41-536: The Dennis Dragon (also sold as the Dennis Condor ) is a three-axle step-entrance double-decker bus manufactured by Dennis in England between 1982 and 1999. The Dennis Dragon was originally built for Kowloon Motor Bus . In Hong Kong there is an area known as " Kowloon " which translates into English as "Nine Dragons". Buses of this type were also built for China Motor Bus ' but were named "Condor" to differentiate
82-833: A Voith or ZF gearbox. The Cummins engine was initially available as an option, but it gradually replaced the Gardner engine as standard All Dennis Dragons/Condors, except four out of five prototypes, were fitted with Duple Metsec bodywork. In Hong Kong, this made Dennis Dragon/Condor easy to differentiate because most of the other bus models at the same period (such as Leyland Olympian , Volvo Olympian , Scania N113 , etc.) were bodied with Alexander bodywork. In 1982, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) purchased three 12-metre non air-conditioned Dennis Dragons with Alexander bodywork for evaluation. KMB purchased 188 Duple Metsec bodied 12-metre Dennis Dragons. These had three doors (one for boarding and two for alighting). Between 1986 and 1994, KMB purchased
123-568: A 10.3-m Dragon (fleet number 701) as the world's first 3-axle double-decker air-conditioned trolleybus . One of Citybus's 10.3-m Dennis Dragon (fleet number 713) had been prematurely withdrawn in 2002 due to fire damage. All of the Citybus Dennis Dragons were withdrawn in 2015. In early 1996, Hactl received four Dennis Dragons for use as staff buses. They were similar with Citybus's 12-metre Dragon in appearance but with no route indicators and narrower seats were fitted so as to increase
164-500: A new underground light rail line is equipped with platforms for low-floor trams and will be permanently operated with low-floor vehicles. This form of design and construction will avoid the need for subsequent rebuilding of stops on tram routes, even though both cities already have underground lines with high-floor platforms. Buses in the UK were traditionally step-entrance built, however this has created problems for people who use wheelchairs as
205-434: A railcar more rapidly if they do not have to climb stairs to enter, reducing dwell time at a stop, and reducing overall travel time. In addition, high-platform railcars have more floor space for passengers if space is not required for stairways, and wheelwells needed to accommodate train bogies . Because bilevel rail cars have two passenger levels within a standard height rail car, the lower level, where passengers board,
246-510: A route (route 658) in Tianjin . The service is now operated by another company after Citybus disposed all its interest in Citybus (China) Limited. In July 1999, Citybus was purchased by Stagecoach Group of Scotland. In 2001, the cross-boundary coach service between China and Hong Kong was discontinued. In June 2003, Stagecoach Group sold Citybus to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises , the parent company of
287-469: Is a nickname in Hong Kong for non-air-conditioned buses). DM18 and DM22 has been under New World First Travel (as open-top buses, later sold to Citybus and were withdrawn on 11 February 2014). DM9, DM12 and DM25 has been sold to Citybus as training buses, while DM17 was sold to 3 preservationists in the UK. The DAs were also retired beginning January 2004 for the 22 buses, followed by 38 buses until 2012. All
328-430: Is generally lower than a conventional high-floor car. Hence level boarding with a bilevel car is accomplished using a lower platform, as low as 460 mm (18 in) ATOR. Because tram/light-rail/streetcar vehicles often share loading gauge sizes with heavy rail vehicles, these passenger vehicles usually also use high floor designs. Existing tram/streetcar/light-rail networks generally feature low platforms as many of
369-417: Is generally measured above the street surface or above the top of the rail. High-floor designs usually result from packaging requirements: mechanical items such as axles, motors, crankshafts, and/or transmissions, or luggage storage spaces are traditionally placed under the interior floor of these vehicles. The term is used in contrast with low-floor designs, which offer a decreased floor and entry height above
410-557: Is the city railway in Cologne; in the mid-1990s, it was decided to divide that city's partially high-platform network into two separate networks: high-floor and low-floor. In contrast with some light rail underground lines, which are often provisionally equipped with low platforms or with tracks laid on raised ballast, there are new developments in the German cities of Düsseldorf (Wehrhahn line) and Dortmund (east–west line). In each of these cities,
451-492: The Hong Kong Government awarded Citybus its first franchised route, 12A (Admiralty Tamar Street to Macdonnell Road) on Hong Kong Island, which was originally operated by China Motor Bus and then withdrawn in the 1980s. In September 1993, Citybus took over 26 franchised routes from China Motor Bus after winning a competitive tender. These were branded as Network 26 . To operate these, a fleet of 101 Leyland Atlanteans
