Modern buses

2010 Northwest India



Cheers Steve

170108Su Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - Taronga Western Plains Zoo (NSW).

Roderick.

190630Su-Melbourne'Age'-NZ-20seat.tour.bus.jpg, with luxury seating.
181021-'BrisbaneTimes'-bus.patronage.jpg
191212-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-booze.bus-ss.jpg Off the road because of defects.
191213F-Melbourne'Age'-India-bus.fire-ss.jpg

Roderick

Roderick

December 23 2019 Mogo company Rixon's Bus works through fire crisis, robbed in Canberra
Rixon's Bus owner Mal Rixon is running the South Coast-Canberra service the long way around during the bushfires, despite the extra distance, fuel and wages, because he wants families to be with their loved ones for Christmas. The company was robbed in Canberra. Picture: Supplied
The only bus company taking passengers between Canberra and the South Coast during the bushfire crisis has been robbed.
Rixon's Bus owner, Malcolm Rixon, said one of their drivers was loading bags on to a bus at the Jolimont Centre coach station, Canberra, when a man grabbed $1200 out of the money bag.
Mr Rixon said the bus driver was trying to get people home in time for Christmas, and had just taken the five-hour new route through Bega and Cooma.
All roads between Batemans Bay and Canberra are closed due to the South Coast bush fires.
The driver was about to embark on the journey back to Narooma, Batemans Bay, Milton and Ulladulla when the robbery happened.
While other bus companies had closed the South Coast-Canberra service due to the bushfire threat and closure of Kings Highway, Rixon's Bus service continues to stay open.
"(Otherwise) they've no way to get to the coast from Canberra," Mr Rixon said.
National bus service, Murrays, closed their Canberra-Narooma/Batemans Bay service on December 13, and a spokesperson said it was not expected to reopen until December 28.
Mr Rixon said the incident was a blow.
"That's really knocked us," he said.
"We're struggling as it is with extra wages, fuel, distances trying to get people to the coast.
"We think we're trying to help people, and there are horrible people out there who want to take advantage of a quick dollar."
After the Kings Highway closed, his buses were taking South Coast commuters to the capital via Nerriga, Tomarong and Tarago.
"We've been turned around at Nerriga by fires, and turned around when the Kings Highway closed the second time," he said.
"Now we're running the service down to Bega, Bemboka, Nimmitable, Cooma, Canberra.
"It's a ten-hour return journey."
When one of their buses was turned away at Turpentine Road, near Tomerong, the driver took passengers to wherever would help them get to their final destination.
That included the Nowra bus exchange, Bomaderry train station and back to their homes "so they had the opportunity to travel with us on the next day - we still honoured their fares".
He said passengers were grateful: "We've had 100 per cent accolades from passengers".
He said the service would deliver residents to hospital appointments, to the airport and private accommodation.
"We cater for everybody," he said.
Based at Mogo for about 13 years, Mr Rixon said the company offered a door-to-door service to help an aging population.
He said taxis were expensive in regional areas; even just to take a passenger to the bus stop.
"We pick them up from their door with their suitcase," he said.
"We take away the stress of seniors travelling, who don't have anyone else to pick them up."
Go to www.rixonsbus.com.au/ for more information.
READ MORE
•Princes Highway closed due to impact of Comberton fire
•Watch Batemans Bay community meeting on South Coast fires
•Stay alert to changing traffic conditions over Christmas
< www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6556038/o...shfire-crisis-robbed >

