIEW CAMERA SYSTEMS, MICROPHONES, CCTV, DIGITAL/SATELLITE SYSTEMS, USB CONNECTIVITY ALL SYSTEMS PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF THE UK WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
• Audio / PA systems • Video-on-demand systems • Monitor & DVD systems • Hands-free mobile phone kits • Reversing cameras and sensors • Multi or single language systems • CCTV • Alarms, tracking and cruise control • SkyTV systems • GPS commentary systems UK and Ireland Distributor
Phone: 07933 47 48 48 Email: Andy.Baxter@coachmultimediasystems.co.uk www.coachmultimediasystems.co.uk
BUSINESSES WANTED
Wanted
www.autosound.co.uk Tel: 0044 (0)1274 688990 Unit 4, Lister Street, Dudley Hill, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9PQ
Bus & Coach Businesses
ENGINES
• Are you Retiring • Losing Money • Need Investment • or Just Had Enough
We have Interested Buyers, Cash Investors Waiting
Reply, in con"idence, to PO Box 490, Scarborough YO11 9FF
HEAVY DUTY STEEL BUILDINGS
BUILDINGS
• Bus Workshops • Secure Storage
• Supplied any width, any length
• Building to BS5590
• Doors high enough for Double Deckers • Finance available Phone for further information
BLUELINE BUILDINGS 01709 578333 anytime www.coachandbusweek.com
The Sales Team T: 01733 293484 F: 0845 280 2927 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
CHECKPOINTS
EQUIPMENT
GARAGE EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Specialists in Brake Testers & Column Lifts www.bwsequip.co.uk BWS (0117) 9530381
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 69
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CLASSIFIEDS
Call The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293484 E: ian.gills@coachandbusweek.com
CLEANING PRODUCTS & SERVICES
door parts
The complete transport washing solution
FULLY AUTOMATIC UNDER CHASSIS WASHING TO MOT STANDARDS
• No operator • No Health & Safety issues • No damage to vehicles • No MOT returns WNV-systems specialise in manufacturing, installation, chemical supply and after sales servicing of commercial vehicle cleaning systems, automatic under chassis washing, pressure wash systems, automatic top washes, water reclaims & rain water harvesting throughout the UK using our nationwide engineers.
FUEL SAVING
‘Stop Fuel Theft’
A WNV-systems fully patented under chassis wash will result in your chassis cleaned for less than £2.20 and completed in 25-35 minutes.
• Prevents access to tank, while allowing unrestricted filling • Prevents trash being put into tank • Wide range to suit most coach and bus fuel tanks
Our systems are fully programmable to wash a full range of commercial vehicles. Contact us for a free site survey, quotations or more information.
Tel: 0208 641 5601 Email: geoff@wnv-systems.com www.wnv-systems.com
ENGINES
E & E Potts Ltd
DIESEL ENGINE RECONDITIONER
Contact JBL Mechanical Engineers Green Fields • Stanton • Shrewsbury • Shropshire SY4 4LR
Tel: 01939 251 351 • Fax: 01939 251 051 Mobile: 07831 332 913 GARAGE EQUIPMENT
Specialists in Cummins, Perkins, Caterpillar, Mercedes Commercial, Volvo, MAN, DAF, Scania. All Engines are Dynamometer and Smoke Emissions Tested. Full Engines, Long Engines and Short Motors Available. Cylinder Heads, Blocks, Crankshafts, Camshafts, Pistons, Turbochangers, Gaskets and Bearings always in stock.
