日野 Rainbow Hino Rainbow

日野 Rainbow Hino Rainbow

日野成為九十年代尾到二零零五年間，澳巴車隊中的主力。當二零零三年，澳巴採購低地台巴士時，便向日野引進十六架九米HR1JKEE低地台巴士，成為澳巴車隊中第四款日野產品。跟先前的HT2MLCL，Liesse一樣，這批日野低地台巴士皆配上原廠Rainbow車身，並且在裝嵌完成後由日本運抵澳門。日本巴士一直在車身設計有一個特色，就是中門採用推拉式，在這批日野中型低地台巴士上，這特色被完全保留下來，而太平門則設於車身中間。

所有九米版本的日野Rainbow巴士理所當然選用日野自家引擎，並足以驅動空調系統，只不過當Liesse小型巴士已經採用全自動波箱時，或許可以說是澳巴對城巿巴士所採取的堅持，又或是本身日本廠家的標準，Rainbow低地台巴士所選配的變速系統，仍然是手動模式。至於載客量方面，Rainbow中型巴士可以運載五十三名乘客，包括二十個座位，雖然是低地台巴士，但不同香港是，車廂沒有了預留供輪椅停泊的位置。

在兩年之後，再有日野新巴士加入澳巴車隊，這次是HR7J低地台巴士，同樣選配原廠Rainbow車身，但長度足有十點五米。這批新車總數有十架，外觀上跟九米的HR1JKEE相差無異，同樣未有任何設施照顧輪椅乘客需要，除了太平門由車身中間改為設置於車尾，而機械配置上最大改動莫過於波箱由手動改為全自動。

澳巴主要將短陣日野Rainbow低地台巴士投放在10B，12，而十米版則主力行走氹仔接駁澳門巿區的22及30。這批澳巴低地台巴士未能全數於二零一一年八月過渡至新巴士營運模式，短陣的Rainbow由二零一一年八月絕跡於澳巴載客車隊，當中有六架經翻新後留作出租用途，主要行走金沙員工專車，直到二零一三至一四年間退役為止。至於長陣版Rainbow全數獲保留，在新巴士營運模式實施前，澳巴更拆走兩個座位，用作輪椅停放位置，路線牌亦改為電子牌箱，作為行走氹仔幹線22號線的主力。

在澳巴引進宇通ZK6118HGE之後，這批日野低地台巴士慢慢退下火線，最終於二零一四年十二月退出載客車隊，調往出租車隊並主力行走賭場員工專車。

The fleet of TCM between late 1990s and 2005 was mainly composed of Hino. When TCM first acquired super low floor bus in 2003, Hino successfully supplied a batch of 16 HR1JKEE 9m midibuses and this is the fourth Hino bus model within TCM fleet. All Hino HR1JKEE were fitted with Hino Rainbow bodyworks and built in Japan before delivery to Macau. The most outstanding feature is the rear sliding door and the emergency exit is located at the centre of the offside.

All Hino HR1JKEEs are powered by Hino engine and manual transmission, though automatic gearbox already fitted on the Liesee minibuses. The air-conditioning unit is driven by the main engine and total passengers capacity is 53 with 33 standees without any parking bay for wheelchair.

A further 10 low floor Hino full-sized single decker were introduced in 2005. The model of this purchase is HR7J 10.5m and having the same outlook of HR1JKEE after bodied by Hino with the Rainbow bodywork. The emergency exit was re-located after the rear axle and a fully automatic transmission was fitted. Same as their 9m cousin, no wheelchair parking bay provided within the cabin until Jul., 2011.

The routes served by the Hino super low floor bus included 10B, 12, 22 and 30. Not all the Hino Rainbow survived after 1, Aug., 2011. The HR1JKEE retired from the revenue service and only 6 were carried refurbishment for hiring duties and mainly served on the staff shuttle service of Sands until their full retirement between 2013 and 2104. Under the new bus operation mode, TCM deployed all HR7J on route 22, the trunk service linking Taipa and Macau, their route display was replaced with electronic one.

As the arrival of the Yutong ZK6118HGE, the Hino HR7J finally withdrawn from revenue service during Dec., 2014 and used on hiring and as the HR1JKEE, mainly serving staff shuttle of casinos.

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Hino HR1JKEE