191223M-'CanberraTimes'-Rixon'sTours.bus-ss.jpg

Roderick

Great Ocean Road locals in fight to keep their school bus driver December 24, 2019. 19 comments
A decision that ends a firefighting hero’s job of 22 years as the local school bus driver on the Great Ocean Road has devastated locals who are determined to fight for his reinstatement.
Roy Moriarty, a CFA volunteer for more than 45 years, was captain of the Wye River CFA team that defended the town and nearby Separation Creek on Christmas Day, 2015, in the blaze that razed 109 houses.
The state government has decided not to renew Mr Moriarty's contract and is giving the job to a large bus company.
Roy Moriarty, far left, with kids on his last day on Thursday driving the school bus from Kennett River to Lorne on the Great Ocean Road.Credit:Mel Kohout
Residents have now started a Change.org petition calling for reinstatement of the ‘‘trusted caretaker of our children" on their "somewhat dangerous" daily journey to kinder or the P-12 school at Lorne.
Mel Kohout, 37, of Kennett River, whose daughters Molly, eight, and Taylah, six, take the bus to Lorne P-12 College, said she was upset, disappointed and ‘‘a bit angry’’ at the decision.
Ms Kohout, secretary and treasurer of Wye River CFA, and whose husband Dave Kohout fought the Christmas Day fire with Mr Moriarty, said she had ‘‘a lot of time and a lot of respect for Roy’’.
‘‘He protected my husband and a lot of others four years ago, and he looks after my two girls as well as quite a few other kids, every day, on the Ocean Road driving them to school," she said.
"We want to show our support and try to fight for his livelihood.’’
Roy Moriarty, left, and then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, four days after the 2015 Christmas Day bushfire.Credit:Jason Sammon
Locals say they weren’t consulted when the Andrews government awarded the 10-year school bus route contract to Christian’s Bus Company.
A Christian’s spokesman told The Age that Mr Moriarty was asked if he would be interested in employment on his old route, and he declined.
Mr Moriarty told The Age he wanted to continue to be self-employed.
That way, given it was a 10-year contract, if at some point he could no longer drive, he could still employ another driver and continue to get income.
He said in May 2018, with 10 year contracts up for renewal, the Department of Transport emailed regional bus operators to advocate a negotiation approach. However, Mr Moriarty said in his case ‘‘there was no negotiation’’.
The Wye River fire, late on Christmas Day. Credit: Keith Pakenham/CFA
Mr Moriarty said he was overwhelmed by the locals’ petition, which already has 2300 signatures.
‘‘The parents down there have been a fantastic support for me,’’ he said. Lucy Dowling, 40, of Kennett River, whose daughter Billie, four, took the bus for the 23-kilometre trip to kinder at Lorne each day this year, said she was devastated when she heard that Mr Moriarty would no longer be the local bus driver.
‘‘Roy is such a loved and respected man of our community and did such an amazing job in the fires," she said.
"No one would ever have a bad word to say about him.’’
Sara Brown, 30, of Kennett River, said her partner Jayden Farrelly, 30, took Mr Moriarty’s bus to secondary school and now their daughter River, four, catches it.
Ms Brown said Mr Moriarty had ‘‘a perfect driving record’’ on a section of the Great Ocean Road that was ‘‘quite dangerous’’ due to being winding, with roadworks, landslips, tourists and cyclists.
The state government said tender processes were available to everyone and unsuccessful bidders were informed.
A government spokeperson said: ‘‘Department of Transport negotiates bus contracts to deliver the best possible service for locals while getting the best value for money for Victorian taxpayers.’’
< www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/grea...20191224-p53mrq.html >
191224Tu-Melbourne'Age'-school.bus