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#1732881099569492-679: The Kowloon Motor Bus with a few modifications Cityflyer is a subsidiary of Citybus that primarily operates airport coach services. The service was started during the opening of the Hong Kong International Airport in 1998. This service is operated exclusively using 110 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMCs and 3 Alexander Dennis Enviro500s as of 30 May 2019. Citybus is currently in ownership of more Cityflyer-designated vehicles but said vehicles have yet to enter service. The vehicles contain exclusive features that cannot be found on
533-563: The Tung Chung new town, Citybus won another tender to operate 13 new franchised routes serving Tung Chung and the new Hong Kong International Airport . In 1998, the airport Cityflyer service commenced, which is part of Citybus and is solely used for Airport express routes to the city. The Cityflyer service consisted of a series of four routes: A11, A12, A21 and A22, with A10 being added in 2006. Citybus also operates various Overnight Airport routes and Airport Shuttle Routes. In 1998, following
574-632: The CEO of Bravo Transport. In July 2022, Bravo Transport announced that it would be discontinuing the New World First Bus brand, and the NWFB operations merged into Citybus on 1 July 2023, when the bus franchises were renewed. As of 2015 Citybus operates 108 routes. It currently operates two franchises: Citybus also uses its own numbering system according to the service area of bus routes The number assignment on Kowloon Peninsula roughly follows that used by
615-548: The NWFB operations merged into Citybus. Citybus was founded on 5 August 1979, by former China Motor Bus traffic manager Lyndon Rees with one Volvo B55 double-deck bus, providing a shuttle service for the Hong Kong United Dockyard in Hung Hom . In 1981, it commenced operating a residential bus route between City One Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station , which provided an innovative "breakfast bus" service. In 1982,
656-497: The United Transport Group purchased a 49% shareholding. In 1984, Citybus began a cross-boundary coach service between Hong Kong and Shenzhen with ex National Travel West and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive Eastern Coach Works bodied Leyland Olympians . In 1985, the company introduced five air-conditioned Olympian coaches. Since then it has continued to expand its fleet of air-conditioned buses. In
697-545: The buses are not wheelchair accessible, as well as being somewhat difficult for passengers with reduced mobility and parents who may be carrying prams and pushchairs. Despite low-floor buses first being phased into the UK in 1994, a large number of step-entrance buses remained in use as well as being manufactured. However with the popularity of low-floor buses expanding by the late 1990's due to their easy accessibility for elderly passengers with reduced mobility, passengers with disabilities and parents carrying prams and pushchairs,
738-527: The company offered a cross-border service between Hong Kong and Mainland China using mainly double-decker Leyland Olympians , but this was discontinued due to stiff competition. However, in 2007, Citybus began operating route B3, which goes to Shenzhen Bay Port. Since August 2020, the company has been wholly owned by Bravo Transport , which also owned the then-third largest operator, New World First Bus (NWFB). Prior to this, both NWFB and Citybus were owned by NWS Holdings and its predecessors. On 1 July 2023,
779-551: The company until 2010. After finishing the last orders, the Dennis Dragon was superseded by the Dennis Trident 3 . [REDACTED] Media related to Dennis Dragon at Wikimedia Commons High-floor High-floor describes the interior flooring of commuter vehicles primarily used in public transport such as trains , light rail cars and other rail vehicles, along with buses and trolleybuses . Interior floor height
820-866: The end of their economic or maintainable life. To get around this, a wheelchair compliant step-entrance bus introduced by Wrightbus, the Eclipse SchoolRun was produced in 2006, fitted with a wheelchair lift to allow wheelchair-bound passengers onto the bus, but no further wheelchair compliant step-entrance bus designs were produced. Due to the Terms Of The Disability Discrimination Act requiring all buses in public service to be wheelchair accessible, non-compliant step-entrance single deckers and their low floor counterparts were outlawed after 31 December 2015, with non-compliant step-entrance double deckers and their low floor counterparts following suit after 31 December 2016, however exemptions apply for
861-492: The expiration of the franchise of China Motor Bus, a further 12 routes were transferred to Citybus. Citybus's fleet was up to 1,100 buses. The remaining routes of China Motor Bus were transferred to a new operator, New World First Bus . Its business was expanded into mainland China with a joint venture operation in Beijing through Citybus (China) Limited. It was not only Beijing's first joint venture bus operation, but it also marked
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#1732881099569902-590: The first of 370 11-metre non air-conditioned Dennis Dragons for the bus services of New Territories . Fifty had a closed back, which was originally reserved for installation of air-conditioning , but this was never fitted. All the non air-conditioned Dennis Dragons were withdrawn in 2012. In 1990, KMB purchased an 11-metre air-conditioned Dennis Dragon for testing. In following years up to 1999, KMB introduced totally 765 air-conditioned Dennis Dragons, including 235 9.9 metre buses, 360 11-metre buses and 170 12-metre buses. The last Dennis Dragon [Fleet number ADS235 (JD4215)]
