Volvo’s popular B7R reaches 1000 in Australia, delivered to NSW regional operator Buslines
October 2, 2012
New South Wales regional bus operator Buslines has just taken ownership of the 1000th Volvo B7R delivered in Australia, consolidating the raised floor unit’s popularity.
Volvo Bus Regional Sales Manager Ray Andrich says with more than 100 deliveries in the past twelve months, the B7R chassis has enjoyed continuing success within the school and charter market since its first delivery in 1998.
Andrich sold the first B7R bus to the Dooralong Valley – Coastal Liner operation on the NSW central coast back in the late 1990s.
“Not only is the B7R optimal for school and charter operations thanks to its fuel-efficiency and lightweight, especially when air conditioning has become a standard, but the real driver behind the success of the B7R is the premium product support,” Andrich says.
The 1000th unit in Australia is among eight new B7Rs delivered to Buslines in the past month.
The final delivery destination for the last of the current batch will go to Buslines’ new Picton depot in the south-western fringe of Sydney.
The new bus will enter school bus operations in the district’s main towns of Picton, Thirlmere, Tahmoor and Buxton.
Buslines bought its first five Volvo buses back in 2001, and now with these deliveries, the number of Volvo buses in its existing fleet will increase to 94, with majority being Volvo B7Rs, but also including the low floor B7RLE.
Buslines Group CEO Peter Ferris says the Volvo B7R chassis has a great history and acceptance in Australia.
“It is not surprising to me that there has been 1000 sold as I am sure most operators who have purchased the B7R are very pleased with its performance,” Ferris says.
The Buslines Group initially started off as a small company called Reo Motors Ltd in 1926 that sold cars, trucks, buses and tractors. As business grew, the company ventured into the bus operations industry after acquiring a company in Parkes, NSW that served the RAAF training facility. After several more successful acquisitions throughout the years the company decided to focus on bus operations in 1996.
The group now operates in ten regional NSW locations providing a network of route bus services, as well as regional and inter-regional school transport services throughout NSW.
Ferris says the key behind the success of the group is its focus on quality with providing reliable and safe services to the public and continuously catering to changing passenger needs.
Andrich says this focus fits well with Volvo’s long-term ethos of providing high quality, safe and environmentally sustainable products.
“The Volvo D7E engine has outstanding fuel economy, reliability, low emissions with all of the high quality safety features you would expect from a modern day school and charter bus,” Andrich says.
“With operations spread out in such a vast area of regional New South Wales, and the landscape varying from mountainous to flat plains, reliability and support of the product is crucial.”
Ferris says the B7R school bus is reliable, performs well, delivers a smooth ride and is popular with Buslines’ drivers.
“Volvo’s support for the product in regional NSW is excellent,” he says.
“It is not always possible to get that level of product support outside the capital cities.”