This year at the Australasia Bus & Coach Expo 2022 there was an electric atmosphere. On display were a range of electric and hydrogen powered buses in many shapes and sizes. You expect to see the big brands but it’s talking to the smaller industry suppliers that I enjoy the most. Here’s a few that I spent time with.
Bucklemeup
I caught up with Andrew Leary, Managing Director at Lockliv Corporation, at the Bucklemeup stand and he explained that they had a world first product that uses wireless technology to create a seatbelt warning system that can be retrofitted to buses and other vehicles.
Changing safety regulations mean more buses are being built, or retrofitted, with seatbelts however getting passengers to wear them can be a challenge for the driver. So to help reduce the stress on the driver, and get 100% compliance with passengers, the Bucklemeup wireless system is a great alternative to hardwiring every seat.
The sensors are installed on each buckle and the batteries last approximately three years. There’s a tablet unit which is mounted on the dashboard so the driver can easily see which passengers have their belts on. The system is easy to install and can be done by the customer in their own workshop.
Busable
The team at Busable is doing the hard work behind the scenes to deliver a great outcome for people living in regional areas that rely on public transport. They are helping regional bus operators map their routes and digitise them so they can be submitted to Transport NSW for inclusion on the website and apps.
Having access to online bus routes is something people living in the city take for granted. In regional areas, Transport NSW is working with operators to get all of their routes online and the team at Busable have developed the software to help them do it easily and convert it to the format required for the TODIS Export.
The Busable software means operators can create their routes easily and then update as conditions change because of roadworks or natural disasters.
SafeTstop
This product seems like an obvious one for any workshop repairing buses and heavy vehicles because it’s an easier and safer way to measure braking efficiency than on a road test.
It was a very successful Expo for the team and they enjoyed meeting new and existing bus, and heavy vehicle industry, clients
The latest feature with the heavy vehicle brake tester is the camera which allows a photo of the vehicle, including rego number, to be included on the brake test report. With the Chain of Responsibility law, the onus is on everyone in the supply chain to encourage safe work practices so having access to a quick and easy brake tester is one way to regularly check the stopping performance of your fleet.
SafeTstop is an Australian company which develops and builds all of their products in their Sydney factory.
iTMS (Independent Tyre Monitoring Systems)
iTMS were sharing a stand with Haulmax Tyres and they are working together with several customers to provide tyre pressure monitoring systems. Tony Ross from iTMS has developed the system and recently perfected the wifi Towers that can be installed in depots to capture tyre pressure and temperature data whenever the vehicle is nearby.
Checking tyre pressures regularly is a labour intensive task for large fleets and many outsource the activity to their tyre provider. Billy from Haulmax was explaining that by implementing the iTMS system for customers they have reduced the number of tyre fitters required at each depot, and he expects the Towers to reduce the labour costs even further.
INCA Lifts
There were several exhibitors displaying workshop equipment and I stopped to talk with Simon and Adam from INCA Lifts. I was amazed to learn that everyone in the business is hands on. Each team member sells, services and supports the equipment which connects with their national customer base on a regular basis.
INCA has recently added a touch screen to their equipment which makes using the mobile column hoists in a workshop easier. And for the customers that buy the wireless models, they can lift a bus or heavy vehicle anywhere in the workshop without tripping over cables.
The equipment is manufactured in China using components from around the world with INCA Lift staff members guiding the product development and quality control.
