The ACT Government this week issued a request for tender for the supply of seventy-seven new buses, with delivery commencing from December 2013.

The new buses must be low floor, with a stepless entry as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The DDA stipulates that 80% of ACTION’s fleet must be wheelchair accessible by 2017 and 100% by 2022. As of January 2013, 57% of the ACTION Fleet meets these requirements.

ACTION has specified that the buses must operate on diesel fuel, be able to operate for 400km between fueling, have a minimum 220kW* of power and 1200Nm of torque and be no more than 12.5 metres in length.

In terms of passenger comfort, the buses will be climate controlled, feature two wheelchair positions, seat at least forty-five passengers, have front and centre doors and be fitted with a bicycle rack.

Tenderers have the option to provide either the full allotment of seventy-seven buses, or provide thirty-seven and/or forty buses. This could potentially result in two batches of buses with different chassis or body suppliers.

The new buses will replace the ageing Renault PR100.2 (and possibly the PR100.3) fleet, which entered service in the early 1990s. As one-for-one replacements, once all 77 new buses are in service, approximately 75 Renaults would remain in service.

The tender closes on 12 March 2013, with contracts to be signed by May 2013. The buses will be delivered between December 2013 and August 2017.

* – tender originally specified 250kW (340 HP), but this was later varied to 220kW (300HP).

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This page was last updated on 13 August 2022

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