Roderick
No date for return of Victoria’s trouble-plagued booze buses
Herald Sun January 12, 2020
From malfunctioning cruise control to engines that wouldn’t turn off, this is the litany of embarassing booze bus defects that Victoria Police fought to keep a secret. But the shocking list of safety concerns has been revealed after putting cops at risk.
Officers have detailed the litany of defects in the new buses. Picture: Tony Gough
Victoria’s problem-plagued booze buses have been slammed for steering so bad they veer from their lane, scraping the road so severely it causes sparks and flashing lights which don’t work.
Officers supposed to drive the vehicles have detailed the litany of defects which forced the lemon fleet to be hauled off the road amid safety concerns.
Victoria Police fought for six months to keep the log of faults secret.
But the Sunday Herald Sun can now reveal the problems include:
INTERVIEW room seat back supports “stuck on with sticky tape” which fell off with minimal pressure;
A FRONT camera which showed an upside down view;
AN engine which twice wouldn’t turn off;
NOISE so loud in the interview room police couldn’t hear people they’re questioning; and
CRUISE control which wouldn’t turn off using the brakes at speed. On another bus it didn’t work at all.
Officers reported difficulty trying to keep the buses on the road — one saying steering was so “loose and unwieldy” the vehicle “strays from the lane if you don’t have the utmost concentration”.
The new $15m booze bus fleet at the police traffic complex in Brunswick. A string of issues has seen the fleet pulled from roads. Picture: Josie Hayden
Buses were bottoming out at low and high speed, one scraping the ground six times in a single shift.
“The constant ‘spectre’ of striking the ground whilst driving these vehicles in a straight line on flat ground by entering a depression in the road surface is disconcerting at best and the overall handling of the vehicle gives the driver no confidence in it whatsoever,’’ one officer wrote.
“The body roll is woeful and the vehicle ‘floats’ at speed.”
Advice given to officers to deal with the bus handling issues included: “Drivers need to look for and predict significant undulations in the road and slow down to avoid future damage.”
They were also told to “exit slowly and on the right angle” to avoid scraping on ground.
In some cases the supplier noted operator error as the reason for the fault, including leaving fans or lights on that drained the battery.
Victoria Police has so far spent more than $300,000 trying to fix the six new-age smaller booze and drug buses, among 10 new vehicles purchased in a $15 million boost.
They were taken off the road in March last year — just six months after being introduced — with the force awaiting an update from engineers due in February.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy told the Sunday Herald Sun: “This outcome is disappointing for Victoria Police as we had anticipated to have the small booze buses back on the road by now.”
Victoria Police says it remains on track to complete 3 million preliminary breath tests and 15,000 roadside drug tests. Picture: Mark Dadswell
“The safety of our officers is the most important factor and was the main reason the buses were grounded in the first place,’’ Ms Murphy said.
“We always expected there would be small teething issues, but did not anticipate these bigger issues which have taken the booze buses off the road for this long.”
The remaining booze and drug bus fleet has been running multiple shifts to keep up the number of tests while highway patrol cars are also conducting roadside detections.
“The community can be reassured that we are doing everything we can to get the booze buses back on the road as soon as possible and will continue to monitor drug and alcohol testing across Victoria,” Ms Murphy said.
The Sunday Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws in April last year requested detail of officer complaints about the new buses but Victoria Police in June refused access.
The Sunday Herald Sun applied to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner for a review — the force in November revoking its decision and a month later deciding to release the faults log in full.
It argued the request was initially denied because of commercial dealings with the bus vendor, saying it wasn’t in the public’s interest to release the information at the time because it could undermine the success of negotiations.
Supplier Brimarco Byron-Wade, which won a 2018 Good Design Award for the vehicles and provided the last two booze bus fleets, advised it was unable to comment due to contractual restrictions.
video: Booze bus delay Half of Victoria's booze bus fleet still out of action. Courtesy Seven News
WHAT WENT WRONG
They were heralded as a state-of-the-art road safety weapon which would give drunk and drugged drivers nowhere to hide.
But within six months of their launch Victoria’s fleet of new-age smaller booze buses was off the road.
The six buses — among 10 new vehicles purchased in a $15 million boost — were unveiled in September 2018.
About 2m shorter than traditional units they could be deployed to residential roads and backstreets — a new “tool” to keep rogue drivers guessing.
They even won a 2018 Good Design Award at a gala event at the Sydney Opera House.
By mid-March — just weeks before the crucial Easter break — the buses were removed from duty.
As well as reports of significant handling issues, officers reported a catalogue of other failures.
The light mast fell six times in a shift on one vehicle while on another it took 15 minutes to come down and the controls on the remote wouldn’t work.
Side mirrors wouldn’t adjust, doors were stuck half open, reverse cameras didn’t work and an airbag was turned off.
Poor acceleration up hills was yet another safety concern.
Leaks, windscreen wipers which wouldn’t work, faulty airconditioning, fridges and microwaves which didn’t turn on and a fuel cap so hot it couldn’t be touched even with gloves also caused headaches.
The “hi-tech” fleet was unveiled in September 2018. Picture: Tony Gough
Critics said the drama couldn’t have come at a worse time as police battled a surging road toll.
The Sunday Herald Sun in August revealed Victoria Police had spent $320,000 for two independent engineering firms to find out what was wrong with the custom-built fleet.
“Victoria Police will continue to conduct additional testing until we are confident this can be achieved,’’ then Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said.
Tests of the buses’ steering and suspension was completed a month later with the force awaiting a report of proposed rectification works.
In December came news the booze buses would remain off the road over the Christmas and New Year period.
Victoria Police stressed it remained on track to complete 3 million preliminary breath tests and 15,000 roadside drug tests as the existing bus fleet ran additional shifts.
An update on when the buses would be back was now expected at the end of February.
Incoming top road cop Libby Murphy branded the setback “disappointing”, saying the force was doing everything it could to get the booze buses on the road as soon as possible.
The safety of officers was a priority and buses wouldn’t be back until command was confident in the vehicle and its features, she said.
It’s understood that is still several months away.
video: Victoria Police conduct a breath testing operation. A citylink booze bus operation conducted by the Victorian Police. Courtesy: Police Victoria
TIMELINE
September 2018: Six smaller booze buses hit the road, among 10 new vehicles bought in $15 million boost.
March 2019: Fleet taken off the road due to safety concerns. They are fraught with mechanical, electrical and airconditioning issues.
April: Channel 7 reveals the fleet has been removed from duty.
August: Sunday Herald Sun reveals Victoria Police has spent $320,000 on two independent engineering firms to help remedy the problems.
September: Victoria Police awaiting report on proposed rectification works.
December: Herald Sun reveals trouble-plagued buses won’t be back on the roads over the crucial Christmas and New Year period.
February 2020: Further update on bus issues due.
< www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/no-da...a9181851dd7b8d9e96eb > [with three photos]

