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26 27 Asia Bus Response 3 14/06/05 3:15 pm Page 1 Asia Bus Reality rior to Boxing Day 2004, much of the UK population had not P heard of a tsunami and was unaware of the devastation that one could cause. The events in South-East Asia that day changed people's under- standing almost as quickly as it destroyed the lives and livelihood of many millions of people in the area. Whole communities were washed away by the tidal wave, which travelled across the Indian Ocean, hitting Thailand and Indonesia in the east, followed soon after by Sri Lanka in the west. Many other countries suffered to a lesser extent. Within hours, relief organisations were gearing up a major programme of emergency aid and establishing fund raising programmes to rebuild shattered lives and communities. The UK Disasters Emergency Committee raised £300 Million, including donations from employees and companies throughout the transport industry. But elsewhere thoughts had quickly turned to the potential for practical support for the rebuilding of communities. Much of The Mayors of Winchester and Southampton with representatives of the Sri Lankan and Indonesian Governments, the public transport infrastructure in Islamic Relief and ABR supporters form a smile underneath buses arranged to represent 100. the affected areas was destroyed by charity Islamic Relief. Already involved in the relief hardstanding to hold the vehicles prior to their the Tsunami. The horrifying sight, on the television operation, Islamic Relief was able to establish shipment from Southampton docks. Additionally, it news, of laden buses and trains being washed support from the Governments of Sri-Lanka and was close to the Eastleigh headquarters of Solent away prompted Mitch de Faria of The Event Indonesia and undertook to meet the not insub- Blue Line, whose energetic young Managing Makers into action. stantial shipping charges. The receiving countries Director, Phil Stockley, had volunteered his also agreed to waive customs company's services in checking the vehicles over and import levies on the and moving them ready for shipment. Operators vehicles. All of this naturally were asked to ensure that donated vehicles took time, during which the arrived in Eastleigh during the afternoon of 7June. Tsunami and its aftermath In typical bus industry early riser fashion, most slipped from the day-to-day were there by 10.00! Once checked mechanically, agenda in the UK and some the buses were taken across to Marwell and doubted whether the project arranged in appropriate groups. By 18.30, all bar would come to fruition. They two, which suffered minor mechanical faults on misjudged the determination arrival at Marwell, were in place. In the evening an and drive of Mitch and her team informal dinner was held for the supporters of who kept the project in the ABR, giving an opportunity to hear about the public eye and made the future use of the vehicles at first hand from repre- commitment that it would sentatives of the Sri-Lankan and Indonesian become reality with a handover governments. No fewer than eight similar Iveco minibuses came from Southern ceremony on 8 June. In total, Opening on behalf of ABR, Brian King Vectis' Isle of Wight operation. offers of vehicles significantly reminded everyone of the events in South-East exceeded the 100 target, with a Asia, commenting "we take transport for granted Enlisting the support of a number of key figures number pledged in the industry, including Brian King, MD of Trent from the USA as Barton and Andrew Varley of Lancashire County well as the UK and Council, Asia Bus Response (ABR) was formed by Ireland, although early January and publicised in the first Bus and operational Coach Buyer of 2005. ABR set a target of requirements providing one hundred serviceable buses to the meant this figure affected countries and appealed to operators to was subject to donate robust high floor mid-life vehicles. Within fluctuations. days, the concept had struck a chord with Marwell Zoo operators large and small. Offers of vehicles came near Winchester rolling in and the objective appeared achievable. was chosen for the The hard work then began of identifying how ceremony, the vehicles would reach the target communities. providing plenty of Trent Barton donated four MAN based Optare Vectas, two of which were in A key partner for the project was found in the well screened Kinch Bus yellow livery. Page 26 Bus & Coach Buyer 17 June 2005 26 27 Asia Bus Response 3 14/06/05 3:16 pm Page 2 and argue about market share and modal shift but badly affected with 250 imagine not having any transport at all". Brian schools destroyed and outlined the proposed use of the vehicles, which it children nervous of seeing had been agreed, would specifically focus on the the sea. New schools children of the Tsunami