10 Show cases

Thursday 3rd November 2022

The Euro Bus EXPO 2022 show is on at the NEC over three days this week (it ends today, Thursday).

I popped up for a quick look round on Tuesday’s opening day to check out what’s new since the last exhibition four years ago which I blogged about here.

Back in 2018 I picked out ten exhibits that caught my eye and thought I do the same again this time.

First up are some impressive electric and hydrogen powered buses which will be coming to a bus route soon. Interestingly no gas buses were on display this time perhaps indicating how the industry now sees electric and perhaps hydrogen as the ‘green’ propulsion of the future.

1. Alexander Dennis’s Hydrogen bus for Merseytravel

These 20 buses destined for route 10A between St Helens and Liverpool operated by both Arriva and Stagecoach have been funded by Liverpool City Region’s Transforming Cities Fund and certainly look the part both externally and internally.

With Ray Stenning’s Best Impressions expert design skills involved in the project from the outset, these buses are bound to make an impact when introduced in Liverpool next year.

The bus has all the hallmarks of a Best Impressions masterpiece with sensible rear seat arrangements, if a little close for the knees….

…. but at least it’s now becoming standard practice to have four proper seats at the rear rather than expecting five people to squeeze together.

And, of course, there’s the usual wood effect flooring which is also now becoming a standard feature on many new buses, and very welcome it is too.

There’s a rather large box type structure on the nearside as you board which I assume is something to do with the hydrogen arrangements, maybe even the storage area?

My one concern is the 20 buses will not be enough to convert the entire route which will lessen their impact. It’s a missed opportunity not to have taken a route with a requirement for say 18 buses which would have pretty much guaranteed passengers will have a ride on these impressive buses when they turn up at the bus stop rather than the hit and miss which will apply on route 10A once ‘launched’.

In the meantime the bus certainly turned heads on ADL’s stand at the Show.

2. Iriza ‘ietram’ electric bus for TfL

This is another head turner thanks to its deliberate tram like shape – hence the rather odd name, “ietram”. However judging by social media feedback they’re going to be a kind of Marmite design – you either love it or hate it.

Destined for introduction next year on Go-Ahead London operated route 358 between Crystal Palace and Orpington the bus will feature pantograph recharging at each terminus as recently installed at Bexleyheath bus garage for route 132 and for some time in use at Harrogate bus station.

Inside the bus it’s immediately noticeable the front entrance door is much narrower than on standard buses; you’d not even get a slimline buggy through there ….

… and there’s not a huge amount of space for a wheelchair and buggies or standing room for passengers by the larger middle door.

There are just 33 seats which strikes me as not many for a busy route like the 358 although on the upside they certainly look (and are) comfortable and a definite step up in quality for London’s bus passengers.

I wonder what they’ll make of the two-by-two facing each other arrangement though?

And I wonder if the back offside seat all on its own will prove the most popular.

3. Switch Mobility electric bus for TfL

Another electric single deck bus for London to a new design but not quite as radical as the Irizar “ietram” is the Metrocity from Switch Mobility (formerly known as Optare).

As you can see what it lacks in tram style looks it makes up for with a rather bulbous front end.

12 of these buses are destined for Stagecoach operated route 339 between Leytonstone and Shadwell stations (a route formerly run by Tower Transit until it sold out to Stagecoach in June).

These single door only buses also have swish looking seats which are sure to make an impact on London’s bus passengers who are at last catching up on what provincial passengers have enjoyed as new buses have been introduced outside the Capital for years.

However the wheelchair area looks very confined to me and that nearside single seat may restrict movement. I’m surprised it wasn’t removed to allow a more flexible area and room for a buggy.

4. Mellor’s electric Sigma Family

I highlighted Mellor’s Strata bodywork on the Mercedes Sprinter minibus as featured on its stand at the 2018 Show so was interested to see what would be on display this time as I’m a bit of a Mellor fan.

The company didn’t disappoint with two of the six models in the Sigma family range – the 15/16 seat Sigma 7 and longer 27 seat Sigma 8 on display.

Both are very box shape looking as befits Mellor’s way but I find the design and the interiors attractive in a rather square box kind of way as well as practical for what’s on offer.

The Sigma 8 in particular has a very wide entrance as highlighted above (compare it to the Irizar ‘ietram’ for example) but the Sigma 7 has its entrance door behind the front wheel which may not be so handy for driver/passenger interaction.

They could do with some Best Impressions style work on the interiors and seats though – this is the inside of the Sigma 8…

… and the Sigma 7 which at least has more comfortable seats, but only room enough for 15.

5. Yutong E12 electric buses for TrawsCymru

I was pleased to see one of the new electric buses destined for TrawsCymru on display on the Yutong stand as these have been much heralded as a positive development for the high profile extensive inter-urban network across Wales but have yet to appear on the road, mainly because of infrastructure issues, I believe.

12 buses have been commissioned by Carmarthenshire Council for TrawsCymru.

You are very high up on those seats towards the rear.

6. Brighter destination displays

I highlighted the ever improving products produced by Hanover and McKenna in 2018 and both companies are back again with even brighter higher definition destination blinds and information signs now available.

There are others on the market too including Navaho …

… and aesys.

I reckon it would be a good use of Government funding (that’s assuming after 17th November such a thing exists) if every bus was to have its destination display upgraded to these very impressive standards. Just imagine the impact it would have and the statement that would make about the importance of buses.

7. E-paper departure displays at bus stops

I also highlighted this development at the 2018 Show suggesting it really must be the way forward for bus stop displays – which can be either real time departures or traditional timetables or both; but the key thing is the information can be controlled remotely and updated as simply and quickly as a click of the mouse.

It’s been disappointing to see very little progress with installations over the last four years but I was pleased to see a company called Papercast at the Show showing the coverage they’re now achieving with the support of local authorities.

This is another area I believe could benefit from Government funding – just imagine if every bus had those bright destination screens, and every bus stop had up to date, clear to read, E-paper displays showing timetables and real time. What a transformation that would bring to bus travel.

8. Website and App development

It was good to see Tom Quay and his team from the company called Passenger at the Show. This company have done wonders to improve the presentation and availability of information for passengers – making websites and Apps intuitive to use and incorporating as standard, popular features such as vehicle tracking as well as easy to find links to timetables and maps.

Tom was telling me they’ve recently launched a new website for TrawsCymru and boy did it need one and the result is a huge improvement on what went before which was clunky and unfriendly. It’s another excellent transformation.

9. Comfortable seats

The bar really has been raised on providing quality seats for both passengers and drivers and it’s heartening to see so much effort now going into this as a key ingredient of a new bus specification by enlightened bus companies and also seeing manufacturers obliging.

For far too long those specifying and purchasing buses showed no interest in this key feature – often because they never travelled by bus themselves. Thankfully this has changed for the better and it was good to see seat manufacturers present at the Show.

10. The best design and marketing

All the foregoing demonstrates the importance of excellent design and marketing and it was good to see Ray Stenning and his Best Impressions team displaying their superb work for a whole range of bus companies across the country with the all important attention to detail and design presentation.

The team have produced a new booklet showcasing the recent work Best Impressions has done which includes over 25 examples of the company’s desire creating creativity.

Another design agency, Southampton based Mangopear Creative run by Andi North, doing great work for the bus industry, not least promoting ‘Britain’s Scenic Bus Routes’ are also displaying their work at the Show reaffirming you have to properly promote buses with design excellence if you want a successful industry – which is what Euro Bus EXPO 2022 is all about.

Roger French

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