For years, the bus operator Spillmann, based in Bietigheim near Stuttgart, has put a lot of effort into making a journey on a public bus a real experience, and is continuing that tradition with five new Mercedes-Benz buses which are individually designed and customised to the respective route, creating unique vehicles for passengers to remember. At Daimler’s Mannheim bus plant, Bülent Menekse, Managing Director of Omnibusverkehr Spillmann GmbH, took delivery of four Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrids and one Citaro articulated bus from Rüdiger Kappel, Head of Fleet Sales, Daimler Buses Germany.
Besides their innovative interior, the buses are equipped with radar-based Sideguard Assist, which supports the bus driver when making right turns. The system detects both stationary and mobile obstacles such as cyclists or pedestrians. Passengers amenities such as WiFi, USB charging sockets and a comprehensive infotainment system are fitted.
Each vehicle has a theme: there is a ‘Skipper’ vehicle which has a floor made of ship planks and printed side walls that give passengers a view of the open sea or sandy beaches. In the ‘Astronomy’ bus the floor is printed like the surface of the moon and the side walls show a view from the moon to the earth and into the universe. The ‘Bietigheim’ vehicle visualises the highlights of the Bietigheim-Bissingen region on the side walls. The floor in this bus has a quarry stone design. In the ‘Vintage’ bus, Spillmann has given the side walls a colourful 1960s design and it additionally features untreated steel handrails with a vintage character. In the Citaro articulated bus the seat colours create four different zones. This ‘Mobility’ bus features an asphalt flooring design including tyre tracks and central reservation.
