New Transperth buses by July 2011
02/11/2010 The
State Government is upgrading the public transport bus fleet with
the signing of a contract potentially worth up to
$400million. . . . Less
The contract - for the supply of a minimum
65 buses a year for five years with a five-year option - was
awarded to Volvo Group Australia.
Announcing the deal today, Transport Minister Simon O’Brien said
Volvo would provide the chassis and Volgren Australia would
manufacture the bus bodies at their plant in Malaga.
“Deliveries to the Public Transport Authority start in July
2011, immediately following the expiration of the previous contract
which the previous Coalition Government set in place in 1999,” Mr
O’Brien said.
“Currently, more than three-quarters of the Transperth bus fleet
is low-floor accessible and air conditioned.
“The new contract enables a seamless continuation of the program
to update and modernise the fleet with new, low-floor gas and
diesel-powered buses.
“Today’s news also means Transperth will stay at the forefront
of the industry in terms of disability access and environmental
friendliness. Volvo, a world leader in emissions technology,
will be using EEV (enhanced environmental-friendly vehicle) diesel
technology, the cleanest bus technology commercially available
today.”
Initially, the contract will supply diesel vehicles, which will
maintain the fleet mix at half diesel and half CNG (compressed
natural gas) buses.
Beyond 2014, Transperth will be considering a new CNG bus
platform incorporating new engine technology in the Volvo
chassis.
Volgren, which already makes bus bodies under the expiring
contract with Mercedes, employs more than 100 staff at
Malaga. The plant uses more than 60 local suppliers and has
local, national and international customers.
Truck Centre WA, the Volvo bus servicing centre, is a
long-standing Volvo partner and employs more than 230 people across
its network.
Source: Public Transport Authority