With a Volvo B7R chassis and a Bustech SBV body, the bus is air conditioned and uniquely outfitted with 73 safety-belted seats. Based at the company’s Picton depot, the new Volvo bus has commenced work in the Picton–Wollondilly region.
The Buslines Group is one of the largest, privately owned public transport operators in NSW, with a fleet of 300 buses and 24 taxis operating from 10 depots. The company provides school, commuter and charter services to regional communities around the Southern Highlands, Griffith, Orange, Tamworth, Ballina, Dubbo, Lismore, Lithgow and Bathurst areas, as well as Picton.
First founded as Reo Motors Ltd in 1926 and selling cars, trucks, buses and tractors, the group purchased its first bus operation in Tamworth in 1943. The Buslines Group bought its first five buses from Volvo Buses Australia in 2001, and now Volvos comprise one-third of its fleet.
The Buslines Group’s commitment to installing seatbelts for school children is aligned with its focus on ensuring high quality standards throughout its statewide operations.
The NSW Government stipulates that any seat-belted bus cannot carry standing passengers. The new bus embraces these safety regulations by offering seatbelts and more seats to eliminate standing on the long country routes operated by the Buslines Group.
The bus uses a 3+2 seating design and configuration with a wide three-seater on the far side of the aisle and a standard two-seater on the kerb side of the bus, providing five seats across instead of four.
“We’ve increased the capacity of this bus from the usual 61 seats up to 73 seats, to better meet the demands of the community,” says Peter Ferris, Chief Executive Officer of the Buslines Group.
“And while the NSW Government has not mandated seatbelts for our school operations, we’ve fitted them for the safety of our young passengers. Safety is very important to our business.”
The Volvo B7R has one of the market’s most fuel-efficient bus engines, with common-rail technology that promotes a high efficiency rating combined with low emissions and quiet operation. This provides excellent driveability and high comfort for passengers and drivers.
An automatic transmission ensures easy operation, and Peter says the Volvo B7R buses are well suited to school route operations.
“We’ve been buying Volvo B7Rs with Bustech Graduate (SBV) bodies for a number of years, and they are the ideal chassis for school buses,” says Peter.
“Our drivers find them easy to drive and very reliable—they deliver a smooth ride—and the good thing about Volvo is its excellent after-sale service and support, which is hugely important to us when operating in rural and regional areas.”
Volvo has a dedicated aftersales team purely focused on bus service, where a designated field advisor looks after and maintains the vehicle for its life. Volvo service uses the best tools and Genuine Volvo Parts, whether it's in the workshop or being repaired by a Volvo Action Service roadside assistance team.
“It’s critical that our buses run problem-free, safely and economically, year after year,” Peter says.
As a long time Volvo customer, Peter understands the importance of using genuine Volvo parts.
Sourcing Genuine Volvo Parts for any repair or maintenance ensures your Volvo bus continues to perform to its original specifications and levels of safety. This is critical for many safety components where non-genuine or counterfeit parts have shown inferior performance.
“Using Volvo’s service and genuine parts ensures the best performance, and the most effective preventative maintenance and repairs, Peter said”.
Using Genuine Volvo Parts —the same parts used to build a Volvo bus—means that you always get the perfect part for maximum efficiency. Our bus parts are optimised to work together flawlessly and sustain the lowest level of emissions for many years.
There is no substitute for using high-quality genuine parts that match your vehicle’s specification. Spare parts carrying ‘OEM’ logos are readily available, and may appear to be the same as Genuine Volvo Parts. But unless we deliver your parts in our signature blue boxes, they aren’t necessarily genuine and cannot be warranted by Volvo.
While a spare part from an unauthorised dealer may closely resemble the original, chances are it will not have the same high quality or adhere to our stringent safety standards.
Non-genuine parts may be a little cheaper, but they risk costing you a lot of money in the long run.
Take genuine Volvo oil filters, for example. Comparisons have shown that the small savings you’d receive with non-genuine brands has a considerably higher long-term price to pay as deficiencies and weaknesses in non-genuine parts jeopardise bus performance, service life, and in the end profitability.
When compared to similar non-genuine filters, Volvos are far superior.
Volvo genuine Long-life oil filters are designed for longer service life, which means reduced maintenance costs for the bus. Overall, when compared to non-genuine parts, Volvo has alonger service life on their filters than non-genuine filters, which means more cost for the operator.
The desired filtering efficiency and dirt holding capacity is obtained by mixing coarse and fine fibres, which Volvo provides, but it is often difficult to tell the composition or quality when purchasing a non-genuine part.
Poor media quality with irregular permeability gives poorer cleaning and dirt capacity, and therefore provides shorter service life. Volvo filters have thick media and large filter area, reinforced filter housing as well as a sturdy gasket to maintain safety and cleaning capacity throughout its long service life.
Choosing non-genuine parts means taking a risk when the stakes are high. With genuine Volvo parts, you don’t have to chance it. They’re always the best choice.
Genuine Volvo Parts are engineered specifically for a particular purpose and function in the chassis. We individually test and certify each part to the highest engineering standards, and then test it in the complete chassis so that all parts comply with European and Australian quality standards.
Non-genuine spare parts can present a risk to the performance, quality and safety of your Volvo bus or coach, as they may fit imprecisely, wear too quickly or perform outside the strict tolerances required by Volvo engines. Using Genuine Volvo Parts achieves cost efficiency through more optimal engine performance and fewer non-scheduled repairs.
We know that our spare parts are the best available for your bus or coach, and we will always supply you with the highest quality parts with the longest product life.
Our commitment goes beyond the quality of the part itself and extends to a culture that places customer satisfaction as the highest priority. It’s the way Volvo has operated for the past 40 years.
When you buy Genuine Volvo Parts from our dedicated dealer network, you’ll receive the latest technology and up-to-date advice, as well as the precise fit and functionality you would expect from Volvo.
Volvo’s national distribution centre located in Minto, NSW, efficiently supports customers and the dealer network with quick turnaround—even for older bus models—to ensure your bus is back on the road faster.
We are continually evaluating our spare parts business to ensure the most competitive price.
For 40 years, Volvo has continued a tradition of quality, which extends from our parts to our service. We provide the support you need and make your business our first priority.
We work with our customers to provide complete parts solutions for Volvo fleets—talk to us about yours.
Every genuine Volvo bus part is optimised to provide the best performance and most effective repairs. That's why our workshops use Genuine Volvo Parts, and why genuine parts are an integrated part of our range of Volvo Bus Service Agreements covering everything from basic scheduled maintenance to complete chassis repairs.
We work closely with our dealer network, supporting them with the correct technical information to maintain your bus or coach in the best condition.
You can rely on Volvo Buses for fast and efficient bus repairs, maintenance and inspections.
Using a skilled mechanic at an authorised Volvo Bus & Coach Workshop is the best way to keep your Volvo bus or coach operating at its peak performance.
Our authorised repairers have the specialised diagnostic tools, equipment and software to service and repair buses and coaches to Volvo’s schedules and specifications.
Similarly, Volvo Bus & Coach Workshops invest in training for their technicians on the new products and technology being introduced into the market.
Genuine Volvo Service includes preventive maintenance and service planning for your entire fleet, and can be adapted to individual vehicle or business needs.
Ensure your Volvo bus or coach runs at optimally by keeping it 100% Volvo.