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FRESHER AIR, BUS SANITISERS NEW DAIMLER EUROPE SAFETY FOCUS

A RECENT LIFTING of a driving ban for German bus companies during the coronavirus pandemic has emboldened Daimler’s push for enhanced driver and passenger safety – with a “high level of fresh air” and “space-enhancing seating variants” more so now firmly in focus, the company has announced.

According to Daimler Buses, with the market for bus travel reviving again in some segments, it is ‘guaranteeing’ travel on a Mercedes-Benz or Setra bus will afford, “…the highest possible level of safety with excellent comfort.”

Head of Daimler Buses Till Oberwörder says he strives to keep things that way.

“The safety of passengers and drivers in our touring coaches is top priority for us. That is why we are offering our customers numerous retrofit solutions to protect against infection for our Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses,” Oberwörder explained.

“By continuously further developing our vehicles with regard to safety and climate comfort, we are doing everything to ensure that passengers and drivers always arrive safely at their destination and in the best of health.”

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FRESHER AIR PUSH

In a Mercedes-Benz or Setra touring coach, fully automatic integral air conditioning or fully-functional roof-mounted air conditioning provide for an evenly distributed temperature – from the first to the last row of seats, Daimler states.

The vehicles have powerful climate control systems with high airflow, which develop their maximum efficiency when the doors and windows are closed, it says. Depending on the air conditioning system, a complete change of air under a minute is possible, it claims.

Depending on the type of bus, the external temperature and the type of air conditioning, a 100 per cent level of fresh air in the passenger compartment is possible, it confirms.

For vehicles with passive ventilation elements, such as hinged windows and roof hatches, ventilation is via manual operation of these components, it adds. Longer opening times of doors on regular-service buses at bus stops, for example, can also have a positive effect on the exchange of fresh air, it states.

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FILTER REPLACEMENT

Setra ComfortClass and Mercedes-Benz Tourismo buses are available with roof-mounted air conditioning. The low-maintenance and low-consumption systems are equipped with a high-performance condenser blower and enlarged air filters, which help remove dust and should be replaced every six months, Daimler advises.

With the three output categories – 32kW, 35kW and 39kW – the coaches provide the right climate control for every area of operation and each vehicle length, the company explains.

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ADDITIONAL MEASURES

In order to give passengers and drivers even better protection in the further course of the Covid-19 pandemic, Daimler Buses offers retrofit solutions for driver protection screens made of glass and polycarbonate plastic, it says.

They are already available for the Mercedes-Benz Citaro and for the Setra LE business low-entry inter-city bus. Preparation work for their installation in touring coaches is “picking up pace”, it says.

Further measures include the optimisation of air conditioning filters and the definition of measures ensuring optimum ventilation of the vehicle when it is stationary.

The company’s engineers are working at full speed to increase the level of fresh air even further, and further reduce the concentration of critical air components in buses, which in future can also be equipped with sanitiser dispensers, Daimler outlines.

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GAME OF THRONES

Besides its usual extensive passive and active safety features – such as active brake assist 4 (ABA 4), the new sideguard assist (SGA), autonomous intelligent cruise control (AICC), the driver-focussed attention assist (AtAs) and front collision guard (FCG) – the coaches include seats with comfortable seat backs and sprung seat cushions, low-vibration armrests, and individually adjustable luxury head restraints together with intuitive operation (with integrated seat belts and a defined impact zone).

Daimler says thanks to the generous seating variants with plenty of legroom, passengers can “…really stretch out in the buses”. For vehicles meeting the criteria of the gbk Bus Comfort Organisation, the “five-star distance” to the next row of seats can be more than 80 centimetres, it states.

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BUS TRAVEL IDEAL

Citing the Association of German Bus Operators (bdo), it explains that: “…travelling by bus is not only comfortable, but also a safe and clean travel option. This is confirmed by studies from the TÜV testing organisation, as well as in figures from the German Federal Statistics Office.”

“TÜV continues to confirm this year after year: in Germany, coaches and buses are the safest means of transport,” says a declaration by the bdo, Daimler points out.

Photography: courtesy Daimler Europe

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