mercedes-benz december 2010 · pdf fileand mercedes-benz citaro had previously al-ready been...

The magazine for people on the move.

High tech in spectacular colours

Integrated: BHNS concept | Improved: Hamburg’s central bus station | Inspired: Essen’s got culture

The double-axled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 77 in stunning lilac grabs the limelight at the IAA.

Mercedes-Benzw

ww

.mer

cede

s-be

nz.c

om|

Dec

embe

r 201

0

Omnibus3 l 2010

OBM_0310_01_EN.qxp:01_01 15.11.2010 16:34 Uhr Seite 1

2 Editorial Omnibus 3·2010

Dear Reader,The IAA Commercial Vehicles Show has just finished. Held every two

years, it reflects the underlying trends and the advances being made

on the commercial vehicles market. This year’s show once again

featured lots of interesting new releases from Mercedes-Benz.

One of the show’s real highlights was the world premiere of the new

Sprinter City 77. Despite its slim design, it offers room for 40

passenger in comfort. The flagship Travego M coach, incorporating

all currently available safety features and driver assistance systems,

represented the embodiment of maximum safety on the

Mercedes-Benz stand. The colourful livery in which all our buses were

shown was doubtless a major feature of the show, attracting even

more interest than usual from the many visitors.

True to our motto “Responsibility demands commitment”, we regard

ourselves as groundbreakers in paving the way for the mobility of

the future. We are pursuing a strategy of investing in a sustained

manner in innovative technology and research. However, we will only

be able to achieve success if we base all our efforts on mutual

dialogue. High cost pressures, more stringent environmental require-

ments, and the need for efficient, affordable technologies: those are

the major challenges which all parties involved must confront.

The future is already here. Check out pages 12 and 13 to see for your-

self. With the introduction of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system we

have demonstrated that improving transport services by incorporating

rail-bound local networks works superbly – and not just in major cities.

I very much hope you enjoy reading this issue.

Best regards,

Michael GöpfarthVice-President, Sales, of the Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches division of EvoBus GmbH

Cover Story06 Mercedes-Benz Buses andCoaches presented a wide rangeof products and lots of innovativesolutions at this year’s IAA.Photo: Markus Bollen

OBM_0310_02-03_EN.qxp:02-03 22.11.2010 13:01 Uhr Seite 2

18

Omnibus 3·2010 Contents 3

News04 Mercedes-Benz Bank with bus competence centre. Offer tailored to bus customers

And it just keeps on going. One million kilometres with the Mercedes-Benz O 408First-hand information. Mercedes-Benz bus operator workshop in CologneEasy-access travel from Hamburg. Stambula tour company acquires second busSardinia orders 239 buses. Major order for Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches

05 Enhanced environmental protection with EEV. Now also without dieselparticulate filterEditorial Details.

Cover Story06 Looking ahead. The highlights of the Mercedes-Benz show stand10 It came, it shone, it conquered. World premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter City 77

Transport of the Future12 Emblematic of the city. Successful BHNS concept in France14 In the fast lane heading for the future. Cochem-Zell: a model of success

Market + Industry16 Always getting better. Development of service networks brings lots of benefits18 A success story. All under one roof at Hamburg’s central bus station20 Shaping the future. Interview with Holger Suffel on mega-trends

Daimler Worldwide22 BRT ¬ Major events as drivers of local public transport projects. Whether

Olympic games or football World Cups: the legacy of such events is more often thannot an intact, well developed local public transport system.

Service26 Self-help for bus experts. Effective OMNIplus WorkshopTraining courses28 Costs in focus. Top-class quality assurance

The Company and its People30 An addictive sport. Teeing-off in the Mercedes Trophy golf tournament

Destination34 A mining town rejuvenated. A visit to European Capital of Culture Essen

Travel tip38 Languid beauty on the Tejo. Insider tips for the Portuguese capital Lisbon

Drive In39 Smooth power. High levels of ride comfort with the PowerShift transmission

12

30

34Photo: left: Daimler, top right: EvoBus France,2nd from top: Rüdiger Schreiber, 3rd from top:Daimler, bottom: City of Essen