191007M-Melbourne'Age'-HongKong-buses.
Roderick

Roderick Smith wrote: Roderick
No date for return of Victoria’s trouble-plagued booze buses
Herald Sun January 12, 2020
From malfunctioning cruise control to engines that wouldn’t turn off, this is the litany of embarassing booze bus defects that Victoria Police fought to keep a secret. But the shocking list of safety concerns has been revealed after putting cops at risk.
Officers have detailed the litany of defects in the new buses. Picture: Tony Gough
Victoria’s problem-plagued booze buses have been slammed for steering so bad they veer from their lane, scraping the road so severely it causes sparks and flashing lights which don’t work.
Officers supposed to drive the vehicles have detailed the litany of defects which forced the lemon fleet to be hauled off the road amid safety concerns.
Victoria Police fought for six months to keep the log of faults secret.
But the Sunday Herald Sun can now reveal the problems include:
INTERVIEW room seat back supports “stuck on with sticky tape” which fell off with minimal pressure;
A FRONT camera which showed an upside down view;
AN engine which twice wouldn’t turn off;
NOISE so loud in the interview room police couldn’t hear people they’re questioning; and
CRUISE control which wouldn’t turn off using the brakes at speed. On another bus it didn’t work at all.
Officers reported difficulty trying to keep the buses on the road — one saying steering was so “loose and unwieldy” the vehicle “strays from the lane if you don’t have the utmost concentration”.
The new $15m booze bus fleet at the police traffic complex in Brunswick. A string of issues has seen the fleet pulled from roads. Picture: Josie Hayden
Buses were bottoming out at low and high speed, one scraping the ground six times in a single shift.
“The constant ‘spectre’ of striking the ground whilst driving these vehicles in a straight line on flat ground by entering a depression in the road surface is disconcerting at best and the overall handling of the vehicle gives the driver no confidence in it whatsoever,’’ one officer wrote.
“The body roll is woeful and the vehicle ‘floats’ at speed.”
Advice given to officers to deal with the bus handling issues included: “Drivers need to look for and predict significant undulations in the road and slow down to avoid future damage.”
They were also told to “exit slowly and on the right angle” to avoid scraping on ground.
In some cases the supplier noted operator error as the reason for the fault, including leaving fans or lights on that drained the battery.
Victoria Police has so far spent more than $300,000 trying to fix the six new-age smaller booze and drug buses, among 10 new vehicles purchased in a $15 million boost.
They were taken off the road in March last year — just six months after being introduced — with the force awaiting an update from engineers due in February.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy told the Sunday Herald Sun: “This outcome is disappointing for Victoria Police as we had anticipated to have the small booze buses back on the road by now.”
Victoria Police says it remains on track to complete 3 million preliminary breath tests and 15,000 roadside drug tests. Picture: Mark Dadswell
“The safety of our officers is the most important factor and was the main reason the buses were grounded in the first place,’’ Ms Murphy said.
“We always expected there would be small teething issues, but did not anticipate these bigger issues which have taken the booze buses off the road for this long.”
The remaining booze and drug bus fleet has been running multiple shifts to keep up the number of tests while highway patrol cars are also conducting roadside detections.
“The community can be reassured that we are doing everything we can to get the booze buses back on the road as soon as possible and will continue to monitor drug and alcohol testing across Victoria,” Ms Murphy said.
The Sunday Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws in April last year requested detail of officer complaints about the new buses but Victoria Police in June refused access.
The Sunday Herald Sun applied to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner for a review — the force in November revoking its decision and a month later deciding to release the faults log in full.
It argued the request was initially denied because of commercial dealings with the bus vendor, saying it wasn’t in the public’s interest to release the information at the time because it could undermine the success of negotiations.
