Archive, Industry News

Promising jump in deliveries

July’s three-digit delivery numbers represent a jump up in industry movement

For the first time in 2016, the number of buses delivered during July has reached triple digits.

104 buses were delivered according to supplier reports, making July the industry’s most active month since December 2015.

Numbers have been increasing steadily since April, with about an extra five buses per month, but the increase from June to July almost amounts to the total growth between April and June.

April (80), May (85), and June (91) seem to have been the start of a new upward trend which July has accelerated almost threefold.

In 2015, the end-of-financial-year June/July deliveries dropped, with June at 149 and July at just 113, so this year’s continued increase is all the more promising.

Considering last year’s consistent three-digit delivery numbers (excluding January and October), the first six months of 2016 have been somewhat unexceptional.

Despite the drop from last year’s high, bus and coach body producers say times are still good for the industry, with some builders booked out for the next 18 months.

Two of Brisbane’s major coach builders, Coach Concepts and Coach Design, recently told ABC Magazine things are looking good for the near future.

Managing director of Coach Design Chryss Jamieson says he often receives calls from operators to see if they can speed up the build schedule.

“We can’t rush anything through… all the sheds are full, which is great.”

If the current trend continues, the industry could return to seeing a month or two with close to 150 deliveries before 2016 is over.

Full statistics for July’s bus and coach deliveries will be available online soon, so keep an eye on the BusNews website.

Send this to a friend