Scania buses are the ‘first choice’ for Mullumbimby Bus Services

Known for its often-rough terrain and unforgiving roads, Australia has built a reputation as being particularly challenging for bus manufacturers.

The diverse geography across the country, from mountainous regions to remote rural areas, requires buses to be highly capable and durable.

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Factors like steep inclines, tight turns and poorly maintained surfaces put immense stress on the vehicles, testing their power, handling and suspension.

Gary Hughes from Mullumbimby Bus Service has long struggled to find a bus that could meet his unique requirements, needing to find buses to survive the arduous terrain of the North Coast in New South Wales.

“Drivers in this area are making runs where the routes feature mountainous, narrow and often poorly maintained roads that would be considered third world in nature,” Hughes told ABC.

“This rugged landscape puts significant demands on the buses, requiring them to handle steep inclines, tight turns and uneven surfaces.

“We had tested a few bus models over the years, but none of them compared to the Scania buses.”

Over 95 per cent of the Mullumbimby Bus Service’s work consists of school runs, taking children up and down the coast at least five days a week.

Purchasing its first Scania back in the mid 2000s in a Scania K270IB, Hughes says he was immediately impressed with how well the model handled the run.

“As with most trials, I was initially sceptical of how it would perform,” Hughes says. “But as soon as it hit the roads, I was blown away.

“We still have our 2008 model, and it has become the backbone of Mullumbimby Bus Services.”

After the first run, a major highlight for Hughes was the fuel efficiency of the Scania model, managing to burn less fuel despite the landscape.

“All of the Scania models excel in fuel efficiency, it was one of the first things we noticed when we purchased our first one,” he says.

Scania engines are known for their low-rev philosophy, which means they produce maximum torque at a lower engine RPM to improve fuel efficiency.

The low-revving engines allow them to operate more efficiently, especially when navigating the local area.

“Operators know the importance of keeping costs to a minimum, and fuel consumption is one of the main contributors to cost, with our energy efficient powertrain offering significant savings in fuel,” Scania Australia national sales and contracts manager Ian Clarke told ABC.

“Our buses are built on proven technology and components, resulting in chassis and powertrains that are energy efficient, dependable and durable.

“That reliability is the key to minimising time in the workshop and maximising utilisation of the vehicle.”

Finding success with his first Scania, it didn’t take long before Hughes bit the bullet and bought another one. And another, and then another.

With two K 270 IB models and a couple of the K 310 IBs under his belt, he is eagerly awaiting his newest addition, set to arrive in 2025.

“After working with the Scania team for almost two decades, I’m always confident with the product I’m purchasing,” Hughes says.

“That’s why I now have another one on the way, equipped with the latest Euro 6 compliant engine.”

The new bus will have a Volgren body fitted to a Scania chassis powered by a 320hp engine. The new generation chassis comes with a full range of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, designed to provide warnings of imminent collisions, lane departure or interaction with vulnerable road users or pedestrians who may wander into the bus’s path.

“The new generation driver safety support systems give the driver plenty of warning so that accidents can be avoided. This obviously increases safety for the driver in his or her workplace as well as for passengers, in this case school kids, as well as other road users outside the vehicle,” Clarke says.

“We see these safety features as vital and we are urging our customers and bus procurement people to not only ensure they are fitted, but also to ensure they are used in service.”

Like any good business, Scania also prioritises the aftercare of its vehicles, offering repair and maintenance contracts with each purchase.

As well as all planned maintenance, Scania contracts include all repairs of wear and tear parts so that there won’t be any unexpected costs and operators can manage their cashflow with confidence.

“The people you deal with at Scania are incredible. There’s a real Scania family,” Hughes says.

“We once had an issue, a few years after we put the bus in service, and Scania actually listened.

“Despite the problem not even stemming from the chassis, they assisted in any way they could in rectifying the issue.

“And that’s why for us, Scania is always our first choice.”

Clarke says that Scania’s unique company-owned workshops allied with many independently owned authorised service and parts dealers provide a critical service to customers.

“As you can see with Gary Hughes, our private bus operators hold on to our products for a very long working life, and that is because we back our products, provide excellent parts service and work hard within the aftersales sphere to ensure that downtime is minimised,” he says.

“We know that buses or coaches off the road cost operators money and that’s why we’re constantly striving to raise our service levels even higher.”