Supplier Brimarco Byron-Wade, which won a 2018 Good Design Award for the vehicles and provided the last two booze bus fleets, advised it was unable to comment due to contractual restrictions.
video: Booze bus delay Half of Victoria's booze bus fleet still out of action. Courtesy Seven News
WHAT WENT WRONG
They were heralded as a state-of-the-art road safety weapon which would give drunk and drugged drivers nowhere to hide.
But within six months of their launch Victoria’s fleet of new-age smaller booze buses was off the road.
The six buses — among 10 new vehicles purchased in a $15 million boost — were unveiled in September 2018.
About 2m shorter than traditional units they could be deployed to residential roads and backstreets — a new “tool” to keep rogue drivers guessing.
They even won a 2018 Good Design Award at a gala event at the Sydney Opera House.
By mid-March — just weeks before the crucial Easter break — the buses were removed from duty.
As well as reports of significant handling issues, officers reported a catalogue of other failures.
The light mast fell six times in a shift on one vehicle while on another it took 15 minutes to come down and the controls on the remote wouldn’t work.
Side mirrors wouldn’t adjust, doors were stuck half open, reverse cameras didn’t work and an airbag was turned off.
Poor acceleration up hills was yet another safety concern.
Leaks, windscreen wipers which wouldn’t work, faulty airconditioning, fridges and microwaves which didn’t turn on and a fuel cap so hot it couldn’t be touched even with gloves also caused headaches.
The “hi-tech” fleet was unveiled in September 2018. Picture: Tony Gough
Critics said the drama couldn’t have come at a worse time as police battled a surging road toll.
The Sunday Herald Sun in August revealed Victoria Police had spent $320,000 for two independent engineering firms to find out what was wrong with the custom-built fleet.
“Victoria Police will continue to conduct additional testing until we are confident this can be achieved,’’ then Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said.
Tests of the buses’ steering and suspension was completed a month later with the force awaiting a report of proposed rectification works.
In December came news the booze buses would remain off the road over the Christmas and New Year period.
Victoria Police stressed it remained on track to complete 3 million preliminary breath tests and 15,000 roadside drug tests as the existing bus fleet ran additional shifts.
An update on when the buses would be back was now expected at the end of February.
Incoming top road cop Libby Murphy branded the setback “disappointing”, saying the force was doing everything it could to get the booze buses on the road as soon as possible.
The safety of officers was a priority and buses wouldn’t be back until command was confident in the vehicle and its features, she said.
It’s understood that is still several months away.
video: Victoria Police conduct a breath testing operation. A citylink booze bus operation conducted by the Victorian Police. Courtesy: Police Victoria
TIMELINE
September 2018: Six smaller booze buses hit the road, among 10 new vehicles bought in $15 million boost.
March 2019: Fleet taken off the road due to safety concerns. They are fraught with mechanical, electrical and airconditioning issues.
April: Channel 7 reveals the fleet has been removed from duty.
August: Sunday Herald Sun reveals Victoria Police has spent $320,000 on two independent engineering firms to help remedy the problems.
September: Victoria Police awaiting report on proposed rectification works.
December: Herald Sun reveals trouble-plagued buses won’t be back on the roads over the crucial Christmas and New Year period.
February 2020: Further update on bus issues due.
< www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/no-da...a9181851dd7b8d9e96eb > [with three photos]

Im stunned here they talk about putting the coppers lives at risk
What about our lives ?

200111Sa-Hobart'Mercury'-bus
200202Su-Melbourne'Age'-NZ-GrandPacific_bus
200209Su-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Clayton-bus
200210M-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Marshall-McHarry's.bus
200210M-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Wuhan.evacuation-Darwin.bus

Roderick

180506Su-Melbourne-'HeraldSun'-London-doubledeckbuses (two photos)
190505Su-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-London-doubledeckbuses
190804Su-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-London-doubledeck.
200119Su-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-UK-London-doubledeck.bus.
Roderick