22 July 2002
To provide passengers with a bus journey of unparalleled comfort and further improve the bus captain's working environment, KMB has recently taken possession of 17 MAN air-conditioned double-deck buses, worth a total amount of HK$ 40 million, which were assembled in Australia. Today (Monday, 22 July 2002), KMB organised a press conference to introduce the special features of the new buses to the public.
All the 2+2 seats of the brand new MAN air-conditioned double-deck buses are front-facing. All handrails in the gangways as well as on the back of seats feature a uniform yellow coating, bringing a fresh look to the bus saloon.
The driver's seat design is another special feature of the new buses. With eight adjustable buttons allowing front, back, and up and down movement, as well as the tilt between the seat-back and cushion, individual bus captains can adjust the driver's seat to suit their particular requirements. In addition, bus captains may select the auto-adjust button and the air-filled cushion will adjust automatically according to the weight of the bus captain, thus providing each driver with a comfortable working environment.
KMB's Operations Director, Mr Lui Po Chiu said, "The amount of time that a bus captain spends in the seat of a bus is obviously longer than for passengers. This means that in addition to enhancing the comfort of passengers, KMB also looks to improve the working environment of bus captains when purchasing new buses. This new bus type perfectly fits our requirements in these two aspects."
In terms of mechanical design, this new bus type is equipped with an electronically controlled gear box and engine. Proper matching and better communications between the two enables the engine to deliver an optimal power output in response to a change of gear, making for smoother running as well as reduced fuel consumption and engine emissions.
A KMB bus captain said after testing this new bus type, "Generally speaking, each day every KMB bus will be driven by two bus captains on shift, and each of them has a different frame. The adjustable control buttons, together with the electronically controlled gear box and engine thus provide bus captains with a good feeling when driving."
This new bus type is characterised by its spacious bus compartment. The height of the lower deck is more than 2.1 metres, which allows greater headroom for passengers. The passenger seats, as well as the headrests, are set at an optimum tilt angle and feature a body contoured seat-back, making long distance bus journeys more comfortable.
KMB considers the needs of different passengers when purchasing new buses. This new bus type is equipped with a wheelchair ramp to provide easy access for wheelchair users, and a large wheelchair space is also provided inside the bus compartment. For visually impaired passengers, the compartment is equipped with a high contrast and textured handrail system. Seat belts will be provided for all seats without a hand-rail or seat back in front, and all aisle seats located on lower deck platforms which are higher than the gangway will also be equipped with a foldable arm rest to enhance comfort and safety.
Other advanced facilities installed in this new bus type include: the most environmentally-friendly Euro III engine, which minimises engine emissions, and a brand new integrated air-conditioning system, which automatically provides cool or warm air output according to the temperature and humidity inside and outside the bus compartment. With the vents evenly distributed, air can flow freely to every part of the compartment. The circular adjustable nozzles of the air-conditioning system also enable passengers to adjust the volume and angle of ventilation according to their needs.
In a parallel development, a continuous strip lighting system running the length of the bus compartment means that light can be cast evenly in every part of the bus. Two-leaf entrance and exit doors, with the exit door equipped with pressure-sensitive edges and a pre-closure warning system, are also provided.
All 17 new buses will commence service after licensing and will be deployed on long distance bus routes running between the New Territories and urban Kowloon.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Susanna Sin
Senior Manager, Media Relations
KMB Corporate Communications Department
Tel: 2786-6002
Fax: 2371-2910
 KMB has recently taken possession of 17 MAN air-conditioned double-deck buses, assembled in Australia. |
 All the 2+2 seats of the brand new MAN air-conditioned double-deck buses are front-facing, and all handrails in the gangways as well as on the back of seats feature a uniform yellow coating. |
 With eight adjustable buttons allowing front, back, and up and down movement, as well as tilt between seat-back and cushion, individual bus captains can adjust the driver's seat to suit their particular requirements. |
 The height of the lower deck is more than 2.1 metres, which allows greater headroom for passengers. |
 The passenger seats, as well as the headrests, are set at an optimum tilt angle and feature a body contoured seat-back, making long distance bus journeys more comfortable. |
 A continuous strip lighting system running the length of the bus compartment means that light can be cast evenly in every part of the bus. |
 A brand new integrated air-conditioning system automatically provides cool or warm air output according to the temperature and humidity inside and outside the bus compartment. |
 This new bus type is also equipped with a wheelchair ramp to provide easy access for wheelchair users. |
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