OBM_0310_02-03_EN.qxp:02-03 22.11.2010 13:01 Uhr Seite 3

Mercedes-Benz Bank, one of Germany’s leading financehouses operated by an industrial manufacturer, recentlyconsolidated its bus competencies in Stuttgart. The newcompetence centre will provide bus customers withbackup from a qualified team of bus industry specialists,able to provide assistance on matters ranging from finance and insurance, to contract management and tai-lored loans. The Bank’s bus specialists combine com-mercial acumen with accounting and tax expertise. Theywill also work closely with their colleagues at EvoBus,who will contribute the necessary industry-specific andtechnical know-how. Bus customers will continue to havea personal adviser at their disposal on-site. This is a key factor, because personalised assistance and advice willalways be the foundation stone for the provision of tai-lored financial services packages, meeting customers’needs both today and long into the [email protected] Photo: Daimler

4 News Omnibus 3·2010

And it just keeps on goingThe Mercedes-Benz O 408 has an impressive one millionkilometres on the clock. The bus was acquired by opera-tor Diesch from Bad Schussenried back in 1992. “Sincethen the bus has been running mainly scheduled serv-ices,” explains Fridolin Heß from the Diesch managementteam. The proud owners are especially pleased with howrobust their bus has been: it still has its original trans-mission and engine, and shows virtually no signs of rust.Its supreme reliability has made it a star of the company’soperations for many years. Even the bus’s underbody isstill in original condition. “We have not had to carry outany major repairs, other than replacing wearing parts.And we would come back time and again to buy a Mercedes-Benz,” Heß asserts. Reliability is immenselyimportant to a small tour operator such as Diesch, forwhom running an in-house service workshop would sim-ply not be commercially viable. Minor repairs and servic-ing are done by the company’s staff themselves. We wishthe bus a continued long life!www.diesch-reisezeit.de Photo: Fridolin Heß

First-hand informationThe 36th RDA Workshop held inCologne on July 29th this year sawlarge numbers of bus company oper-ators gather to exchange news, viewsand experiences. The workshop wasinitiated by Mercedes-Benz, underthe motto “Responsibility demandscommitment”.At the event, Professor Dr. Polzinpresented the results of his exten-sive bus study. His conclusion: theimage of bus travel is negative, and so in need ofa boost. As a solution, Polzin proposed marketingsupport from bus manufacturers for their cus-tomers. Only if the entire value creation chainworks together will success be possible. Forginglinks between manufacturers’ and dealers’ mar-

239 buses for SardiniaIn 2010 Daimler Buses has delivered a total of 239 buses to Sardinia. The order came from thefour publicly owned transport operators on the island: CTM Cagliari, ATP Nuoro, ASPO Olbia andATP Sassari. It comprises 137 Citaro and 80 Citaro K city buses, and 22 Sprinter City 65 minibuses.Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses, comments: “We are delighted to have received this majororder from Sardinia. It reaffirms that there remains strong demand from customers for our high-quality, environmentally friendly buses and coaches even in times of economic constraint. It willenable us to maintain healthy levels of capacity utilisation at our European bus production centres.”The economical, low-emission buses are powered by Mercedes-Benz BlueTec SCR diesel tech-nology and conform to the EURO 5 and EEV emissions standards. t

www.mercedes-benz.com

keting operations might well be a promising ap-proach. Mercedes-Benz presented the workshopwith some ideas on that front which it is going tobe implementing over the coming months. Moreworkshops on specific topics are scheduled. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photo: Bus Blickpunkt

Easy-access travel from HamburgSome six and a half million people in Germanyhave a physical disability classed as at least 50 %impairment. Over 700,000 people are confinedto a wheelchair, and as a result their mobility is

greatly restricted. Hamburg-based tour companyStambula Bustouristik GmbH has recently en-hanced passenger accessibility by acquiring aspecially equipped Mercedes-Benz Tourismocoach. “In this day and age travel should not bean insurmountable obstacle for people with dis-abilities,” stated Uwe Stambula on the occasionof the official key handover ceremony held at theMercedes-Benz Hamburg dealership. The acces-sibility features of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismoare factory-fitted, and as such ensure high levels of stability and safety. The bus has a 49 + 2 passenger seat configuration. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photo: Daimler

An electric lift

behind the front

axle provides for

quick and safe

entry and exit.

