Bus for Holland
Page 55
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)PEtATING subsidies to nem ers of the Dutch mssenger transport operators' Issociation — ESO — next year yin amount to Fl. 420 million almopt £95m) from the State ind Fl. 78m from town and ;ommunity funds. With an iverage life of 12.5 years of the 1-400 vehicles currently )perated, an annual replacenentl programme of 350-400 vehicles is expected for the next lecade.
Many of the new units will be if the B 7900 design which was ,howh in public for the first time it th recent UITP congress. his s an intercity type vehicle )asei on DAF running units ind fitted with Den Oudsten iodywork incorporating a ium er of special features such :s a semi-integral steel frame ian lied on the outside with ioly ster sections.
As reported at the time, a prototype was sent to Britain for extended durability and stress tests at MIRA as well as roadholding and handling trials on various surfaces.
At the same time Den Oudsten has also developed a midisized version to meet specific Dutch requirements for a vehicle of this type. The first unit has now been completed and handed over to the West Nederland group which is taking a total of 10 midis. In the initial phase of the new Dutch vehicle replacement programme Den Oudsten is building 59 of the 8.7m long midi-buses.
The buses are only 2.3m wide and have a floor height and approach angle to suit the steep hump-back approaches of many Dutch secondary road canal bridges. 22 seats are fitted and up to 30 standing passengers can be carried in the two-door body distinguished by a clear interior height of 1.92m, ie greater than in older vehicles. Body construction is similar to the fullsize B 7900 bus with extensive use of grp panels and mouldings. Exterior overall height is 3.18m and the wheelbase is 3.8m.
The rear-mounted power unit is a Daimler-Benz CM 401 V6 diesel engine of 141kW at 2500rpm driving through a three-speed automatic transmission (DB W3D080) with integrated retarder. Air springs are used all round, with the front axle design featuring an independent suspension layout.