Call us today on 0161-737-4666 Email: eepottsltd@aol.com
• ATF Lanes • MOT Bays • Vehicle Lifts • Brake Testing Equipment • Column Lifts • Inspection Pits • Repair and 6 Monthly Service Inspections Tel: 01386 244758 Mobile: 07538 218194 www.commercialgarageequipment.co.uk Email: sales@commercialgarageequipment.co.uk The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293484 Fax: 0845 280 2927 Email: ian-gillis @coachandbusweek.com
Engine House, New Thomas Street, Salford, M6 6WF 70 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
www.coachandbusweek.com
p71_CBW_1156 22/09/2014 13:48 Page 71
www.coachandbusmarket.com
ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
INSURANCE
REGISTRATIONS
£750 70 RXG AEZ 17 JXI 52 LAZ 39 MHZ 25 PAZ 64 RUI 46 SJZ 90 UKZ 40
£350 AHZ 919 DKZ 939 FKZ 191 GUI 787 MUI 292 SNZ 535 UBZ 606 UUI 848 WXI 373
£50 FXZ 2072 FXZ 2073 GXZ 4261 GXZ 4262 GXZ 4263 HRZ 5825 HRZ 5826 LIG 9730 LIG 9731
£50 LIG 9732 MIG 3851 MIG 3852 MIG 3853 RHZ 1382 RHZ 1383 SFZ 5793 SFZ 5794 SHZ 4571
£50 SHZ 4572 SHZ 4573 TNZ 1203 TNZ 1205 TUI 9920 TUI 9921 UNZ 3152 UNZ 3153 UNZ 3154
£50 UUI 7481 UUI 7482 UUI 7483 VJZ 8502 VJZ 8503 VJZ 8504 WJZ 4091 WJZ 4092 WJZ 4093
Millwood, Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland BT94 5HQ Tel: 028 6638 7124 · www.speedyreg.co.uk · sales@speedyreg.co.uk
LICENCE CHECKS
REPAIRS
Driver Licence Checks
DRIVING LICEN
CE
Express Coach
Repairs
ESTABLISHED 1982
• Re-spray & refurbishment specialists • 70 seat conversions • All insurance work undertaken • Accident damage specialsts • 33 seat mini coach conversions • All aspects of exterior and interior work undertaken
If you would like further information please call 01543 897505
TEL: 01751 475215
Visit our website: www.lloydmorgangroup.co.uk
paint sprayers
expresscoachrepairs@hotmail.co.uk
REPAIRS
• High quality paintwork • 18m low bake spraybooth • Full livery service Visit us at Euro Bus Expo 2014 on Stand E92 Tel Andy on 01904 737311 www.meridiancoachworks.co.uk
The Sales Team T: 01733 293484 F: 0845 280 2927 E: ian.gillis @coachandbusweek.com
www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 71
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Call The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293488 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
CLASSIFIEDS REPAIRS
SEATS & TRIM
Duoflex Ltd Special deals on re-trims using stock moquette Tel: 01280 701366 Fax: 01280 704799 Email: info@duoflex.co.uk www.duoflex.co.uk SECURITY
P C R COMMERCIAL BODY W ORKS • 15M & 5M COMPLIANT SPRAY BOOTH • INSURANCE APPROVED • REPAIRS AND PAINTWORK • REFURBISHMENTS • METALLIC AND PEARL FINISHES 01507 523980 / 07733 885582 paulclarkrepair@aol.com paulclarkrepair.co.uk HORNCASTLE, LINCOLNSHIRE
The Sales Team T: 01733 293484 F: 0845 280 2927 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
SEATBELTS
TRAINING
72 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
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www.coachandbusmarket.com
ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TRAINING
TRIM
C. T. T. All aspects of coach interior re-trim carried out to a high standard at competitive prices!
PCV/PSV Courses for Minibus, Bus & Coach Train for your D1 or D Licence
Tel: 01253 696033 info@westcoasttrim.co.uk Burton Road, Blackpool FY4 4NW
We offer CPC Periodic Training and Initial Module 4 Training tel 01525 370862 email cttlimited@aol.com www.cttlimited@aol.com
TRIM
High quality bus & coach retrims
TRIM
COACH TRIMMERS LTD
Supplying the Bus and Coach Industry with quality seat retrims and interior refurbishment. Full floors re-laid and centre gangways. Collection and delivery service anywhere in the UK, seven days a week.