Mercedes-Benz Bank now also withBus Competence Centre

OBM_0310_04_05_EN.qxp:04_05 22.11.2010 13:02 Uhr Seite 4

Editorial Details

Mercedes-Benz Omnibus – The magazine for people on the move

Published by:EvoBus GmbHMercedes-Benz Omnibusse L 22D-68301 MannheimPhone: +49/(0)6 21/7 40-43 19Fax: +49/(0)6 21/7 40-53 54www.mercedes-benz.com

Responsible for publishing:Reiner Hörter (responsible for contentunder the terms of German Press Law)

Project management:Christian Bonfert

Production:Verlag Heinrich VogelSpringer Fachmedien München GmbHCorporate PublishingAschauer Straße 30D-81549 MunichPhone: +49/(0)89/20 30 43-25 70Fax: +49/(0)89/20 30 43-3 25 70

Springer Fachmedien München GmbHis part of the Springer Science+BusinessMedia specialist publishing group.

Editorial:Thomas Maier (editor-in-chief)

Project coordination:Thomas Maier, Matthias Pioro

Authors in this issue:Michael Bäter, Martin Heying, Susanne Löw, Thomas Maier, Saskia Meier, Rüdiger Schreiber, Tanja Strauß, Karin Weidenbacher

Art direction/graphics:Dierk Naumann

Cover photo: Markus Bollen

Printed by:Mayr Miesbach GmbHAm Windfeld 15, D-83714 Miesbach

Translation:beo Gesellschaft für Sprachen & Technologie mbHFreischützstraße 9, D-81927 Munich

Mercedes-Benz OMNIBUS appearsthree times a year. All rights reserved.Reproduction and electronic processingare only permitted with written authori -sation from the publishers. No liabilitycan be accepted for any unsolicited articles and images sent to us.

Enhanced environmental protection with EEV

Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches will in future beavailable in an even more environmentally friendly vari-ant. It is made possible by conforming to the EEV (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle) emissionsstandard without the use of a diesel particulate filter.That level of conformance is now technically feasiblebased solely on in-engine measures. So voluntary appli-cation of EEV ensures conformance to the most strin-gent current European emissions standard. Particulateemissions are cut by some 30 % compared to EURO 5conforming engines, without increasing fuel consumption. A particularly pleasing feature is that Mercedes-Benz BlueTec® engines are capable of meet-ing the standard with no additional particulate filter in-stalled.The engineering necessary to conform to the EEV vol-untary emissions standard is based on Mercedes-BenzBlueTec®5 diesel technology. The modifications madewere primarily in relation to the fuel injection. No ex-haust gas cleaning other than SCR is needed. The EEVsolution for Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches is on apar with the tried and proven BlueTec®5 technologyin terms of maintenance, durability, fuel consumptionand weight.The Mercedes-Benz Citaro had previously al-ready been available in an EEV variant, though only inconjunction with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)and an additional diesel particulate filter. That combi-nation is still available.

Benefits for bus operatorsThe new EEV technology with no diesel particulate fil-ter offers a number of benefits for operators: the lack of

The EEV emissions standard stipulates even more stringent limits than the current EURO 5 norm.

diesel particulate filter means thepurchase price is lower. It alsomeans service costs are reducedbecause there is no need for filtercleaning, and bus availability isimproved for day-to-day publicservice duties. The vehicle’s kerbweight is lower, and on the Citaroas many as three additional pas-senger seats can be installed com-pared to EEV conforming buseswith a diesel particulate filter fitted.And the new EEV feature providesbus tour operators with anotherattraction: the environmentallyfriendly vehicles are free to en-

ter any of the restricted eco-zones in force in some of Europe’s major cities and urban conurbations. They arealso eligible for reduced road tolls when passing throughcountries such as Austria. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photos: Daimler

Omnibus 3·2010 News 5


6 Cover Story Omnibus 3·2010

Looking aheadFresh, bold and colourful was how Mercedes-Benz presented

itself at the 2010 IAA Commercial Vehicles Show.

OBM_0310_06-09_EN.qxp 22.11.2010 13:20 Uhr Seite 6

Omnibus 3·2010 Cover Story 7

THE MERCEDES-BENZ BUSES AND COACHES STAND at the 63rd IAACommercial Vehicles Show was more colourful than ever before. Themustard, lavender and orange liveried vehicles bearing the three-pointedstar made for a spectacular attraction – in terms of their engineering tooof course. The five buses on show were real eye-catchers. TheMercedes-Benz team’s primary focus was on its customers and otherinterested visitors how ever. The stand design and accompanying pro-gramme of events aimed to demonstrate the future of the bus industry inthe company’s ever unique, customer-friendly style.

