State aid for buses in Italy
Page 62
Page 63
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PASSENGER vehicle exhibits in next month's Turin commercial motor show at which Fiat domination will be only slightly redressed by a token entry of foreign manufacturers — are expected to reflect the support given by the State to re-equip surface transport operation throughout the country.
With many Italian vehicle fleets still cootaining vintage buses, often 20 or more years old, the modernisation plans, inevitably tied to political ma
noeuvres in some regions, are at least expected to halt the drop in registrations that have marked the last three years.
The recent announcement that the Communist-controlled Rome country bus area is jacking up fares by one-fifth was accompanied by astounding revelations of mis-management in the allocation of vehicles and staff. Greater endeavours are made in the private sector such as the bodybuilding industry, which, although still more fragmented than elsewhere i Europe, is seeking new ways 1 rationalise design, productio and marketing of psv.
nbus consortium
The formation of th lnbus-consortium by foi. well-known firms, SICCA, D SIMON, Breda and SOFER combine their facilities an manufacturing experience wa revealed recently and a numbE of city and interurban busE from the current programme wi
prominently featured at rin. Two of the firms involved, Dd a and SOFER, have strong lway rolling stock backg„Inds, while SICCA is best own for its Fiat-engined ace-frame chassis.
One of the vehicles at the DIN will be the new INBUS 3() coach, a 12m unit to carry
to 59 passengers in the er-city version. Fitted with a it engine of 235 kW (330 p) driving through an Allison I740 transmission with
integrated hydraulic retarder the new coach is based on a SICCA-designed underframe.
Exhibits will also include city bus versions of existing SICCA models with the vertical power unit side-mounted just ahead of the rear axle. This is an engine location still finding favour with operators in a number of countries; it may be recalled that when Magirus-Deutz supplied VoV-type buses to Cologne' some vehicles were modified to provide this engine layout.