亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro500MMC Alexander Dennis Enviro500MMC

亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro500MMC Alexander Dennis Enviro500MMC

相對於香港，亞歷山大丹尼士前身丹尼士的產品，一直未見於新加坡這個市場取得成功。新加坡巴士有限公司於一九八二年接收一架配東蘭開夏車身的統治者作測試，這架樣板巴士於試驗期完結後未有留在新加坡，輾轉運到香港被九巴購入作訓練巴士之用。隨後新加坡巴士有限公司先後於一九九四年及一九九九年向丹尼士招手，分別購入飛鏢及三叉戟，但從購買數量看，丹尼士只能夠在新加坡巴士車隊中佔有一個微不足道的位置。直到二零一四年四月，SMRT對外宣佈向亞歷山大丹尼士訂購二百零一架Enviro500MMC，作為更新及擴展車隊之用，標誌著亞歷山大丹尼士終於成功打入新加坡市場，同時這批Enviro500MMC亦成為自SMRT以至前身八達巴士成立以來首批雙層巴士。

SMRT的Enviro500MMC全數屬十二米版本，在機械配搭方面與香港的同型巴士相同，包括動力來源是康明斯ISLe引擎，配以ZF "Ecolife"波箱，透過SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)技術，令廢氣排放達至歐五標準，而空調系統則是日本電裝的產品，並配用了Mobitec電子路線牌。在這芸芸二百零一架Enviro500MMC新車中，首兩架底盤(SMB5001A及SMB5002Y)是由位於英國喬福特廠房製造，其中作為樣板車的SMB5001A車身是於蘇格蘭廠房完成，然後再付運新加坡，至於SMB5002Y則在底盤完成後，運往珠海廣通客車廠完成車身組裝。餘下新車底盤則是位於馬來西亞巴西古當廠房完成裝配，然後再經香港運往珠海完成車身裝配，再運往新加坡。而車廂佈局方面，SMRT跟香港營運商有不同取捨，例如供輪椅上落斜板是安放於中門，而輪椅停泊區則位於樓梯後，剛好對正中門位置。亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro500MMC巴士在經過SMRT的悉心安排後，合共可以運載一百三十四人，當中包括上層五十五個座位以及下層二十八個座位。

SMB5001A於二零一四年五月抵達新加坡，其餘新車亦陸續交付，SMRT在新車首航前一星期舉辦官方活動，讓武吉班讓國會議員及基層領袖參觀及了解新巴士所配備的設施。最終首三部新車(SMB3501L，3502J及3503G)於同年七月十三日首航972線，隨後其他主幹線如190及969亦都陸續加入全新Enviro500MMC服務乘客。當亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro500MMC加入SMRT後，迅即成為車隊中的新星，並取代了年事已高的平治O405G掛接巴士位置，對提高車隊整體運載能力有莫大幫助。同樣地，隨著新加坡巴士服務於二零一六年逐漸採用政府合約模式，所有巴士均會透過當局編配到有關營運商，行走相關招標路線，從此Enviro500MMC亦不再是SMRT所獨有。

有感表現滿意，SMRT於二零一六年再向亞歷山大丹尼士訂購十五架Enviro500MMC，並於二零一七年年中付運，而且在政府營運模式下登記以SG為開首的車牌號碼。第二批新車底盤建造方法以及機械配搭均與首批量產新車相同，儘管當時亞歷山大丹尼士已經向買家提供全新的Facelift版本車身，但新加坡這批新車仍舊使用上一代車身設計款式，相信是出於零件庫存以及方便維修所作出的決定，至於與上一批新車不同的地方，則包括於車廂內增設了USB插頭以及採用茶色玻璃等。展望將來，亞歷山大丹尼士將於二零二零年為新加坡帶來配Facelift車身的三門及雙樓梯版本的Enviro500MMC。

The UK bus builder Dennis gain a very successful market in Hong Kong but not in Singapore, a Dominator with East Lancs bodywork sent to SBS for evaluation in 1982 with no further order was made and it was finally find it home in KMB as an advanced trainer after the completion of trail in Singapore. Though SBS acquired a batch of Dart and trident from Dennis in 1994 and 1999 respectively, it was a small proportion in the fleet. Alexander Dennis, the successor of Dennis, was finally awarded with an order of 201 Enviro500MMC from SMRT in 2014 which was the first double decker since the establishment of it ancestor TIBS.

This purchasing order consisted of 201 Enviro500MMC 12m which shared identical mechanical specification of the same type in Hong Kong. All of them were powered by Cummins ISLe engine and complied with Euro 5 emission standard with the help of Selective Catalytic Reduction technology, fully automatic transmission was from ZF with it "Ecolife" gearbox chosen. Both upper and lower deck were air-conditioned by Nippon-Denso unit and electronic display was Mobitec product. Instead of the first two, the chassis was completed in the plant in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, chassis then shipped to Zhuhai, China with their bodywork assembled by Zhuhai Guangtong Automobile Company Ltd and then shipped to Singapore completely build up. The first two of the batch, SMB5001A and SMB5002Y, chassis was built in Guiford and the former was received it bodywork in Scotland while the SMB5002Y, completed it bodywork in Zhuhai. Unlike Hong Kong operators, a different compartment lay-out was adapted for SMRT like wheelchair ramp located at the centre exit, wheelchair parking bay behind the staircase and opposite to the exit.

SMB5001A was delivered in May, 2014 and a week before they entering service, a preview event was organized in Bukit Panjang and finally the first three Enviro500MMC (SMB3501L, SMB3502J and SMB3503G) made their maiden trip on route 972 on 13 Jul., 2014 and with more new buses delivered, other trunk routes like 190 and 969 were converted into double decker operation and phased out the aging articulated bus. Since 2016, bus operation gradually changed to Bus Contracting Model (BCM) and including the Envrio500MMC, all buses were owned by LTA and assigned to different operators according to the tender packages.

A further order of 15 Enviro500MMC was made by SMRT in 2016 and delivered in mid. of 2017. This batch of Enviro500MMC fitted with the same version bodywork of the previous batch though a newer Facelift version was already available, they were registered under BCM with SG-prefix registration. The second batch of the Enviro500MMC featured with USB chargers within the compartment and tinted windows was fitted. LTA will take the delivery of 50 Enviro500MMC with 3 doorways with dual staircases in 2020.

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