Email: info@eastgate-coachtrimmers.co.uk Web: www.eastgate-coachtrimmers.co.uk
Tel/Fax: 01751 472229 TRANSMISSIONS
blackpool trim shops
With over 45 years expertise, we guarantee to beat any other quote. We have sets of Plaxton Premieres and VanHools for sale.
Call us on 07968 717115 or email us at: sales@blackpooltrimshops.co.uk
TYRE EQUIPMENT
Shelley Transmission Services Limited Eagle Street, off Bilston Road Wolverhampton, WV2 2AQ Tel: 01902 351178 Fax: 01902 352545
WHY GO ANYWHERE ELSE?
We have everything here – for free quotes at compe ve prices – service exchange or cost of repair. You can be assured of professional advice
NO JOB TOO SMALL!
We can collect and deliver na onwide
We stock the full range of gearboxes and differen.als of all makes and models, including Volvo, Mercedes, ZF, DAF, Iveco, MAN, ERF, Fuller, Rockwell, Scania, Eaton – all in stock.
ALL MAKES OF STEERING BOXES IN STOCK! Repair service available for pumps and rams
RECONDITIONED AND NEW PROPSHAFTS, BRAKE CALIPERS All propsha components and CV joints for all vehicles including plant and farm machinery
Top quality repair and balancing service – our speciality Recondi.oned starter motors and alternators for PSV, HGV and light commercial vehicles available Why be off the road – Call today! Call us now, don’t delay
FREEPHONE: 0800 652 0901 www.shelleytransmission.co.uk Email: sales@shelleytransmission.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 73
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Call The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293488 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
CLASSIFIEDS TYRES
VEHICLE SPARES
SPECIALIST SUPPLIER OF TYRES TO THE BUS, COACH & HAULAGE INDUSTRY VARIOUS SPECIALS 245/70R19.5 KAMA NF201 STEER 275/70R22.5 ECONOMY STEER 295/80R22.5 FALKEN RI117 STEER 295/80R22.5 DUNLOP SP344 STEER 315/80R22.5 FALKEN RI117 STEER 315/80R22.5 ECONOMY STEER
£152.00 £168.00 £225.00 £280.00 £255.00 £160.00
OFFER OF THE WEEK 215/75R17.5 UNIROYAL R2000 STEER *** £120.00 ***
Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Recovery Dismantlers Parts Sales OUR SERVICES: •
Recovery
•
Testing
• • • • • • • •
DISMANTLING/SPARES:
Refurbishment Repairs
Engine/gearbox rebuilds Fault finding
Buying & selling vehicles
• • • • • •
Reconditioned engines Reconditioned gearboxes Engine spares Windows
Windscreens Seats
Export to foreign markets Repairs
Finance repossession and storage
CALL: 01226 727 769 Bus sales: www.geoff-ripleysbuscoachsales.com Geoff Ripley, Boulder Lane (off Shaw Lane), Carlton, Barnsley S71 3HJ
UNIROYAL SEPTEMBER ONLY SPECIALS 205/75R17.5 UNIROYAL R2000 STEER £120.00 215/75R17.5 UNIROYAL T6000 DRIVE £128.00 295/80R22.5 UNIROYAL FH100 STEER £260.00 295/80R22.5 UNIROYAL FW100 M&S £305.00 315/80R22.5 UNIROYAL FH100 STEER £284.00 315/80R22.5 UNIROYAL FW100 M&S £320.000
Mob: 07912 103 497 or 07711 750 434 Fax: 01226 727 607 Email: geoff-ripley@btconnect.com
Trevor Wigley & Son Bus Ltd
ALL PLUS VAT
WHATEVER YOUR REQUIREMENT WE WILL MAKE SURE WE FIND IT FOR YOU!