Almost the entire Mercedes-Benz sales team was on the stand duringthe show. Engineers, developers and specialist advisers were on handto provide customers with the necessary advice and support. A visitormanagement system developed specially for Mercedes-Benz ensured thateveryone was directed to exactly the right point of contact. “We wanted tomake sure that all our customers were greeted and dealt with on a personal, one-to-one basis as soon as possible,” explains Michael Göpfarth, Vice-President, Sales, of the Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches division of EvoBus GmbH. The show team also implemented theconcept efficiently in handling groups of visitors too, with two membersof staff assigned to organise and coordinate parties visiting the stand.“We pay great attention to providing the right advice and support. It isour way of showing our respect for our customers.”

Focus on safety, service and the environmentThe Mercedes-Benz Forum presented daily features by specialists on hotindustry topics and company product attractions such as electro-mobility,life cycle costs and OMNIplus BusFleet. These events also reflected theMercedes-Benz focus – alongside safety and comfort – on issues includingthe environment, economy, and service. “Our buses featuring alternativedrive systems combine innovation, environmental protection and mobility in an ideal way. One of our primary goals is to enable local public service buses to run at zero emission levels,” explains Ulrich

Whether elegant, luxurious, or refreshingly modern: the interior

outfitting options are unlimited.

ü


8 Cover Story Omnibus 3·2010

In demonstrating its safety prowess, Mercedes-Benz highlighted theflagship of its coach range, the Travego M. Incidentally, that model hasbeen awarded the title of 2010 “Coach of the Year”. Alongside its uniquesafety features, the high-spec coach also impressed with its distinctiveexterior design and luxurious interior. The special Travego “Safety Edi-tion” incorporates all currently available safety systems. It also featuresthe Mercedes GO 240-8 PowerShift automated eight-speed manual gear-box with hydro-dynamic retarder, developed for the first time for a bus.

Other highlights from the Mercedes-Benz bus family on show includ-ed the Tourismo coach, with its high levels of economy and safety andwide range of variants; the Citaro LE overland bus, with its hugely versatile low-floor design concept; and – celebrating its world premiereat the IAA – the Sprinter City 77 (see pages 10 and 11).

Liveried in trendy, funky colours, and fitted out with stylish applica-tions, they were all real eye-catchers. “Our aim was to stand out from allthe other exhibitors at the first glance. And that is what we did,” statesa de lighted Michael Göpfarth. The buses and coaches already sold priorto the IAA show will soon be seen on roads across Europe – and thenmany more people will be able to enjoy the delights of these eye-catchers.twww.mercedes-benz.com Photos: Markus Bollen

Piotrowski, who is responsible for the market launch of the company’shybrid buses.

Heading for a bright future togetherIt was in order to keep ahead of such trends, and to ensure sustainablelong-term mobility, that the Daimler Buses division instigated its “Shaping Future Transportation” initiative. As part of that initiative, thecross-brand expertise of Daimler Buses – incorporating Mercedes-Benz,Setra and Fuso – was for the first time presented as a single, unifiedentity in hall 14/15 at the show. The very look of the stand underscoredthe concept at first glance: the linking and unifying element was the so-called “Shaping Future Transportation Boulevard”, via which visitorswere routed to the various brand presentations. The core ideas behindthe initiative are to conserve resources, cut emissions and ensure maximum road safety.The fact that such aspirations have already beenturned into reality by Mercedes-Benz is demonstrated by the CitaroFuellCELLHybrid. With what is now its third-generation fuel cell pow-ered bus, the company is moving ever closer to its goal of zeroemissionmobility. The power for these vehicles is supplied by a fuel cell linked toa serial hybrid drive. The combustion engine is rendered superfluous.


Omnibus 3·2010 Cover Story 9

IAA 2010 AS A DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

Efficient, flexible, fit for the future: that was the motto of the 63rd IAA Commercial

Vehicles Show. The focus of the world’s leading mobility fair was once again

on innovation from all across the international commercial vehicles sector.

Matthias Wissmann, president of the German automotive industry association

VDA, judged the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show to be a major sign of an upturn

for the global commercial vehicles industry following the crisis year in 2009.

Busy and lively: the Mercedes-Benz Lounge was a meeting point

and a place to find all the latest information (top right).

Green character: with the Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid Mercedes-Benz

is well on the way to delivering zero-emission mobility (middle).

Whether Citaro, Travego, Tourismo or Sprinter: the buses, coaches

and complementary solutions attracted lots of visitors

to the stand in hall 15 (bottom).