943-901: The gap between the platform and the floor of the track varies by no more than 76 mm (3 in) horizontally and 16 mm ( 5 ⁄ 8 in) vertically. Level boarding is also known as stepless entry since passengers do not have to negotiate a staircase to board the passenger car. For newly constructed routes, routes primarily located in tunnels, or routes with a dedicated right of way and enough space, high platforms are usually preferred, since high-floor vehicles are cheaper to manufacture, and have better operating characteristics. High platforms do have significant advantages beyond level boarding for wheelchair accessibility. Physically disabled passengers (e.g. those using wheelchairs or who have difficulties climbing stairs) also benefit, as do travelers pulling wheeled luggage or small folding shopping carts. Even physically non-disabled passengers can board
984-453: The introduction of air-conditioned buses for the first time in the capital city. Following the success of this route, a second urban express coach route was introduced in Beijing. However, the services in Beijing were terminated shortly after the disposal of shares of Citybus (China) Limited from Citybus to Kingsman Global Limited, another Hong Kong company, in June 2004. Citybus had also once operated
1025-596: The late 1980s, Citybus was purchased by Tsui Tsin-tong 's CNT Group. It commenced operating residential bus services with 100 new Olympians linking housing estates to MTR stations. In December 1990, Citybus launched Capital Citybus in London with an all-yellow livery for the routes in North and East London and a red and yellow livery for central London. This was sold to FirstGroup in July 1998 and renamed First Capital . In 1991,
1066-544: The limited use of non-compliant heritage buses on vintage bus services, as well as Transport For London's Heritage Routemasters due to their service being overlaid on the high-frequency low-floor Route 15. In San Francisco , the Muni Metro light-rail system, which has both on-street and underground stations, uses a combination of high and low platforms, and the vehicles feature retractable stairs to accommodate both platform types. For on-street stations, stairs are deployed within
1107-589: The major rival operator New World First Bus . After a series of restructurings, Citybus became a subsidiary of NWS Holdings , which was also the parent company of New World First Bus and New World First Ferry . In August 2020, along with New World First Bus, Citybus was sold to the Bravo Transport consortium, made up of private equity firm Templewater Bravo, Hong Kong-listed investment holding company Hans Energy and British bus operator Ascendal Group . The founder of Ascendal Group, Adam Leishman, also became
1148-541: The production of step-entrance buses slowed, with the last ever non-compliant step-entrance bus design being the double-decked East Lancs Pyoneer in 1997. The production of step-entrance buses in the UK almost fully ceased by 31 December 2000, with the legal requirement for new buses produced to be wheelchair accessible, which forced bus manufacturers to concentrate on making low-floor buses, however bus operators were still allowed to order secondhand non-compliant step-entrance buses and run them on their services until they reach
1189-566: The remaining buses have been retired on 2 September 2015. Citybus started to order air-conditioned Dennis Dragon in 1993. The Duple Metsec bodywork for Citybus's Dragons, which were assembled by Salvador Caetano in Portugal , were different from those supplied to KMB/CMB in that the frontal design resembled with those used on Alexander R-type body and a wider front door was used. Between 1994 and 1998, Citybus introduced 80 12-m Dennis Dragons and 40 10.3-m Dennis Dragons. In 2000, Citybus rebuilt
1230-593: The rest of the fleet, including luggage racks equipped with Closed-circuit television , blinds, USB charging ports and more comfortable padded seats with wider legroom As of 2020, the fleet consisted of 1013 buses, of which 950 are Double-decker buses and the remaining 63 are single-decker. Most are from British or European manufacturers, such as Alexander Dennis and Volvo Buses , but most single-deckers have been ordered from mainland Chinese manufacturers including Youngman and BYD Auto . Operations are divided into two main departments, each of which have depots across
1271-542: The retrofitting of high platforms on existing routes, while still providing improved accessibility. Although low-floor vehicles began to be developed in the 1920s, the first low-floor tram is generally recognized as the Duewag / ACM Vevey design of 1984 deployed in Geneva, providing a floor height of 480 mm (19 in) ATOR. Tourist coaches generally have very high floors, sometimes greater than 1,000 mm (39 in) above