TW FULLY LICENSED END OF LIFE VEHICLE CENTRE TW REDUNDANT AND SCRAP VEHICLES TAKEN
C AL L N O W
01684 560029 Mobile: 07841 239411 or 07545 735303
TW PROFESSIONAL, EFFICIENT SERVICE TW ALL REQUIREMENTS CATERED FOR TW VARIOUS SPARES AVAILABLE TW CONTACT US FOR FULL AVAILABILITY
WWW.TDTYRES.COM TDT@TDTYRES.COM 24 HOUR NATIONAL BREAKDOWN SERVICE
077 10000 999 PROVIDING
• Nationwide Next Day Delivery • Tyre Fitting Equipment • Supply of Patches & Glue • Supply of Steel or Aluminium Rims • All leading Manufacturers
74 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014
• One number direct dial • Competitive prices • Set call out fees • No joining fee • Total UK Mainland coverage
Call 01226 723147 Night Service 01226 716479 Fax 01226 700199 Email wigleys@btconnect.com
www.twigley.com www.coachandbusweek.com
In association with
Seen something funny? Send it to gareth.evans@coachandbusweek. com or write to: Last Stop, Coach & Bus Week, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX
Monday: Press day is helped by the presence of Jade, who starts in the office full-time. Tuesday: A busy day managing material for forthcoming issues and doing admin. Also plough on with a feature. Mentor Jade, which includes giving her the ‘body & chassis talk’ – the subject of a running joke in the office. All good fun. Wednesday: Pick James & Andy up from the office at 0600hrs and head to Edwards Coaches in Llantwit Fardre. Jason Edwards greets us as we get out of the car. The kettle is on and we’re treated to bacon & sausage baps. For me it’s like visiting a former workplace – staff are pleased to see me, yet there are also new faces present and I can see the improvements implemented since my last visit. Leave at 1515hrs and arrive back in Peterborough for 1900. Thursday: A hectic day in the office writing and editing. Receive the devastating news that one of my late brother’s schoolmates has taken his own life – another family has joined ‘the club.’ My parents & I immediately offer our support. Friday: A hectic day producing both this issue and material for the weeks ahead. Arrange a visit to a respected family-owned coach firm for an ‘Operator Profile.’ Head ‘back home’ to the Welsh borderland in the evening. Corley Services is notably busier at 2100hrs than normal in my experience. Saturday: After buying meat from a school friend butcher, help my parents tidy up the churchyard.
www.coachandbusweek.com
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Don’t run FOR the bus, run ON the bus Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire has donated a bus which has been converted into a portable gym. The distinctive bright purple singledecker is an Alexander PS-bodied Volvo B10M, which was originally a Manchester bus, latterly operating out of Stagecoach’s West Cumbria depot, but now brings exercise to the doors of people in Carlisle and Allerdale. Carlisle Leisure’s Activate on the Move bus has on-board gym equipment, as well as a consultation room where health checks can be carried out. The bus will provide exercise facilities for those who cannot easily reach a leisure centre, and was funded through a £44,000 Sport England Lottery grant. Richard Foster, the development manager for Carlisle Leisure said: “A lot of services that we do, people can’t access – they live in a rural area or transport is an issue. So, why can’t we take activities out to them?” The bus timetable is yet to be finalised, but will include stops at village halls and community centres where group activity sessions will be on offer. There are hopes that there will be an eventual expansion on the initial routes to Carlisle and Allerdale. “We want to have more buses if
James spotted this bizarre bus on Reddit, though a giant sheep with laser eyes is sure to have lost some of its passenger carrying capabilities. This unusual conversion was spotted at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, USA. It was most likely one of the event’s Mutant Vehicles – purposebuilt or creatively altered vehicles which must have their designs submitted in advance to the events DMV (Department of Mutant Vehicles) who will usually only approve them if the base vehicle is almost unrecognisable. Clearly this vehicle is a converted American school bus, but it has been allowed through nonetheless.
possible,” Richard said. “If this is a success, that is the ambition – to take the project far and wide and see how far it goes.” The funding is part of the ‘Make Your Move’ three-year £2m project, which aims to increase opportunities to participate in sport at a local level in innovative and creative ways. Ownership of the bus was officially handed over on Tuesday, September 23 to Richard Foster by Michael Sanderson, Commercial Manager
of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire. Michael told CBW: “We are delighted to have provided a bus for Activate to convert into a gym. Research shows that taking the bus is a great way to get healthy, this just takes it to the extreme!” In the CBW office, we stopped short of asking Michael whether the bus has been given a fitness to run examination, fearing we might be told to ‘jog on.’ All good fun...
