亞歷山大丹尼士 Enviro400 Alexander Dennis Enviro400

亞歷山大丹尼士 Enviro400 Alexander Dennis Enviro400

編號 Class：AD

自一九九五年車隊中的利蘭勝利二型完全退役後，嶼巴車隊便清一色由單層巴士所組成，儘管母公司冠忠集團在二零零零年購入一架配Berkhof車身的猛獅24.310雙層巴士，並於平日繁忙時間支援東涌區內路線，但是要到二零一四年，當嶼巴向城巴購入兩架原城巴機場快線的丹尼士三叉戟後，雙層巴士才再次出現於嶼巴車隊名單上。這兩架丹尼士三叉戟在嶼巴車隊中彷彿只是一個過客，只是在服役一年多便由全新的猛獅A95所取代。無可否認來自德國的猛獅A95雙層巴士，迅即在嶼巴車隊中佔有一個重要位置，不論在東涌區內線還是往返深圳灣口岸的路線上，A95雙層巴士都擔綱著重要角色。

隨著政府於梅窩的「居者有其屋」項目落成，為該區所帶來的新增人口，勢必加重對外公共交通服務需求。有見及此，嶼巴計劃將往返東涌的3M改為雙層巴士行走，即使猛獅A95曾經試行整段東涌道至散石灣廻旋處，不過車長達十二米的雙層巴士顯然未能適合行走嶼南路面。於是嶼巴在亞歷山大丹尼士協助下，於二零一七年六月九日，利用一架即將交付予新巴的Envrio400雙層巴士(車隊編號3839)作試路，在模擬滿載乘客情況下，由東涌市中心經過東涌道向梅窩開去。

經過當天試車之後，嶼巴及有關方面認為3M是可以改用雙層巴士行走，經過招標程序之後，亞歷山大丹尼士成功奪得了嶼巴十四架Enviro400新車合約。一如提供新巴的新車一樣，當底盤於英國完成後，便安排送往珠海廣通客車廠進行車身裝嵌。首架完成裝嵌新車於二零一八年六月運抵本港，隨即安排進行驗車，並成功於同年八月出牌。嶼巴以AD作為Enviro400車隊編號，當中首架新車AD01更以BM3218作登記車牌，亦即是當年最後一架投入服務的NL263沿用的登記號碼。

嶼巴在這批Enviro400新車上，採取了同期引入的猛獅A95車廂設計，包括有USB充電插頭以及仿木紋地板。至於車廂佈局及載客量，嶼巴起初是採取當日用作試路的新巴3839設計，合共可運載九十名乘客，當中包括上層四十三個座位，下層則提供了二十六個座位及二十一個座位。其後因應營運需要，嶼巴安排已出牌的七架新車更改載客量，上層增加四個座位，同時修改下層企位數目至十五人，令到整體載客量減少了兩人，亦即與新巴Enviro400投入服初期的車廂佈局及載客量相同。

雖說嶼巴引入亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro400目的是用作行走3M之用，唯首條使用Enviro400的路線卻是接駁港珠澳大橋香港口岸的B6線。二零一八年十月二十四日，AD01於大橋開通首日下午，被安排支援往返東涌滿東邨的B6。隨後時間嶼巴亦安排其他新車到大橋口岸，除了客量眾多的B6，接駁機場客運大樓的B4線亦常常看到Enviro400的蹤影。自二零一九年一月十九日開始，完成車長訓練等必需步驟後，嶼巴正式安排Enviro400行走3M線，而在同年五月三十一日，嶼巴更嘗試安排Enviro400模擬行走23線，從東涌駛上昂坪，而日後能否行駛至昂坪以至大澳服務乘客，就要留待時間去作証明。

The entire fleet of NLB was composed of single decker after the withdrawn of the Leyland Victory Mk 2 in 1995. Though a Berkhof MAN 24.310 double decker supporting Tung Chung internal routes regularly since 2000, this was acquired by parent company Kwoon Chung Motors. The return of double decker was appeared in 2014, a pair of ex-Cityflyer Dennis Trident was acquired from City Bus and they were short-lived as soon be replaced by brand new MAN A95 in early 2015. It was no doubt that the German made MAN A95 playing a significant role in NLB fleet as they were the mainstream of routes serving Tung Chung and Shenzhen Bay Port.

It was expected that the demand for public transport would be increased followed by the completion of the Home Ownership Scheme in Mui Wo. As a result, NLB planned to convert route 3M into full double deckers operation. A MAN A95 was successfully made a trial run from Tung Chung to San Shek Wan Roundabout, however, it was considered that 12m double deckers not suitable for running along the South Lantau Road. On 9 Jun., 2017, with the help of Alexander Dennis, a Enviro400 (fleet no. 3839) to be delivered to NWFB made a trial run from Tung Chung to Mui Wo passing through Tung Chung Road.

The result of this trial run was satisfactory and NLB tendered for a batch of 14 double deckers afterwards. Alexander Dennis was successfully won the tender with supplying the Enviro400 and all the chassis were shipped from UK and received bodywork at the plant of Zhuhai Guangtong Automobile Company Ltd. The first of the batch was delivered in Jun., 2018 and registered as BM3218, the registration number used to register on the last MAN NL263, on 1 Aug., 2018.

The Enviro400 of NLB classed as AD and featured with USB chargers and wood-effect floor as the MAN A95 introduced in 2018. The original carrying capacity followed the design of 3839 with 43 upper deck seating and 26 lower decker seatings and total 90 passengers can be accommodated. To cope with operation environment, seating arrangement of the first 7 Envrio400 which already registered was amended with 4 upper deck seatings added and the standees was reduced from 21 to 15, same as the original layout of the first batch of NWFB Enviro400.

Though the Envrio400 was proposed for the use on route 3M, however, the first route served by the Enviro400 was B6 that linking Mun Tung Estate and HKZM Bridge HK Port. AD01 made it maiden trip on the afternoon of 24 Oct., 2018 as additional departure on route B6. Instead of route B6, NLB also deployed the Enviro400 on another HKZM HK Port route B4, to and from the Airport (Passenger Terminal Building). After completed all essential procedures including driver training, Enviro400 debut on route 3M on 19 Jan., 2019. In addition, a road test along route 23 from Tung c to Gong Ping with Enviro400 was made on 31 May, 2019 to evaluate the feasibility of deploying Enviro400 serving commuters.

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