Tribus

23 low floor minibuses Civitas Economy have been driving throughout the northern Netherlands on bus lines of Qbuzz since December 16. Qbuzz has replaced the large city bus for small-scale Public Transport with smaller low floor minibuses Civitas Economy. Lower costs, less maintenance and less CO² emissions. A nice idea, but is passenger transport in a minibus equivalent to the city bus?

Taxi Dorenbos from Assen is one of the performers of the Groningen / Drenthe concession. A company that has been specialized in passenger transport in the Northern Netherlands for 60 years; from small-scale public transport to seated patient transport and airport service. Road safety, service and comfort are paramount. Taxi Dorenbos therefore also has the national quality mark TX Keur. “We maintain the fleet well to guarantee safety and our vehicles are fully equipped. In this way, customers can board with confidence, “says the management of Taxi Dorenbos.

The low floor Civitas Economy minibussem are made by the Dutch bus converter Tribus. Subcontractor Taxi Dorenbos has been driven the models sincs December 16, a solid period to evaluate with drivers and passengers how the buses work. What directly caught their attention were the style colors that were applied both inside and outside the vehicle.

In small-scale Public Transport, easy boarding, and therefore speed, is important. The Civitas Economy scores well on accessibility, the drivers feedback that people with prams, suitcases or wheelchair users can easily get in thanks to the lowered floor in combination with the metro doors. The drivers are very satisfied with the Civitas Economy’s in general and indicate that they have not made any concessions. “The vehicle is comfortable and runs smoothly due to the compact dimensions. At the same time it offers all the possibilities of a large bus ”, Paul Gossner, driver at Taxi Dorenbos. In the beginning there were some disruptions, but these were quickly resolved by all people involved. A suggestion from the drivers is to add a spare wheel instead of a repair kit. Bus converter Tribus has indicated that it is investigating the possibilities.

Passengers indicate that they are mainly satisfied with the beautiful finish of the bus, the spacious ambiance and the accessibility of the vehicle. They also often use the USB connections for charging the telephone. “Based on the customer experiences and the feedback from our drivers, we conclude that the Civitas Economy is very suitable for small-scale Public Transport. Passenger transport in the minibus is no less than a city bus. We enjoy driving it with pleasure and expect to see this type of vehicle more and more often,” says the management.

www.taxidorenbos.nl