10 Cover Story Omnibus 3 2010

It came, it shone, it conqueredIt was the most sought-after bus bearing the three-pointed star at the 63rd IAA Commercial Vehicles

Show: the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter City 77, launched at the September exhibition in Hanover.


Omnibus 3 2010 Cover Story 11

WITH THIS NEW MODEL the minibus specialist within theDaimler Group is opening up a new chapter in the historyof city service buses based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.Accordingly, the vehicle featured prominently on the Daimlerstand at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles Show. After all,a model celebrating its world premiere deserves to steal alittle of the limelight from its stablemates. And there was certainly lots of interest in the new minibus, which will begoing into production in second quarter 2011. Indeed,industry insiders and media representatives flocked to seethe newcomer, liveried in matt metallic lilac, inspecting itfrom all sides and checking out its seats, its easy access, itsgood all-round visibility, and its comfort.

Mercedes-Benz is setting new standards in this vehicleclass with the Sprinter City 77. Its spaciousness is particular-ly striking. The new model has capacity for up to 40 passen-gers, making it the biggest city bus in the Mercedes-Benzminibus range. This unmatched capacity is achieved thanksto the vehicle’s comparatively large passenger compartment,its stepless low-floor design throughout, and its 6.8 t grossvehicle weight rating. At approximately 8.7 m, the SprinterCity 77 is almost a metre longer than the Sprinter City 65,which offers capacity for 30 passengers. The technical foun-dation for the vehicle’s high capacity is its low-floor chassis,featuring two air-sprung rear axles – a proprietary designof the specialist in minibuses bearing the three-pointed star,developed exclusively for the Sprinter City 77. Both rear axleshave single tyres, making the wheel arches correspondinglyslimmer inside the passenger compartment. And the roadresistance of the three-axle minibus also keeps within therange of the two-axed City 65, which has twin tyres on itsrear axle.

Optimum ease of entry and exitThe stepless low-floor design throughout the bus extends theprinciple of unhindered access in the City programme evenfurther. As a result, the interior provides easy access for disabled passengers. Up to nine passenger seats can be con-figured for access without barriers. As on the City 65, awheelchair space at the double-wing outward-swinging dooris part of the standard configuration. A second wheelchair

space can optionally be installed at the rear door. Disabledaccess is aided optionally by manually operated foldingramps or electric-powered lift ramps at the passenger doors.And about the doors: with its two double-wing outward-swinging doors the Sprinter City 77 not only offers opti-mum ease of entry and exit, it also means passenger flow isfaster and smoother. Another new feature of the doors istheir electric drive system, installed in the swivel columns,so making for a neater look and also saving space. Thediesel tank of the City 77 is positioned virtually flushbetween the rear axles, providing ideal weight distributionand keeping the vehicle’s centre of gravity low. The tank’s100 l capacity also enables a more than acceptable range tobe covered between refuelling stops.

Ideal for a wide range of applicationsLike the other City models, the Sprinter City 77 is idealfor use in tight city centre streets and suburban neighbour-hoods as well as on overland and night-bus routes with lowpassenger volumes. “The combination of its relatively slimdesign, through-going low-floor comfort and high passengercapacity also makes the minibus an attractive option for air-port and trade fair shuttle services,” adds Dr. Ulrich Hessel-mann, Chief Executive of Mercedes-Benz Minibus GmbH.

A final impression from the show: with the Sprinter City 77,Europe’s most successful city minibus range has not onlygained a new addition to enhance its range of capabilities,but has also seen the birth of an absolute highlight. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photos: Markus Bollen

THE SPRINTER CITY 77 AT A GLANCE

Length: 8,700 mm

Width: 1,993 mm

Height: 2,875 mm

Wheelbase: 4,100/990 mm

Gross vehicle weight rating: 6,800 kg

Passenger capacity: max. 40

Fuel tank capacity: 100 l


12 Transport of the Future Omnibus 3·2010

Emblematic of the cityIn France, the “Bus à Haut Niveau de Service” (BHNS) concept is a cornerstone of public transport infrastructure in many

towns and cities. The romantic-sounding name embodies a simple yet remarkable idea.

THE BHNS CONCEPT seeks to combine thebenefits of tram and bus transportation in anefficient way. The idea stems from an initia-tive by GART, the association of local publictransport authorities in France. In France aselsewhere, funding for local public transport,to build new and develop existing road-tramsystems, is no longer as widely available asit once was. Maintaining and enhancing theattractiveness of local public transport overthe long term is a key aspect of the debate sur-rounding urbanisation and harmonisation oftowns and cities in France.

