猛獅 12.220 MAN 12.220

猛獅 12.220 MAN 12.220

編號 Class：DBAY79，86

愉景灣交通服務有限公司向於二零零二年向猛獅購入九架新車，其中兩架12.220中型低地台巴士，作為替代車齡漸高，服務購物專線的三菱Rosa，進一步提升相關服務的水平。從外觀上，這兩架12.220跟愉景灣車隊中採用Caetano車身的NL263非常相似，但事實上裝配在它們的車身並非由葡萄牙的廠家供應，而是來自其中一間猛獅指定車身供應商Goppel，在往後日子引進本港的猛獅巴士，並未有再選用這家車身廠出品，加上Goppel已經於二零一四年因破產而結業，除了愉景灣這兩架猛獅12.220巴士，相信香港再不會出現有配用Goppel車身巴士。

儘管猛獅12.220車身稍長於一九九六年引進的丹尼士飛鏢(HKR121/HD7319)，但載客量較飛鏢少了三人，合共提供二十二個座加二十七企位。因應傷健共融精神，這兩架新車均提供了輪椅停泊位置，同時配合購物專線服務對象需要，除了右前輪上方裝有一個行李架外，左邊中門後亦額外設置了行李架。機械配置方面，符合歐盟三型排放標準的猛獅引擎，加上ZF全自動傳動系統可說是基本配搭，而常見主引擎驅動的頂置式空調系統由德國超卓提供，當兩部巴士抵港時，已經配備有由Lite Vision提供的電子路線牌箱，同樣是當時愉景灣交通服務有限公司之標準。

兩部猛獅12.220在愉景灣服務初期的日子，除了在購物巴士專線度過，還會在繁忙時間支援其他路線。隨著購物專線於二零零四年悉數被取消，愉景灣安排兩車服務區內路線，而一直到二零零五年左右，猛獅12.220身上代表著購物專線的橙白車身獨特色彩，才被翻鬆成以綠白色為主調的企業色彩。踏入二零零八年，愉景灣交通服務有限公司因應配合全新企業形象，車隊編號由HKR開首改作DBAY，兩架猛獅12.220亦不能例外，隨後於二零一零年換上「Dbay」企業色彩，至於原先設於中門後的行李架，亦在差不多時間被拆除，改為加設兩個座位。

兩架猛獅12.220先後於二零一七年三月及十二月退役，原有位置分別由亞歷山大丹尼士飛鏢E200及猛獅A66取代，兩架12.220離開載客車隊前，主要行走往返愉景灣碼頭及愉景北商場的免費穿梭路線，不過自有關路線於二零一七年二月底，因應愉景灣碼頭總站擴建工程暫停服務後，便多數見於停放在車廠內，鮮有在區內服務乘客。

MAN successfully gained purchasing order of supplying 9 new buses from DBTSL in 2002. The order composed of 5 NL263 full-sized super low floor single decker , a pair of 18.310 coach and the balance is 12.220 super low floor midibus. The pair of MAN 12.220 was used as replacement of the aging Mitsubishi Rosa used to serve the Shoppers' Bus. The appearance of MAN 12.220 looks almost identical to the Caetano bodywork NL263 in DBTSL, however, they were bodied by Goppel from Germany, one of the designated bodybuilder of MAN. As no more buses fitted with Goppel bodywork introduced afterwards and they were declared bankrupt in 2014, these 2 MAN 12.220 become the only Goppel product in Hong Kong.

Though the step-entranced Dennis Dart (HKR121/HD7319) is little bit shorter than the MAN 12.220, the carrying capacity of the Dart is more than the latter and only 49 passengers with 22 seatings can be accommodated within the compartment of 12.220. In addition, to maximize the convenience to the user of Shoppers' Bus, a wheelchair parking bay with two luggage racks was provided. The MAN 12.220 is powered by a Euro 3 emission standard MAN engine with ZF fully automatic transmissions, powerful enough to drive the roof mounted air conditioning unit supplied by Sutrak and the Lite Vision electronic route display was fitted when new.

After their commission, they were mainly seen on Shoppers' Bus service and supporting other internal routes during peak hours. All Shoppers' Bus routes were cancelled in 2004 and DBTSL then deployed both MAN 12.220 on internal routes and their unique orange and white Shoppers' Bus livery was repainted to the standard green and white DBTSL livery circa 2005. As a new corporate image of Discovery Bay was launched in 2008, prefix of fleet number of all vehicles in Discovery Bay changed from HKR to DBAY including the MAN 12.220 and the luggage rack behind the centre exit was replaced with two seats at the same time.

This pair of MAN 12.220 found their home with the free feeder service FS between Discovery Bay Ferry Pier and the DB North Plaza during their later stage of service life. As the implement of the expansion of bus terminus works since the end of Feb., 2017, route FS was suspended from service and the MAN 12.220 was seldom seen on the road afterwards. Finally, DBTSL withdrawn this pair MAN 12.220 in Mar. and Dec., 2017 respectively and they were replaced by a Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart and a Gemilang bodied MAN A66.

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