Sydney Explorer

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Sydney Explorer

Sydney Explorer (TV 7706) Anhui Ankai HFF6121GS-3 double decker at Stand A on Alfred Street.jpg

Anhui Ankai HFF6121GS-3 at Circular Quay
in June 2014
Parent Big Bus Tours
Founded 23 November 1980
Headquarters Banksmeadow
Locale Sydney
Service type Open top bus
Depots 1
Fleet 10 (November 2014)
Website Sydney & Bondi Explorer

The Sydney Explorer is an Australian open top bus tourist sightseeing service operating in the Sydney central business district and Eastern Suburbs.

Open top bus bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, which has been built without a roof

An open top bus is a bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, which has been built without a roof. Early buses were constructed without roofs but in more recent times they have only been built for tourist and sightseeing services. Some are made by removing all or part of the roof from a more conventional bus.

Sydney central business district Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 km (2 mi) from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement in which the Sydney region was initially established. Due to its pivotal role in Australia's early history, it is one of the oldest established areas in the country.

Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) Region in New South Wales, Australia

The Eastern Suburbs is the metropolitan region directly to the east and south-east of the central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Contents

History

On 23 November 1980, the Urban Transit Authority commenced operating the Sydney Explorer looping the Sydney central business district. It was operated with Mercedes-Benz O305 and O405 buses that apart from being painted in red Sydney Explorer livery and having a public address system, were identical to those used in normal service. [1] In 1990, a fleet of six (later increased to eight) Pressed Metal Corporation bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 coaches were introduced.

The Urban Transit Authority, a former statutory authority of the Government of New South Wales, was responsible for the operation and maintenance of buses and ferries in Sydney and Newcastle from July 1980 until January 1989.

Mercedes-Benz O305

The Mercedes-Benz O305 was a highly successful single deck, double deck and articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in Mannheim, West Germany from 1969 until 1987. It was built as either a complete bus or a bus chassis and was the first Mercedes-Benz adaptation of the unified German VöV-Standard-Bus design, that was produced by many different bus manufacturers including Büssing, Gräf/Steyr, Heuliez, Ikarus, Magirus-Deutz and MAN. The O305 was designed for use as a single-decker bus, however it was later redesigned to accommodate double-decker bodies.

Mercedes-Benz O405 bus model

The Mercedes-Benz O405 was a highly successful single-decker bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s as either an integral bus or a bus chassis and was the last VöV SL-II standard bus in production. It was the replacement for the Mercedes-Benz O305 and was widely used in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

In September 1998, the Bondi & Bay Explorer was introduced operating from Circular Quay to the Eastern Suburbs. It was operated by four Ansair bodied Scania L113CRLs painted in a blue livery. [2]

Circular Quay locality in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping port, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the northern edge of the Sydney central business district on Sydney Cove, between Bennelong Point and The Rocks. It is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.

Ansair

Ansair was an Australian bus bodybuilder owned by Ansett Transport Industries and later the Clifford Corporation.

Scania L113

The Scania L113 was a step entrance and low entry single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Scania in Sweden between 1989 and 1998. It is a low entry compartment to the low floor N113.

In November 2010, both services were sold to City Sightseeing who had been operating open top bus tours in Sydney since the early 2000s. [3] [4]

City Sightseeing International sightseeing tour bus operator

City Sightseeing is the World's largest open-top, double-decker sightseeing tour bus operator. It provides tour bus services in more than 130 cities around the world. As City Sightseeing has grown and expanded, the company now also provides boat tours, sightseeing train tours, and guided walking tours.

No buses were included in the sale, with City Sightseeing continuing to operate its existing routes only with its fleet of MCW Metrobuses. From May 2012 new Anhui Ankai buses were introduced on these routes. [5] Operations initially operated under the City Sightseeing brand, before the Sydney Explorer name was reintroduced in late 2012 for both routes.

MCW Metrobus

The MCW Metrobus was a two and three-axle double-decker bus manufactured by Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) between 1977 and 1989, with over 4,000 built. The original MkI was superseded by the MkII which had a symmetrical windscreen with an arched top in 1981, although production of the original MkI continued for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and London Regional Transport until 1983 and 1985 respectively. The Metrobus was conceived as an integral product manufactured completely by MCW, but Alexander and Northern Counties also bodied some examples.

When Ensignbus sold the City Sightseeing business in 2011, it retained ownership of the Sydney operation. In 2016, Sydney Explorer relinquished its City Sightseeing franchise and became a Big Bus Tours affiliate. [6]

Ensignbus bus and coach operator and bus dealer in Purfleet, England

Ensignbus is a bus and coach operator and bus dealer in Purfleet.

Big Bus Tours

Big Bus Tours, is the largest operator of open top bus sightseeing tours founded in May 2011 after "Les Cars Rouges" and the "Big Bus Company" merged. The company operates in 20 cities of 11 countries with more than 150 buses around the world. The United States is the country with the largest number of cities with Big Bus Tours service. Typically, Big Bus Tours use open top double-decker buses in burgundy and cream-coloured livery.

Tickets

A casualty of the takeover by City Sightseeing was the one-day pass on the Sydney Explorer which was no longer valid. This used to allow travellers unlimited use on the Sydney and Bondi Explorer buses, it also allowed free travel on regular Sydney Buses services. Today the Explorer has a 24- or 48-hour 'hop-on, hop-off' ticket valid on both Sydney and Bondi Explorer services but there are also various combination tickets available with Bass & Flinders Cruises and attractions. [7] The Sydney Explorer now stops at 26 different locations in Sydney, while the Bondi Explorer stops at 11 locations. [8] [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Travers, Greg (1982). From City to Suburb...a fifty year journey. Sydney: Historic Commercial Vehicle Association. p. 201. ISBN   0959601627.
  2. ↑ "Bondi and Bay Explorer" Fleetline issue 257 November 1998 page 202
  3. ↑ Changes to Explorer services and SydneyPass tickets from Sunday 28 November Sydney Buses November 2010
  4. ↑ City Sightseeing Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  5. ↑ City Sightseeing TV 7052 Bus Australia Photo Gallery
  6. ↑ Bus Tours from Sydney Explorer Big Bus Tours
  7. ↑ Hop On Hop Off Sydney Eco Hopper Bass & Flinders Cruises Retrieved 16 July 2015
  8. ↑ Sydney Map Sydney Explorer
  9. ↑ Bondi Map Sydney Explorer

Further reading

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