猛獅客車 MAN Coach

猛獅客車 MAN Coach

編號 Class：HKR136，137，DBAY18，30，112，136，137，171，172，180，181

為配合連接小濠灣的愉景灣隧道於二零零零年通車，愉景灣交通服務有限公司計劃除開辦往返東涌巿中心的路線外，更會開辦接駁機場的路線，大大方便居民。故此在訂購巴士行走新路線時，訂單出現了兩架猛獅13.220客車(HKR136及137)。跟同期訂購的NL262及之前的14.220最大分別地方是，愉景灣替兩台客車底盤選配是本地中港車身，有別於前兩者的原裝歐洲車身。全車以客車怖局出現，可容納四十五名乘客，而由Konvekta提供的空調系統，被安置於外側車底，跟其他本地車身廠設計的客車相類似，而行李廂亦被安排於內側車底，配合使用機場路線旅客需要。及後，愉景灣拆除右邊四個座位以加設行李架，令載客量減至四十一人。

在日常運作中，機場路線安排兩架巴士行走，由此可見遇上壞車或定期維修時，愉景灣交通服務有限公司需要抽調其他巴士行走，無論舒適度及車廂配置，都未能符合乘客需要，因此愉景灣在二零零二年再向猛獅訂購新車時，一併購入兩部配荷蘭Berkhof車身的18.310客車(HKR180及181)。無論從外觀及車廂設備，這兩架猛獅客車都較原有中港車身的來得豪華，更能配合這條機場路線的形象。在這兩架客車車廂內，全數設置四十九個高背客車座椅，不再設有任何行李架，旅客的行李需要安放在位於車底，寬敞的行李倉內。車身色彩方面，兩車均漆上由愉景灣一間學校的學生設計的色彩，有別於車隊當時的白色加綠色的標準色彩，使其獨特性躍然而出。

到了二零零五年，HKR136在行駛途中發生火警退役，而餘下的HKR137亦於同年轉售到其他營運商，為填埔空缺，愉景灣加訂兩架18.310，車隊編號亦沿用HKR136及137。跟二零零二年購入的18.310最大的分別，是車身採用馬來西亞順豐出品，亦由這時開始，往後購入的猛獅巴士皆由順豐車身廠裝配車身。載客量方面，兩架順豐車身客車能運載五十一人，同樣旅客要把行李放置在車底行李艙中。在車身色彩方面，仍然以區內學生設計的作品為藍本。

除了服務機場路線的猛獅客車外，愉景灣區內尚有三架由愉景灣高爾夫球會擁有的猛獅客車。早於二零零零年，愉景灣高爾夫球會購入一架猛獅13.220客車(HKR30)，車身是荷蘭Berkhof出品，提供四十一個座位，是繼首兩架猛獅14.220之後再一次採用這家荷蘭車身廠出品。隨後，在購入上述兩架18.310客車同時，再引進一架13.220(HKR18)，跟HKR30，180及181一樣由荷蘭Berkhof裝配車身後，交付愉景灣。二零零六年，愉景灣高爾夫球會購入一架四十五座位的16.280客車(HKR112)，配用葡萄牙Alfredo Caetano的Fenix Gold車身，成為最後一手購入的猛獅客車。

二零零八年八月開始，當愉景灣更新其企業形象時，愉景灣交通服務公司車隊編號一律改以DBAY作開首，全數服役中的猛獅客車亦不例外，改用新編號示人。二零一一年，愉景灣交通服務有限公司從二手巿場中購入兩架16.280(DBAY171及172)，車身配搭與DBAY112相同，但直到目前為止，兩車仍未鬆上標準的「Dbay」企業色彩。所有猛獅客車在愉景灣扮演的角色沒有任何重大改變，直到二零一二年，兩架最早引進的Berkhof車身的DBAY180及181，被愉景灣交通服務有限公司放棄，由富豪B7R客車取代；而高爾夫球會的DBAY30，亦於二零一三年三月除牌，同樣由富豪B7R取代。

DBTSL introduced two services between Discovery Bay and Tung Chung and the Airport after the opening of Discovery Bay Tunnel in 2000. When ordered new buses for these external services, two MAN 13.220 (HKR136 and 137) were included. This pair of 13.220 were ordered in chassis only and received their bodywork by China Kong locally, while the NL262 and 14.220 were bodied by European bodybuilder. The coach bodywork provided 45 seating and air conditioned by a Konvekta underfloor unit. To cope with the operation environment of airport service, a luggage locker was provided at the bottom of nearside. The carrying capacity of the MAN 13.220 was then reduced to 41 seating as a result of a luggage rack placed.

DBTSL soon realized it cannot meet the demand of the airport service with only two coaches in the fleet, as a result, an order for two more coaches was made in 2002 and MAN successfully won this tender to provide a pair of 18.310 with Berkhof bodyworks. The fleet number for this pair of MAN is HKR180 and 181. 49 high-backed coach seats were provided within the 18.310 compartment and only spacious underfloor luggage locker provided. DBTSL decorated with the 18.310 with a colourful livery designed by a local student and made them become unique in the fleet.

The first MAN coach HKR136 was forced to retired after damaged by fire in mid. of 2005 and HKR137 was sold in the end of 2005, DBTSL ordered further 2 MAN 18.310 as a successor and this time, Gemilang form Malaysia was appointed as bodyworks supplier. The Gemilang bodied 18.310 can carry 51 passengers and passengers need to place their luggage at the locker underfloor. Gemilang was then become the sole bodybuilder for MAN in DBTSL.

Instead of airport route can find MAN coach, Discovery Bay Golf Club also run a fleet of MAN coach. The first one is HKR30, a 13.220 with 41-seats Berkhof bodywork and a further sample, HKR18 was acquired when DBTSL placing order for the 18.310 in 2002. In 2006, we saw the last brand new MAN coach introduced to Discovery Bay, this is 45-seats 16.280 sample bodied by Alfredo Caetano from Portugal with their "Fenix Gold" bodywork.

All MAN coach survived in Aug., 2008 was renumbered with a DBAY-prefix fleet number. Two more new member of MAN coach were joined in 2011, DBAY171 and 172, purchased from other operator and with same configuration of DABY112, however, the original livery is still retained at present. In 2011, the first two MAN 18.310 were replaced by a pair of Volvo B7R with Asia Auto bodyworks while DBAY30 also replaced by a Volvo B7R and delicensed in Mar., 2013.

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