The Bus & Coach Centre in Oxford is well known for selling used vehicles, but the company is branching out its operations by selling vehicles converted to PSVAR specification. Richard Sharman went to look at the very first conversion
Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) has been the cause for much debate in 2020, and as we move into 2021 that debate will no doubt continue.
Operators are having to seriously consider which route to choose when moving the fleet forward with complying with these regulations. You could buy new, or consider one of the many options on the second-hand coach market.
One of the options is a coach that has become an operator favourite, the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo.
Branching out
The Bus & Coach Centre is run and owned by Will Blowfield, selling used vehicles in association with Mark Stephenson of Fleet Resourcing. This successful business provides operators with an array of used vehicle options, with over 100 vehicles in stock at the vast Oxford site.
But to offer operators even more choice, Will has decided to branch out into PSVAR conversions of his stock, he explains why the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M was the first to be converted: “We wanted to offer our customers a coach that could do everything, from the school run, to private hires and rail replacement in between. Our in-house conversion of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo can do all of that and at a competitive price.
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“We also wanted to ensure that everything about this conversion was done right, so PLS came and fitted the wheelchair lift which is rated at 400kg, well above the legal limit. McKenna Brothers fitted the front, side and rear Mobitec destination equipment, with an option to have orange or white LEDs. Both of these essential pieces of equipment carry lengthy manufacturer warranties.
“We carry out the conversion by cutting the cantilever locker in half and hinging the locker outwards, we then weld our own frame in so we don’t affect the R66 rollover certificate, meaning that none of the structural integrity of the body has been touched. We have also used OE glass in the areas that have been changed, meaning that if it is broken it can be replaced from stock. We have kept the conversion electronic circuits completely separate from the vehicle electrics to ensure there are no issues.
“The former Shearings Hoidays examples come with 48 luxline seats, and there is an option to increase capacity to 53 seats and add tracking for as many wheelchairs as required for an additional cost. Conversions take 2-3 weeks and operators have the option to have vehicles painted in-house by us. There is a slight delay in vehicle certification dates at the moment due to Covid-19, but this should improve next year.
“The demonstration vehicle tested will retail for circa £120k, depending on operators’ specification. We also have two axle Mercedes-Benz Tourismos on 16 and 17 plates available.”
First impressions
This was to be my first in-depth look at a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo; for some reason our paths had never crossed although I have driven more Ategos, Varios, Sprinters and Citaros than I can remember.
The second generation of Mercedes-Benz Tourismo was first introduced in 2007, with the first in the UK being new as BX07 NLA. Since then the model hugely benefited by gaining a Euro VI engine in 2014, which was quite early in the low emission game. This helped it increase sales and attract fleet orders from the likes of Shearings Holidays. The first time I saw this particular vehicle, BJ16 KXT, was during November on a previous visit to the Bus & Coach Centre. At this time the vehicle had just had the conversion done but was still in Shearings Holidays Grand Tourer livery. There is no doubt this vehicle was well looked after by its previous owner as the interior was in excellent order, whilst the paintwork was still shiny.
A month or so passed and I was back in Oxford and looking at BJ16 KXT in completed form. In this time the vehicle had received an in-house repaint into gleaming stock white, been for its tilt test and had the interior finished off with the seats now back in place by the wheelchair lift door.
Despite the Tourismo having a somewhat radical facelift in 2018, with a more aggressive truck-like front, the 2016 model sat in front of me had not dated and still looked modern.
That three-pointed star on the front grille certainly adds value to the coach; it is what the customer sees first, and this has certainly been a key selling point for the Vario and Sprinter over the years. This has applied to the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo over that time as well; in Summer 2019 I could sometimes find coach parks dominated by this model. The integral Tourismo certainly has a presence, especially in tri-axle M/3 format.
Conversion
The PSVAR conversion that has been carried out in-house by the Bus & Coach Centre has been well done and considering this is the first example to be finished, I am impressed by the workmanship that has gone into it.
