富豪 B9TL (CDGE) Volvo B9TL (CDGE)

富豪 B9TL (CDGE) Volvo B9TL (CDGE)

新捷運早於一九九九年仍是新加坡巴士有限公司開始，先後引進Scania L94UB，富豪B10BLE，超級奧林比安及丹尼士三叉戟等低地台巴士，但全數上述巴士並未有配置供輪椅上落的斜板，以及車廂內未有輪椅停泊區，其至上下車門更設有扶手，純粹定義為低地台巴士，方便一般乘客上落車，跟另一邊廂的香港專營巴士所作的配置大相逕庭。另一方面，在這八十多架低台巴士中，富豪超奧林比安已經佔去一定比例，但在富豪計劃中，超級奧林比安只是一個過渡性產品，最終會由全新開發的雙層低地台巴士產品所取代。終於到了二零零二年，富豪正式推出超級奧林比安的後繼車型B9TL，而新捷運亦於二零零五年到二零零六年間，向富豪分兩批購入合共二百架富豪B9TL新車，成為車隊中以至新加坡首批能夠接載輪椅乘客的低地台巴士。

新捷運向富豪訂購的B9TL底盤於瑞典完成裝配之後被送往新加坡，由新捷運母公司康福德高集團旗下的康福德高工程，於后港車身裝嵌廠完成由其所設計的車身，全數車身配件堪稱是本地製造，跟昔日車隊中的雙層巴士，於本地組裝來自澳洲或英國廠家的車身散件不一樣。值得一提是，這次新捷運為B9TL所選配的車身款式，設計是改良自裝配在一架於二零零五年投入服務的一架富豪超級奧林比安(SBS9889U)所裝配的車身。SBS9889U所用的車身是由新捷運夥同英國的PSV International設計，然後交由康福德高於新加坡製造及完成裝配。而套用在富豪B9TL上的車身設計亦有所改良，首先車頭設計採用更為流線型設計，而上層車尾亦繼同廠奧林比安之後再度設有車窗。作為新加坡首款可供輪椅上落的巴士，富豪B9TL於中門提供了上落斜板，而輪椅停泊區則安排於樓梯後，正好位處中門對面位置。另外，新捷運替這批B9TL上層車廂亦選取了一個特別的設計，就是在最後一排座椅前每邊設有三張橫向座椅。每架康福德高車身B9TL合共可以運載一百二十四名乘客，包括上層五十三個座位，下層二十七個座位及四十四個企位名額。

全數康福德高車身富豪B9TL動力配置包括了一台歐三排放標準富豪引擎，首一百五十架新車配有ZF Ecomat六前速全自動波箱，而屬二零零六年的五十輛新車訂單則改配福伊特四前速全自動波箱，整個動力組合足以驅動日本電裝提供的空調系統，為乘客帶來舒適的旅程。在這二百架B9TL當中有一架(SBS7321D)於服役期間被換上一台ZF Ecolife六前速波箱，相關波箱亦有用於稍後的歐五版本B9TL新車上。新捷運於二零零六年二月十五日首度展示一架B9TL新車，並向公眾介紹新車的若干新設施，當中包括可供輪椅上落這個特點。在一切預備工作完成後，新捷運最終於同年六月二十七日將首十架新車，投放到21號路線服務乘客，替新加坡公共交通歷史寫下全新的一頁。

這批富豪B9TL投入服務時，電子路線牌並未廣泛應用到新捷運車隊之中，故此這批新車仍舊沿用膠牌，直到二零一一年開始陸續替包括B9TL仍然使用膠牌的雙層巴士，陸續換上LECIP供應的橙色LED牌箱，以便提供進一步資訊予乘客，而車廂亦進行了翻新工程。自二零一六年開始新加坡巴士服務陸續改為政府合約模式運作，標誌新加坡所有巴士轉換站，車廠，巴士以至車隊管理系統均改由陸路交通管理局所有。儘管如此，康福德高車身的富豪B9TL除了陸續改披陸路交通管理局的標準綠色色彩，一直仍然由新捷運所營運。SBS7440T於二零一零年三月宏茂橋車廠火警中焚毀，成為首架退役的B9TL，而自二零二一年三月開始，因應當局加快替換歐六排放標準新車步伐，這批只符合歐三排放標準的富豪B9TL陸續退下火線，其位置由簇新的猛獅A95所取代，,而截至二零二二年一月為止，新捷運只餘下二十架康福德高車身B9TL，另外有兩架(SBS7383A及SBS7385U)作車長訓練用途。

SBS introduced various types of super low floor bus since 1999, however, none of the type was wheelchair accessible which no ramp and parking bay for wheelchair provided as seen in Hong Kong franchised bus and SBS Transit only classified them as low floor bus for easy boarding. Volvo Super Olympian was the main component of the low floor bus fleet in SBS Transit and it was only a transition product before the introduction of next generation super low floor bus of Volvo, the B9TL which launched in production in 2002. SBS Transit soon placed it first order of 150 units of B9TL in 2005 with further 50 followed in 2006 and they were the first wheelchair accessible bus in Singapore.

All B9TL chassis was manufactured in Sweden and the shipped to Singapore for body assembly. The bodywork fitted on the B9TL was designed and completed locally at Hougang assembly plant by ComfortDelGro Engineering (CDGE), another subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Corporation which also owned SBS Transit. It should be noticed that the bodywork chosen on B9TL was evolved from the bodywork fitted on the last Super Olympian in the fleet, SBS9889U, the bodywork was jointly designed by SBS Transit and PSV International and assembled in Singapore by ComfortDelGro. Compared with SBS9889U, the bodywork of B9TL was much streamlined and upper deck rear window was seen again. Wheelchair can aboard and alight compartment by using the ramp located at the centre exit and a parking bay was available just behind the staircase and opposite to the exit. To go one step further, side-facing seats was fitted at the rear of the upper deck which is the most outstanding feature of this CDGE bodied B9TL. Each CDGE bodied B9TL can accommodate 124 passengers with 53 upper deck seatings, 27 lower deck seatings and 44 standees.

Power-train of the CDGE bodied B9TL was a Euro 3 emission standard Volvo engine and ZF Ecomat series 6-speed fully automatic transmission (Voith 4-speed fully automatic transmission was chosen for the last 50 units) and powerful enough to drive Nippon-Denso air conditioning unit. The transmission unit on SBS7321D was replaced with a ZF Ecolife series 6-speed gearbox which later to be the standard for the Euro 5 version B9TL. SBS Transit revealed the first B9TL to public on 15 Feb., 2006 and the first 10 of the batch started their revenue service life since 27 Jun., 2006 on route 21 and a new chapter was started in Singapore public bus history on the same day.

Plastic destination sign was first fitted on the CDGE bodied B9TL as other in the fleet but later replaced with a LECIP orange coloured LED route display since 2011 and more route information can be provided. In addition, refurbishment works was carried out to improve riders travelling experience. After the introduction of BCM in 2016, this batch of B9TL like other public buses in Singapore was owned by LTA and gradually repainted with the standard LTA Lush Green livery, they still solely operated by SBS Transit. The first withdrawn CDGE bodied B9TL was SBS7440T which lost in the Ang Mo Kio depot fire in Mar., 2010 and started from Mar., 2021, LTA started to replace them with the brand new Euro 6 emission standard MAN A95. As in Jan., 2022, only 22 B9TL with CDGE bodyworks left in SBS Transit fleet and two of them, SBS7383A and SBS7385U as training bus.

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