SBS9844Z: Preserved SBS Transit bus in Hong Kong

A retired Singapore double-deck bus has recently found its way to Hong Kong.

The Volvo B10TL (Volgren) bus, formerly registered as SBS9844Z, retired from service in April 2020. The bus was purchased by a private collector and shipped to Hong Kong onboard the vessel Hoegh St. Petersburg, arriving in Hong Kong on 3 August 2020.

Main Article: Volvo B10TL (Volgren CR222LD)

Singapore history:

50 units of the Volvo B10TL bus (also known as the Volvo Super Olympian) were procured by Singapore Bus Services (SBS) in 2001. Bodied with the Volgren CR222LD bodywork, these buses entered service between 2002 and 2003.

These buses were shipped into Singapore as bare chassis, and the bodywork was supplied in complete-knock down (CKD) kits by Australian company Volgren. With the exception of two units (SBS9800A and SBS9810X), all buses were assembled locally by SBS Engineering Pte Ltd (known today as ComfortDelGro Engineering Pte Ltd) at Hougang Bus Depot.

These buses were mostly operating in the eastern part of Singapore, based out of Ang Mo Kio Bus Depot, Braddell Bus Park and Bedok North Bus Depot.

As for SBS9844Z, the bus was registered on 11 April 2003, where it was allocated to Ang Mo Kio Depot, and deployed to Bus Services 161, 133, 55 and 25 during its time on the roads. It was de-registered on 10 April 2020, at the end of its 17-year statutory lifespan.

Overview of SBS Transit Volvo B10TL (52 units):

At time of writing (August 2020), all Volvo B10TL buses had been retired (except SBS9889U). With the Government aiming to achieve a 100% Wheelchair-Accessible Bus Fleet by 2020, all existing non-Wheelchair-Accessible Buses are expected to retire by the end of the year.

As of August 2020, only 2 non-wheelchair-accessible bus models are in operation: the Volvo B10TL (CDGE) and the Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit).

Common heritage

While Volvo B10TL buses were a minority in Singapore, they were far more common in Hong Kong where a total of 795 units were procured by franchised bus operators Kowloon Motor Bus and New World First Bus.

Kowloon Motor Bus (692 units)

New World First Bus (103 units)

In late-2018, some of the New World First Bus units were transferred to the Citybus non-franchised bus fleet, replacing Volvo Olympian and Dennis Trident buses.

Delivery to Hong Kong

The bus was shipped to Hong Kong on the vessel Hoegh St. Petersburg.

The vehicle carrier ship docked in Singapore on 26 July 2020 and departed in the early hours of the following day. After a stop at Laem Chabang (Thailand), it arrived in Hong Kong in the afternoon of 3 August 2020.

Pictures captured by bus enthusiasts in Hong Kong show the bus outside Kwai Tsing Container Terminal on Tsing Yi island.

Bus preservation in Hong Kong

The preservation of public buses is no stranger to Hong Kong, with public buses having been preserved by bus operators and local bus enthusiast groups alike. Most of these are local buses, with smaller numbers imported from the United Kingdom, Japan, and most recently Singapore.

Bus preservation in Singapore

Retired public buses in Singapore are rarely preserved. When they are, these buses usually get repurposed for other means, rather than being kept in their original condition for historical value.

Preserved Singapore buses:

• Leyland Olympian (SBS7196Z) – Children’s playbus. Static display at Pat’s Schoolhouse (Jubilee Park)
• Nissan RX102K3 (STC 609) – LTA restoration; former Singapore Traction Company bus
• Leyland Olympian (SBS9168S) – Bought by a private collector and shipped to United Kingdom; local registration L888 SBS.
• Leyland Olympian (SBS6907X) – “The Red Bus” static display outside National Youth Council (Grange Road)
• Volvo B10BLE Bus (SBS2988M) – Used for special needs education at St. Andrew’s Autism Centre
• Volvo B10BLE Bus (SBS2989K) – Used for patient rehabilitation at Tan Tock Seng Hospital – Integrated Care Hub
• Volvo Olympian (SBS7227T) – Former student lounge at Temasek Junior College, scrapped in 2018
• Volvo B10TL (SBS9817C) – Used for special needs education at APSN Chaoyang School
• Volvo B10TL (SBS9844Z) – Bought by a private collector and shipped to Hong Kong
• Volvo B9TL (SBS7376X) – Preserved at ITE College West

Local Youtuber glitchFan2428 recently produced a video on the topic of local bus preservation.

References:

• [即日快報] 前新加坡SBST Super Olympian抵港 – hkitalk.net
• 縱橫巴士綫．BusLanes – Facebook

See Also:

• Volvo B10TL

Back to Volvo B10TL (Volgren CR222LD)
Back to Volvo B10TL