Perhaps the DMV was feeling sheepish?
September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 75 22/09/2014 19:21
RECRUITMENT & PEOPLE DEADLINES Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm CONTACT Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
BUSES
Based in Mertsham, Surrey we are looking for experienced personnel in two key job roles:
GENERAL MANAGER
£attractive
A senior role with accountability for delivering the business strategy at a large bus garage; leading and motivating the operational management and supervisory team; liaising with key stakeholders, and responsible for all aspects of site safety.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
£attractive
Managing all the day-to-day operations of a large bus garage and leading the team there, with a key focus on engaging and motivating our people and working in conjunction with engineering colleagues to deliver a consistently excellent service to our customers. For both roles you will need to hold the management CPC qualification, be an excellent communicator, have a good knowledge of the passenger transport industry with a passion for customer service, and demonstrate sound business acumen. Initially please send a CV by email to operation@busesetc.com stating your current remuneration package. Or call 07500 049061 and speak to Richard. These vacancies are due to internal changes and immediate starts will be offered to the right candidates.
If you feel this is the job for you please get in touch now.
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McFarlane to step down as FirstGroup Chairman FirstGroup has announced that John McFarlane will be stepping down from the role of Chairman at the Annual General Meeting in July 2015, as a condition of assuming the Chairman’s position at Barclays Plc. He took up the post of FirstGroup Chairman on January 1, where he succeeded Martin Gilbert. John McFarlane commented: “It is with regret that I must take the difficult step of leaving FirstGroup so early in my tenure. I am, though, satisfied with the progress we have made in appointing a strong Board of Directors, in achieving stability, in testing the business plan with the team, and in endorsing the way ahead and we will continue to build on this progress as we go forward. I am confident that we will appoint a highly qualified successor and I will work towards ensuring a seamless transition.” FirstGroup Senior Independent Director, Drummond Hall has begun
John McFarlane
the process to identify a strong replacement for Mr McFarlane. He said: “It is unfortunate that John will be unable to see his tenure through at FirstGroup, but we all understand the importance of the role at Barclays he has been asked to take on.” “Barclays is grateful to Aviva and FirstGroup for agreeing to release Mr McFarlane to take on this important role. The appointment has been approved by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority,” Barclays said in its announcement.
www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 18:24
Coach & Bus Week, First Floor, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX
New bids development head at RATP Dev RATP Dev, a subsidiary of RATP Group, has modified its development division. The division has been split into two separate entities: a strategy and business relations division headed by Alain Polonsky, previously Development Director, and a bids development division headed by Géraud Boursin, who has joined RATP Dev for this purpose. The strategy and business relations division will be tasked with strategic thinking and a dynamic market approach along with transversal partnership approaches and direct sales actions. The bids development division will directly produce bids for tenders in complex offers and
REQUIRES A
FEATURES WRITER
Géraud Boursin, head of Bid Development at RATP Dev will support local teams when they develop bids in response to tenders. The division will include project directors and managers, as well as business analysts. Both division directors will be members of the RATP Dev executive committee. Established in 2002, RATP Dev now operates in 12 countries on four continents – in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, USA, Brazil, India, China and South Korea.