Dennis Dragon - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-697: The road surface, in order to have ample room for luggage under the floor. Since boarding must be allowed directly from flat ground, long and steep staircases are needed. Transit buses also use high floors to provide mechanical clearances for solid axles, but the use of dropped axles has enabled the creation of low-floor buses and by 2008 in the United States, the majority of new transit bus orders were for low-floor types. Today, in Germany, all rapid transit railways, most commuter trains , and many light rail vehicles operate as high-floor networks. A notable exception
1353-800: The seating capacity. All these buses were acquired by New World First Bus after Hactl ceased to operate its staff bus routes in September 1999. They re-entered service in 2000. In 1992, Stagecoach introduced ten Dennis Dragons in Malawi . The company also introduced twenty Dennis Dragons in Kenya between 1995 and 1996. Later, all the Dennis Dragons in Kenya were shipped back to England and allocated to Stagecoach Manchester 's Magic Bus fleet. They re-entered service between 1998 and 2000 where they would stay in service with
1394-440: The stations or stops are in the streets. The high construction/conversion cost of high platforms and the difficulty of making high platforms compatible with other features of the urban landscape are a significant obstacle to converting tram networks these into urban or commuter rail networks with high platforms. These problems were a major motivation for the development of low-floor trams , which allow transit operators to avoid
1435-597: The street surface. Since low-floor designs generally were developed after high-floor vehicles, the older high-floor design is sometimes also known as conventional or the “traditional” design. A rail vehicle of conventional or high-floor design usually has a flat floor ranging between 760 and 1,370 mm (30 and 54 in) above the top of the railhead (ATOR). To enhance accessibility and optimize dwell times , railway platform heights at stations are sometimes standardised to allow level boarding for commuters on high platforms. According to one definition, level boarding means
1476-450: The two purchasing companies. All were built for the overseas market, although some were later repatriated. Dennis had registered the Condor name in the 1950s for a lightweight haulage chassis. The Dennis Dragon/Condor chassis was developed from 2-axle Dennis Dominator , with two separate wheels fitted in front of the rear axle. It was fitted with both Gardner or Cummins engines coupled to
1517-931: The vehicle to allow boarding from low platforms; as the trains move underground, the stairs rise until they are flush with the floor to allow boarding from high platforms. Citybus (Hong Kong) Citybus Limited ( Chinese : 城巴有限公司 ) is a bus company which provides both franchised and non-franchised service in Hong Kong . The franchised route network serves Hong Kong Island , cross- harbour routes (between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon / New Territories ), North Lantau ( Tung Chung and Hong Kong Disneyland ), Hong Kong International Airport , Kowloon, New Territories, Shenzhen Bay Port and Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port. The non-franchised routes serve mainly City One Sha Tin. It also provides bus rental services and staff bus services for some large companies, such as TVB and China Light and Power . From 1984 to 2001,
1558-546: Was purchased from Singapore Bus Service . A further 14 franchised routes were awarded to the company in 1995 without tendering, with the fleet now expanded to more than 500 buses. During these years Citybus expanded its penetration of the Hong Kong Island market pushing nearly all China Motor Bus routes into low profitability. In 1996, with the Tsing Ma Bridge coming into operation and the commencement of settlement in
1599-587: Was retired on July 6, 2017, which means that there are no more white KMB buses and Dennis Dragons in Hong Kong. In 1982, China Motor Bus (CMB) received two 12-metre (39-foot) non-air-conditioned Dennis Condors for evaluation, one of them was fitted with Duple Metsec bodywork, and the other one with Alexander bodywork. Because of the opening of MTR 's Island line in the 1980s, CMB did not buy many Dennis Condors. Between 1989 and 1997, CMB bought only 46 12-m non-air-conditioned Condors, 28 11-metre non-air-conditioned Condors and 92 11-metre air-conditioned Condors. It
1640-450: Was rumoured that CMB's last ten air-conditioned Condors were bought due to unpredictable delivery time of the Dennis Trident 3s ordered. All the CMB's Dennis Condors were sold to New World First Bus (NWFB) when CMB-lost its franchise in 1998, three of the 12-m Condors were subsequently converted to training buses. In 1999, NWFB converted one 11-metre Dennis Condor to an open-top bus (DM6), it
1681-715: Was superseded by an air-conditioned Dennis Condor on 25 January 2008 and was withdrawn again on 29 September 2014 (DA66). The DLs were retired earlier by October 2000 and was sold out. DL1 & DL2 were sold to private preservationists in Hong Kong. Some of them were shipped back to the UK and converted to open-top in 2002 for the Big Bus Company ., after withdrawal in London, most of these went to Big Bus Company's New York operation with one converted to electric drive in 2018. The DMs were retired by August 2002 and sold out, with an 11-m non-air-conditioned Dennis Condor (fleet number DM28) regarded by NWFB as its last "hot dog" ("hot dog"