The conversion does not look odd and suits the styling of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, the way the cantilever locker has been converted is certainly practical and the frame that has been welded in is also well constructed and fitted.
In comparison to a new PSVAR Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, the additional nearside door is in the same place on this converted example, although the locker arrangement is slightly different on the new version.
PLS fitted the MegaLift, and has done a very tidy job of it. All the electrics are neatly mounted in their own box and the lift is smooth and quick in operation.
To operate the lift the driver needs to first open the top door, and then the locker door to undo the clasp that ensures the lift does not move from its stowed away position. There is a control unit on a long lead for the PLS lift which allows you to stand out of the way to operate the lift.
Releasing the lever to the left of the lift and pressing the button extends the lift outwards, then you continue to press the button until it lifts off the ground. You then open out the two handrails and secure them. Continuing to press the button will raise the lift to saloon level where the ramp will fold out and you can then lower the lift to board the wheelchair passenger.
A siren goes off when the lift is operation, and orange LED warning lights are mounted on the PLS lift.
As per PSVAR regulations, an illuminated wheelchair passenger call button is fitted in the locker door that alerts the driver in the cab when pressed. There is also a bus stop request button mounted in the nearside door for a wheelchair passenger to request a stop, which, in turn, sets off a buzzer and light in the cab as well as a LED bus stopping light neatly mounted to the front destination unit.
The Unwin tracking has been neatly fitted along the floor and matches up to the Unwin legs fitted to the Luxline seats. This allows the seats to be removed quickly and easily to be stored underneath in the locker area.
The Mobitec installation has also been carried out well, especially the unit mounted above the nearside front wheel, which is in the same position as new PSVAR specification Mercedes-Benz Tourismos. Overall, for the first one to be converted, a good quality job has been done.
Out on the road
From a driver’s point of view the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo has one of the best cab layouts I have seen in a while; yes all the switches are well placed and visibility is excellent, but the most noticeable thing is the space you have. Firstly the driver’s seat goes back a long way, which is a huge benefit for tall drivers, but secondly, the amount of space between the driver’s seat and the offside of the vehicle is impressive. The handbrake is mounted right next
to the driver’s seat to the right, so no more reaching over, then there is a space to allow you to bring your bag around and put it in the space towards the rear of the driver’s seat again to the right. These may seem like small things, but they can make a huge difference to a driver who may be in that vehicle for 10 hours a day.
Out on the road, this was my first experience of the fully-automated eight-speed Mercedes-Benz GO 250-8 PowerShift transmission with steering column lever control. This transmission was specially developed for buses and coaches. It has two modes, automatic or manual. I started off in automatic mode and headed out on to the A40 to join the M40.
Automatic is perfect for touring and driving economically, the gear changes happen very early in the rev range and are smooth. There is certainly an art required to the automatic mode and acceleration from a standing start at roundabouts, for example, requires additional planning as you pull away at a sedate pace. However, that said, it does produce a nice gentle ride.
Once on the M40, the Tourismo sat on the limiter just into the green band, so it is certainly economical on fuel. Pulling off at the Lewknor turn off, just before Stokenchurch Hill, I set the gearbox to manual mode and returned to Oxford via Thame using the A roads.
In this mode, the OM 470 10.7 engine goes from being sedate to feeling like it has been tuned by the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team. The rev range vastly increases and you can feel the power of the engine. There is no clutch, so it’s simply moving the dash-mounted gearstick up and down, which kind of reminded me of driving a semi-automatic Leyland Tiger!
The journey back to Oxford on the A roads was a pleasant one, as the handling on the Tourismo is excellent. It was also pleasing that the PLS lift stored underneath is completely silent when in motion.
For circa £120k the PSVAR conversion by the Bus & Coach Centre offers a good package, and ultimately a coach that can carry out any duty.
Take a look at the Youtube video here: https://youtu.be/Pd3RTxJ4lIE