As we continue to develop and strengthen the editorial content of Coach & Bus Week magazine and its digital products and services, we’re now looking to recruit a Features Writer with a hard-working, inquisitive and personable character. An interest in the bus, coach and minibus industries along with photography, IT and social media skills would be clear advantages. But what’s important is the ability to analyse, communicate effectively and write accurately to deadlines. The ideal candidate should have at least a two-year record as a writer. Remuneration will be based on experience. To find out more and to send your CV please contact Editor, Gareth Evans on 01733 293243 or e-mail gareth.evans@coachandbusweek.com
Please write, enclosing a curriculum vitae to: Paul O’Callaghan Service Delivery Director Stagecoach in Oxfordshire Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2RY
www.coachandbusweek.com
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September 23, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 77 22/09/2014 18:24
NEWS › XXXXXX
Operations Co-ordinator London As a result of organic growth and our continued expansion plans we are inviting applications for a Co-ordinator to join our Operations team based at our Heathrow office. We are looking for a professional and enthusiastic individual who has previous experience within the bus & coach industry. You will assist in the planning, direction and coordination of the day-to-day operation of the organisation by handling the logistics and supervision of the driving team. We are seeking applicants who would like to develop their skills in this hands-on role to drive forward our commitment to customer service. In return we will offer you access to continuous personal development to achieve your full potential accompanied by industry leading rates of pay and a generous company pension scheme. Please send your CV and cover letter detailing your current remuneration package to recruitment@citycircleuk.com or alternatively send to HR Department, City Circle UK Limited, West London Coach Centre, North Hyde Gardens, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 4QT. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
78 | COACH & BUS WEEK | September 23, 2014 076_079_CBW1156_People_Recruitment.indd 78
www.coachandbusweek.com
22/09/2014 18:24
RECRUITMENT & PEOPLE DEADLINES Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm CONTACT Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
Wrightbus founder is 2014 Innovation Founder Dr William Wright CBE, founder of Wrightbus, has been announced as the 2014 Innovation Founder; an award given to Northern Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs. The award is one of the Northern Ireland Science Park Connect INVENT2014 Awards and recognises distinction in founding, leading or building an eminent local technology or life sciences business. Based in Ballymena, Wrightbus, notorious for bringing the ‘Boris Bus’ to London, employs nearly 2,000 people and exports to international markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Dr William Wright, who was nominated by the public and selected by the previous winners, said: “I am incredibly proud of the company that bears my family name. Wrightbus continues to demonstrate thought and technology leadership in today’s highly competitive and demanding
Dr William Wright CBE global transport sector. “We have always looked beyond the present, trying to identify what challenges our customers may face in the future and continually reinvest a relatively high proportion of our turnover in R&D. “I believe this approach has made the company synonymous with innovation. We have recently been active in developing low emission
GET YOUR VACANCY SEEN BY QUALITY CANDIDATES
bus technology – an area of public transport that I believe is now coming to fruition. “Being able to take the long term view has been vital to our success. I am delighted and honoured to accept this award.” Steve Orr, Director of NISP CONNECT, said: “Wrightbus is a perfect example of a company which, since its early days, has invested in product development in order to continually innovate and revolutionise. “The Innovation Founder award celebrates the local innovators who have not only changed the landscape of NI business and made a real and lasting contribution to the local economy, but they are breaking ground in their industries around the world. “We had some fantastic nominations for the 2014 Innovation Founder; innovation is prevalent here, just as it has always been. You just have to look at some
of the inventions which have come from the province - the tractor, pneumatic tyre, whiskey distilling – to see that innovation is in our blood.” From the INVENT sponsor Bank of Ireland UK, Ian Sheppard, Head of Business & Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see William receive this award. As a Bank of Ireland customer we have worked closely with William and Wrightbus over many years. Through this partnership we have gained insight into a world class, innovative, indigenous Northern Ireland company, whose success has been achieved through the leadership, technical innovation and determination William has displayed at its helm. This award is a deserved recognition of an individual who Northern Ireland’s aspiring innovators and businesses can learn from and aspire to be.”
DANS LUXURY TRAVEL Daytours • Excursions • Coach Hire
Scheduling Operations Assistant/ Traffic Manager PRINT
ONLINE
With our combined print, digital and online packages at one all inclusive price Contact: Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com
www.coachandbusweek.com
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(CPC and Experience Essential) Must have a full PSV driving licence. Good rates of pay and conditions. East London area. Apply to Dan Brown, Managing Director 0208 505 8833 info@dansluxurytravel.com
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