丹尼士飛鏢 Dennis Dart

丹尼士飛鏢 Dennis Dart

編號 Class：DN

嶼巴丹尼士飛鏢不論在香港巴士史，還是嶼巴車隊中寫下多個紀錄，這包括全港首款配手動波箱的飛鏢巴士，嶼巴車隊中首款低地台巴士，嶼巴首款英國空調巴士以及全港同型號巴士中，配最大馬力引擎之飛鏢巴士等。

飛鏢之所以出現在嶼巴車隊，可以看成是回應社會要求的傷健一家親精神，以及因應新機場開幕，行走新開辦穿梭機場及大嶼山南部之路線，因此，使用的車款必是低地台巴士，以為乘客提供最大之方便。在決定購買何款巴士前，嶼巴先後分別向城巴及九巴借用富豪B6LE及丹尼士飛鏢低地台巴士，試行東涌道以作評估。最後，嶼巴決定向丹尼士購入三架丹尼士飛鏢低地台巴士，配上單門版Plaxton Pointer車身，外觀以至內觀跟九巴同款巴士分別不大，唯一是此批巴士裝上行李架，以便行走機場路線。

至於在機械配搭方面上，嶼巴飛鏢巴士跟九巴就有著很大的差異。縱然都是配用康明斯6BT引擎，但為配合行走陡斜的東涌道，馬力被提升至215匹，符合歐二廢氣排放標準。同樣地波箱也由標準的Allison AT545全自動波箱，改配Eaton六前速手動波箱。空調系統依然由德國超卓提供，由主引擎驅動。全數新巴士於九八年年中抵港並迅速投入服務。初期由於機場路線A35尚未開辦，新巴士主要被安排行走往返梅窩及寶蓮寺的2號路線行走，直到新路線開辦為止。

可惜，畢竟行走東涌道對巴士來說是一個極盡艱辛的考驗，又或者日夜川行東涌道只有五十鈴巴士才能夠勝任，三架飛鏢巴士在之後時間便因過度勞損被調離A35，直到往後時間，調派行走因應東涌發展而開辦的37及38線。在二零零四年初，嶼巴曾把其中一架飛鏢巴士調往4號線行走，以測試為嶼南地區提供低地台巴士服務的可行性，可惜試驗結果並不令人滿意，最終所有飛鏢巴士被編往服務東涌新巿的路線。嶼巴的飛鏢低地台巴士除了服務過2，4，37，38及A35外，還行走過11，13，21，23，36，36P，37A，N35及N38路線。

二零零八年一月，DN1被重新鬆上新的嶼巴標準色彩，而DN2及DN3亦於二零零八年四月前換上新塗裝，予人煥然一新的感覺。隨著嶼巴引入全新青年型層低地台巴士，丹尼士飛鏢在嶼巴服務的日子亦開始步入倒數階段，DN1及DN2於二零一零年十一月二十九日聯同兩架富豪B6LE(VL2及VL6)退役，最後一架飛鏢DN3亦於二零一一年九月初，退出嶼巴車隊，同時標誌著嶼巴車隊中再沒有任何英國品牌巴士。

Dennis Dart in NLB fleet had made several records in both Hong Kong Bus history and NLB fleet. They are the first batch of Dart fitted with manual gearbox in Hong Kong, the first super low floor buses and British made air-conditioned buses in NLB. The engine of these Darts also is the most powerful in Hong Kong.

It could be considered as a response to the spirit of equal opportunities for the able-bodied and disabled for introduction of Dart. At that time, to cope with the commissioned of of the new airport routes between Southern Lantau and the new Hong Kong International Airport , it was necessary for NLB to introduce super low floor buses. NLB had borrowed a Volvo B6LE and Dennis Dart SLF for trial on Tung Chung Road before the ordering of Dart. All Darts SLF in NLB were fitted with Plaxton Pointer single door version bodies. The appearance of them are very similar with those in KMB fleet instead of luggage racks were fitted for airport route in NLB model.

Although this batch of Dart still fitted with Cummins 6BT engine which is meet the Euro II emission standard. The output of the engine had been upgraded to 215bhp made them suitable for the conditions of Tung Chung Road. In addition, they are fitted with Eaton 6-speed manual instead of the standard Allison AT545 fully automatic gearbox. The air-conditioning unit driven by the engine still provided by Sutrak from Germany. All of them were delivered to Hong Kong in 1998 and deployed on route 2 running between Mui Wo and Po Lin Monastery until commissioned of route A35.

It may be not a good experience for NLB putting the Dart on routes serving Tung Chung Road. The Dart cannot live up with the expectation of NLB. They were soon replaced by Isuzu which considered as having a better performance on Tung Chung Road. All of the Dart were then transferred to Tung Chung New Town serving 37 and 38. In early 2004, one of the Dart was deployed on route 4 for trial run, however, the result was unsatisfied. Instead of 2, 4, 37, 38 and A35, the Dart SLF also served 11, 13, 21, 23,36, 36P, 37A, N35 and N38.

DN1 was repainted with new NLB livery in Jan, 2008 while DN2 and DN3 were repainted before April, 2008. All Dennis Darts were gradually off from passenger service after the commissioned of brand-new full-size YoungMan single decker. DN1 and DN2 were withdrawn from service on 29, Nov., 2010 while the last Dennis Dart, DN3 was withdrawn in early Sep., 2011 and afterwards, no more UK bus model existed in NLB fleet.

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