Volvo Delivering 200 City Buses To Johannesburg

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 21, 2002 Volvo Bus South Africa Pty has begun delivering 200 city buses to Metrobus in Johannesburg, South Africa. The delivery comprises 150 B 7 TL double-deck buses and 50 B 7 R standard buses.

All of the buses are built on chassis produced in Sweden and have bodies from Marcopolo S A, the world's largest manufacturer of bus bodies. The engines are made by Volvo and meet the latest emission requirements.

The B 7 TL double-deck buses feature a low-floor design with air suspension, which means that the vehicle can kneel at bus stops to facilitate boarding and exiting. The standard B 7 R is also designed for easy boarding and exiting as a result of its extra-low gangway.

The buses are also equipped with a ticket system based on a smart card. Combined with a satellite-based system for tracking the bus's movements, this provides documentation for traffic planning and traffic management as well as passenger statistics.

Johannesburg is the host this autumn for the UN's large environmental conference and the order to Volvo represents a significant renewal and modernization of the Metrobus bus fleet. The buses are also viewed by the authorities in Johannesburg as an important manifestation prior to the major and significant UN conference dealing with global environmental issues. The conference, to be held September 2-11, is a follow-up of the previous UN conferences on the same theme that were held in Rio de Janeiro and Kyoto.