Scania Australia will build 340 buses over 10 years for the Metropolitan Adelaide Bus Network.
Local bus manufacturer Precision Buses will produce the majority of the buses in Edinburgh, with 29 of the 34 buses each year to be constructed by Precision Buses.
Part of the contract also provides for a demonstration hybrid bus to be provided by 2020, and a full evaluation hybrid delivered by 2021.
“Beginning in 2020, the fuel-efficient and low emission Euro 6-compliant Scania-powered bus chassis will be fitted with locally made bus bodies,” said Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Stephan Knoll.
To ensure that the buses made locally are of high quality, a number of KPIs are built into the contracts and will affect the mix of 29 rigid, and five articulated buses delivered each year. This mix can be changed if government priorities shift.
“This flexibility is crucially important so we can continue to keep pace with ever changing technologies and so our buses can adapt to Adelaide’s changing public transport needs,” said Knoll.
Having hybrid buses as a part of the fleet will also have environmental benefits for Adelaide commuters and residents.
“These hybrid buses will reduce carbon exhaust emissions by up to 24 per cent while still delivering the same level of service,” said Knoll.
The South Australian Department of Public Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) manages 990 buses that deliver services across metropolitan Adelaide. The future buses that will replace the aging members of this fleet will all be Disability Discrimination Act compliant.