The latest 3-Door MAN A95 (Euro 6) bus has been launched on
- Go-Ahead Bus Service 83, Service 119 & Express 518/A
- Tower Transit Bus Service 106 & Service 334
- SBS Transit Bus Service 243W
- SMRT Bus Service 900
Initial media releases in January revealed that these buses would be rolled out on Bus Service 334 by the end of January 2021. Registration of these buses began in mid-January, and as of 28 January 2021, all four Public Transport Operators (SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit, and Go-Ahead) have received these buses.
Rollout
- From 28 Jan 2021 – Bus Service 83
- From 31 Jan 2021 – Bus Service 334
- From 2 Feb 2021 – Bus Service 106
- From 7 Feb 2021 – Bus Services 119 & 243W
- From 14 Feb 2021 – Bus Service 900 / 900A
- From 24 Feb 2021 – Bus Service 518 / 518A
Go-Ahead debut: First-day events & observations
Go-Ahead Singapore launched its 3-Door MAN A95 on 28 January 2021, deployed on Bus Service 83. It was the first bus operator to put the 3-Door MAN A95 into revenue service.
Only SG6283Z was deployed; one of six 3-Door MAN A95 (Euro 6) registered to Go-Ahead at the time.
The maiden trip of SG6283Z departed Punggol Interchange at around 2:55 pm, and was covered by Go-Ahead Singapore over its Instagram account:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
It was observed that the majority of commuters used the front staircase to alight from the upper deck. For the minority of rear-staircase-using passengers, most exited the bus via the middle door.
In addition, the rearmost exit door appeared to be misconfigured, stopping whenever an alighting passenger triggered the proximity sensor. This safety feature should have been triggered only when the door is closing.
The rear overhang of the bus was also observed to be significant, protruding beyond the kerb edge when executing tight turns out of bus stop bays.
SG6283Z was scheduled to perform four round trips of Service 83. However, the bus incurred significant delays during the third trip and was subsequently taken out of service when it arrived at Punggol. It did not appear on revenue service the following day.
Return to service
SG6283Z returned to revenue service on the evening of 30 January 2021 with the door sensor issue was fixed, and the rear door opened fully even if passengers were in the range of the proximity sensor.
The “Stand clear of doors” sticker on the third door was repositioned for greater visibility. To protect against head injury, extra foam padding was added to the door arm which protrudes into the passenger cabin, along with an edge guard around the cornered portions of the door arm.
Bus Service 119 debut
SG6298G and SG6299D were deployed on Service 119 on 7 February 2021.
On the first day of service, the third door on SG6299D encountered intermittent issues. Boarding and alighting activities were then confined to the front and middle doors.
The left rear exterior panel was observed to be dislodged outwards, which might have interfered with third door movement. This could have been caused by a kerb strike or collision with the ground. The long rear overhang of the 3-Door MAN A95 makes it especially prone to such damage.
Tower Transit debut
Tower Transit launched its 3-Door MAN A95 on 31 January 2021, deployed on Bus Service 334.
Only SG6288K was deployed; one of seven 3-Door MAN A95 (Euro 6) registered to Tower Transit at the time.
The maiden trip of SG6288K departed Jurong East Interchange at around 3:30 pm, and was covered by Tower Transit over its Instagram account:
View this post on Instagram
The same third door modifications identified on Go-Ahead’s first 3-door MAN A95 (SG6283Z) the day before were also implemented on Tower Transit’s 3-door MAN A95 (SG6288K).
Subsequently, SG6285T and SG6290C were deployed on Service 106 on 2 February.
SBS Transit debut
SBS Transit launched its 3-Door MAN A95 on 7 February 2021, deployed on Bus Service 243W.
SG6286R was deployed; the sole 3-Door MAN A95 (Euro 6) registered to SBS Transit at the time.
SMRT debut
SMRT Buses launched its 3-Door MAN A95 on 14 February 2021, deployed on Bus Service 900.
SG6287M was deployed; the sole 3-Door MAN A95 (Euro 6) registered to SMRT Buses at the time.
Background
In April 2019, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) procured 50 units of the MAN A95 (Euro 6) double-deck bus, configured with three doors and two staircases for smoother boarding and alighting.
These 50 buses were procured under Contract PT342 for ~S$30 million. In total, 100 three-door diesel buses were procured, with Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) fulfilling the other half of orders with its Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (3 Door) buses. The ADL buses are expected to commence revenue service from the 2nd Quarter of 2021.
Differences between the ADL and MAN 3-door buses are discussed here.
Due to design constraints arising from modifying the existing MAN A95 bus chassis as a three-door bus, the passenger cabin is not fully-low-floor. Alighting from the rear door requires passengers to descend from two steps.
In addition, the passenger aisle near the third door is raised by one step, and the additional headroom required on the lower deck protruded into the upper deck, necessitating a unique upper deck rear seating layout with side- and rear-facing seats.
On the other hand, the Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (3 Door) buses are better designed, featuring a full-low-floor layout without steps at the third door.
As with all new buses, the 3-Door MAN A95 buses are equipped with:
- Passenger Information Display Systems with audio announcements
- Driver collision warning system and anti-fatigue system
- Two wheelchair bays and stroller restraint
- Centre pole removed at the front door to facilitate stroller boarding
- Automatic passenger counters at all entrance and exit doors
References
- LTA | News Room | News Releases | LTA to Deploy Three-Door Double-Deck Buses from 2021 [Accessed 11 Jan 2021]
- Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving – Posts (facebook.com) [Accessed 11 Jan 2021]
- 三门双层巴士本月底起陆续开始在公路上载客 – Zaobao [Accessed 11 Jan 2021]
- Three-door double-decker buses to hit the road from this month, Singapore News & Top Stories – The Straits Times [Accessed 12 Jan 2021]
See also
- MAN A95 (ND323F) | Land Transport Guru
- The making of a bus – MAN Lion’s City DD | Land Transport Guru
- 3-Door Buses compared: ADL Enviro500 and MAN A95 | Land Transport Guru
Defeat the purpose of replacing bendy buses if deploy on long haul trunks.Should be use for feeders and service like feeder type.