affected areas; as school were therefore being built transport in Sri Lanka and school classrooms in inland and the donated Indonesia. buses would be exclusively used to transport children to them. The buses would be a tangible demonstration of the UK's concern for the Tsunami victims. He was sure that they would prove very popular with the children and be looked after to give many years service. For the Indonesia Freshly repainted in fire engine red, the Duple Dominant bodied Ford Government, Dr Pribadi donated by TRC of Treorchy looked immaculate. Sutiono outlined hundred donated vehicles were on site for the proposals to introduce mobile education units in handover, providing a broad overview of the types the country, initially in the Tsunami hit areas but The only Volvo B6 donated was this example of vehicle being bought by UK and Irish operators able to move to other natural disaster prone areas from Keighley and District. immediately prior to the low floor era. Some of in the future. Work was being undertaken with the vehicles were already prepared for alternative Leeds University to develop the concept. uses. A specially repainted Lothian Atlantean was Closing proceedings, Phil Stockley confirmed equipped as an exhibition unit and a Nottingham that there had been relatively few problems with Alexander PS bodied Scania 113 had a rearranged the vehicles when checked over at Eastleigh and interior layout to support its role as a training praised donors for accepting the challenge to vehicle. From Ipswich came a potentially useful provide prepared and roadworthy vehicles. He Leyland recovery vehicle together with a rare hoped they would give years of good service to Alexander bodied Leyland (Bristol) B21. The B21 their new owners. is the chassis derivative of the Leyland National. The following morning, the assembled ABR Small independent operators contributed a supporters and government representatives were significant number of vehicles, many of which had joined by the Lord Mayors of Winchester and been specially prepared for the The longer of two Mercedes-Benz Plaxton event. Ralph Cole, a retired fireman, Beavers donated by East Yorkshire. had repainted his TRC of Treorchy Duple Dominant bodied Ford UK Manager for Islamic Relief, Waseem Yaqub R1114 into fire engine red. It looked stressed how much the project was worth, "the superb, matching Ralph's thought is huge, the realisation is amazing, the description of its performance project has fired the imagination of people so far when he delivered it to Eastleigh. away who have been willing to donate so many Brentons of Blackheath in London buses." He hoped that the children who used the provided two Plaxton Supreme buses would keep the memories for their lifetime. bodied Leyland Leopards and a "Just the opportunity to play with other children, similar body graced the Bedford hearing childish jokes and laughter, or a few hours YMQS donated by Emsworth and away from the destruction that was home will District. The latter also provided a help the children". Waseem gave an insight into Duple Dominant Bus bodied Islamic Relief's work in the area and confirmed his Leyland Tiger. Making the long belief in the value of the project, which his organi- Five of these robust Leyland Leopards were donated by journey from Cork in the Irish sation was supporting to the value of £0.5M in Translink from Northern Ireland.. Republic were two vehicles that shipping charges. Hon Sripathi Soorlyaarachchi, for the Sri Lankan Southampton to mark the Government, explained the scale of destruction to formal handover of the the country's transport system, 337 buses had vehicles to Islamic Relief. been lost along with over fifty items of railway Following brief speeches rolling stock. The education system had also been echoing the messages from the previous evening, the guests congregated in front of the vehicles for photographs from a cherry-picker. The buses' location was close to the zoo's giraffe enclosure and, with a new baby making the herd extra sensitive, care was needed to ensure that the cherry picker did not cause stress A comparison of MCW Metrobuses from Travel West Midlands and First. to the animals by being The First example was originally built for Travel West Midlands' higher than the adjacent Finalising the handover: Waseem Yaqub of Islamic predecessor but not delivered following the end of production at MCW. tree line. Relief receives the final vehicle document from It has been significantly altered in appearance during its time with Capital Mitch de Faria and Roger Heard. Sixty seven of the one Citybus and First in Manchester. 17 June 2005 Bus & Coach Buyer Bus & Coach Buyer Page 27 26 27 Asia Bus Response 3 14/06/05 3:17 pm Page 3 may prove more familiar to their new owners in Host, Solent Blue Line and parent Indonesia, being based on Japanese units.