Renaults a go go: the final frontier

[Barry Drive]

Ben McHugh referred to 3 "new arrivals", without specifying which bus type.

Perhaps he could be meaning 734, plus another 2 Scanias. (Since 734 is not yet in service, it could be destined for Tuggeranong - we just have to wait to know for certain.)

In any case, I did wonder if they would be renewing any registrations for the Renaults. It looks like only the training buses will be renewed.

[L94UBbusfan]

Indeed. I don't usually listen to that sort of stuff, but that was really interesting to listen to. I'd assume the new buses referred to by McHugh are a mix of Yutongs and Scania's.

And also, once all the Renaults are retired, will the Irisbuses or L94s go first?

[Barry Drive]

That WASN'T a Podcast - it was a recording a of radio program. You know, that TV without pictures that your great-grandparents listened to.

Anyway, onto what will be withdrawn next: In the 2024/25 budget, it mentioned that by June 2025, there will be 56 electric buses in service. Which means another 32 to arrive in 11 months.

If going off build date, another 32 buses would enable L94s up to 349 to be withdrawn as well as 7 Irisbuses. And the remaining 13 Scania diesels (expected whenever), would enable all Irisbuses to be withdrawn.

[L94UBbusfan]

Has anyone seen 979 recently? Only 980 and 982 have been operating the 2 Renault shifts for the last week. With only a week left in August too, it seems like retiring all Renaults by the end of August is becoming a bit optimistic. 820 and 821 shouldn't be far off, since only 2 Renaults are used each day I would presume these 2 new buses will enable the final 3 Renaults to be withdrawn.

[Bus 400]

Next week will be the test, all TC buses rego expires on the 1st September. 
So far bus rego hasn't been renewed for any bus.

Besides the NHVR app, the website to watch is https://rego.act.gov.au/regosoawicket/public/reg/FindRegistrationPage?10
Same could be for any potential CNG bus retirement too.

[Barry Drive]

It does look as though the plan is to not renew the registration for 979 980 & 982. But if this is actually the case, they may need to be withdrawn mid week to enable them to be driven to Belconnen Depot for decommissioning.

I do expect all active Scania L94s to be renewed - for one thing I don't think Tuggeranong Depot is able to lose any further active buses just yet.

[Cutepattern1098]

It does look as though the plan is to not renew the registration for 979 980 & 982. But if this is actually the case, they may need to be withdrawn mid week to enable them to be driven to Belconnen Depot for decommissioning.

I do expect all active Scania L94s to be renewed - for one thing I don't think Tuggeranong Depot is able to lose any further active buses just yet.

Is there a possibility the Renaults could remain as dedicated training buses?

[triumph]

Is there a possibility the Renaults could remain as dedicated training buses?

Looks like it.

982 and 980 registration renewed, but not979.
Training buses 930 and 962 renewed but not 931 and 976.

So 2 trainers out suggests 980 and 982 will be kept as trainers.

This implies that the driver quoted in another post, saying the end of this week, is correct.

Will 980 and 982 show up for service tomorrow (even possibly 979 in lieu) as they did today? 

[L94UBbusfan]

This implies that the driver quoted in another post, saying the end of this week, is correct.

Will 980 and 982 show up for service tomorrow (even possibly 979 in lieu) as they did today? 

Probably not 979, as it hasn't operated since the 13th and has been updated as retirement, but I would expect 980 and 982 to be out tomorrow as per usual. The driver from the PT post did say "the rest of this week, that's it" so that probably means until Friday (tomorrow). So if what was said is indeed true then it looks like tomorrow could be the very last day of passenger Renault services. So if you are wanting to ride one, regardless of whether what the driver said is true or not, do not hesitate, go out tomorrow and get on one.

[triumph]

Thought I had checked Fleetwiki earlier and must have missed 979 entry. Or was it only recently added?

[Barry Drive]

979 was updated on the assumption that it wouldn't be utilised again.

However, it might be used tomorrow - in which case the fleetwiki will be updated. We'll know in a few hours which Renaults are in use for the last time.

[triumph]

980 is in use today but the other runs that might have had a Renault so far have 808. Haven't found 979/982 on Any Trip.

[L94UBbusfan]

980 has operated its final ever service on a 73 from Tuggeranong to Woden leaving Tuggeranong at 15:41 this afternoon. This now means all Renaults have been retired from the passenger fleet. While they will still operate as training buses for now, there are no more passenger route services. Truly the end of an era for public transport in Canberra. RIP Renault PR100.2s 1987-2024 

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Just got back from being in hospital all week, guess I missed my last chance Oh well at least I won't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to ride them ever again.

[Bus967]

Dammit I missed my last chance and I had work today, if I didn't have work I would've ridden  it on every route from start to finish


On a related note, does anybody know if there are any events happening for CTM?
And I wish that it was kind of more of a big fanfare when these got retired the same way how Sydney does their trains

[L94UBbusfan]

And I wish that it was kind of more of a big fanfare when these got retired the same way how Sydney does their trains

I wish it was like this too! The Renaults have been such an icon in Canberra and they deserve a proper farewell. I also found on the Canberra Times a video of the last Renault arriving into Woden Interchange. I enjoyed watching it, and for those who missed the last service like me, it's nice to have a record of what the last service was like.

[triumph]

Just got back from being in hospital all week, guess I missed my last chance Oh well at least I won't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to ride them ever again.

Commiserations and recovery best wishes.

[743]

Subsequent to L94UBbusfan's post above, some other media coverage:

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8747237/final-renault-buses-that-traversed-canberra-for-three-decades-retired

https://canberradaily.com.au/one-way-ticket-canberra-or-bust/

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

I don't suppose crashing one into a concrete shelter is a good send off, 'the two canberra icons collide' spectacle so to speak    

[triumph]

In the second link provided by 743, an enthusiast Kyle indicated that the last 3 Renaults, when still in service, were the oldest city buses in Australia. Is this exhaustively confirmed? Seems very likely to me as all the buses now in service should be disability compliant, and thus relatively recent models. Our last 3 were a bit of a standout in this regard.

[Barry Drive]

There's no reason to think it's incorrect.

CDC Canberra have a handful of pre-2000 builds, but nothing as early as 1992. This is probably the same with other private companies around Australia.

Now we need to worry about getting those 22 year old Irisbuses replaced.

[triumph]

Agreed and, as I said, I think so too.
However I have seen over the decades that on any subject when someone claims a first, last, biggest, longest, and so on, that all too often that claim is challenged and invalidated. Hence my thought about exhaustive confirmation.
(Trivia - Around 2000, whilst holidaying in NZ we came across a school bus which was a bonneted Bedford and thus at least 50 years old. Not still a city/urban service bus, but thoughts of that do plant doubts....).