Modern bus turning many heads

Real Journey's coach services manager David Osborne admires the view through the ceiling of the...
Real Journey's coach services manager David Osborne admires the view through the ceiling of the tourism company's latest asset, a Volvo B12B 460-horsepower coach.
A glass-ceilinged bus, designed for passengers to see soaring peaks along Milford Rd, has been turning heads in the North Island, following its completion by Palmerston North boutique coach builders Coachwork Central.

The new Volvo B12B 460-horsepower coach has been built in a distinctive bullet shape for Real Journeys, with a substantially lower front than back and tiered, angled seating ensuring all passengers have "theatre-style" views.

Real Journeys coach services manager David Osborne said Coachwork Central's staff were amazed at the public's reaction to the coach when they test-drove it around Palmerston North.

"One of the younger guys joked that this was the only coach he has ever driven that attracts people's attention - 'it's a bus that you might be able to pick up girls in'."

However, Mr Osborne said he had no intention of allowing the coach to join the local boy-racer fraternity on the Friday night circuit.

The coach was among the best available in New Zealand.

"We have every confidence this coach will be another one and a-half million kilometre, 100% reliable Volvo vehicle for the Real Journeys' fleet."

The coach was also designed to minimise impacts on the environment, complying with the Euro IV emissions standards, meaning it had much lower emissions of nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter than non-compliant vehicles, Mr Osborne said.

The purchase of the new coach brought the number of Real Journey's bullet coaches to eight.

"It's a great addition to the fleet and it's also a vote of confidence that we believe the current recession is not going to last forever."

 

 

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