Jonathan Welch takes a Temsa HD13 for a spin, the 100th vehicle delivered by the brand following the reopening of its Cleckheaton dealership two years ago
It’s over 22 years ago now since Temsa launched its Safari coach in its home market, and around 18 since the right hand drive version appeared in the UK. The model, which developed into the HD12, has been through a number of revisions since then, including an update in 2018 which gave it a revised interior with a new choice of seat materials and the wood-effect flooring that has become de rigeur in the last few years.
Until its closure in March 2021, Temsa coaches were imported by the Cleckheaton-based Arriva Bus & Coach dealership. That company, which could trace its ancestry back to the 1950s and which had gone on to supply hundreds of VDL and DAF chassis to other Arriva group companies, ceased trading following a strategic review by its parent company.
Seeking to continue its presence in the UK, Temsa took on former Arriva Bus & Coach Senior General Manager Paul Gardner, who is now employed directly by the manufacturer and works closely with staff at the new UK dealership, TSUK, which is still based at the Cleckheaton site. The venue will no doubt be familiar to many, if not for its coach and bus sales then for the recent Coachfest event, which brought together all aspects of the industry in a small-scale but highly successful two-day bonanza, organised at short notice following the cancellation of this year’s major NEC show.
The Cleckheaton site is also shared with Fourway Coaches, whose fleet is unsurprisingly rapidly becoming a Temsa stronghold, whilst part of it is also used by a PSV and HGV driver training provider.
On a somewhat dreary morning, I met with Paul to take a look at the 100th Temsa coach delivered since the reopening of the Temsa dealership under TSUK ownership, which also happened to be the manufacturer’s latest HD13 model, a lengthened version of the 12.2-metre HD12. The HD13 gains an extra 80 centimetres, taking it to 13,074mm, giving space for up to 57 seats, or 53 plus a wheelchair, whilst also fitting in a sunken toilet alongside the centre continental door.
[…]By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