The declared aim of the BHNS concept isto enhance mobility based on a coherentapproach, developing the infrastructure, vehi-cle fleet, operations and services offered in aunified way, but differentiated with regard toeach operator. Despite many common factorsnationally, France has no unified bus-basedmobility concept. Looking at the existing services on offer, it is clear that all of them

GLOBAL SUPPORT

The Brazilian city of Curitiba introduced a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

system as far back as 1972. Since that time, cities all over the world

have been employing a variety of approaches in pursuit of a single goal:

to improve their service offer, including an attempt to approach the

quality standards of rail-borne local public transport systems while

at the same time achieving significant cost savings. But it is not only

in major international cities with multi-million populations such as

Los Angeles (USA), Bogota (Colombia), Curitiba (Brazil), Guayaquil

(Equador), Jakarta (Indonesia), Lagos (Nigeria), Adelaide (Australia),

Istanbul (Turkey) and Guangzhou (China) that BRT systems are a viable

solution. In France, the city of Nantes has impressively demonstrated

that the concept can also be successfully implemented in smaller

settings. With a tailored design, it can be integrated perfectly into

any cityscape. Daimler Buses has established a team of experts to

provide assistance and support in introducing and advancing such

systems worldwide.

have devised their solutions with differingobjectives and meeting differing require-ments. In terms of infrastructure, tried andproven methods are proving most popular.

A number of French cities have installed –or are planning to install – primary axis routesfor their public transport systems, served byattractive articulated buses running at highfrequencies. Separate lanes kept apart fromthe rest of the traffic and easy-access entry-level stops are employed to speed up services.Off-board ticketing and access controls helpcut stopping times, while an intelligent com-puterised traffic management program pro-vides for highly flexible control of the overallsystem.

The customer-friendliness and enhancedservice offered by the BHNS concept is reflected not only in visually appealing, easy-to-read timetables and a simplified fares sys-tem. The vehicle design and outfitting, espe-cially, are intended to convey the operators’

respect for their customers. The Mercedes-Benz Citeo offered them a high-quality solu-tion. Its design makes an unmistakable state-ment: eye-catching, appealing and innovative.Fully in keeping with the high standards ofthe BHNS concept.

A tailored solution, but based on a tried andproven foundationDespite all its individuality, the exterior andinterior design of the Citeo remains true toone key principle: form follows function. Andin line with the philosophy, that means indi-viduality, high quality and everyday practical-ity. The large, smooth side surfaces, with thetinted glass windows and the harmoniouslyroof-integrated mountings, imbue the vehiclewith a look which is immediately symbolic ofthe BHNS concept.

The Citeo is a stand-alone development, but employing many components of the Mercedes-Benz scheduled service bus kit.

The Citeo provides plenty

of interior space and

a pleasant ambience.

The 3D panoramic

ceiling offers a varying

imagescape.

The vehicle incorporates

a dynamic passenger

management system,

which can be linked to

existing ticketing and

telematics systems.

OBM_0310_12_13_EN.qxp:12-13 16.11.2010 17:32 Uhr Seite 12

Comfort and passenger-friendliness were keydemands of the system operators. This isembodied in the Citeo, for example, by its highseat backs and colourful upholstery. It alsofeatures a new audio system, with speakersbuilt-in to the hanger rail, which likewise con-forms to the required high-quality ambience.Sometimes it is just a simple yet remarkableidea – like the one underlying the BHNS con-cept itself – which gives a vehicle that certain

something extra: the motifs on the ceiling ofthe Citeo, for example, more than adequatelyreflect the French spirit of “liberté”.

Despite its individualistic personality, theCiteo remains hugely practical in everydayoperations, maintaining high levels of avail-ability based on components which have beentried and proven many thousands of timesover – but always in distinctive style. t

www.mercedes-benz.fr Photos: EvoBus France

The Citaro marked a historic milestone.

With the concept underlying the Citeo,

Mercedes-Benz is opening a new chapter

in its history. With its elegant looks

and roof-integrated mountings,

the bus embodies a stand-alone design

concept which more than meets all

the high demands of the BHNS system

in operation around France, and which

once again demonstrates how flexible

the Citaro component kit is.

A pleasurable environment: the interior of the

Citeo is bright, friendly and spacious. Customers

have a free hand in terms of interior design.


14 Transport of the Future Omnibus 3·2010

In the fast lane heading for the future

DESPITE BEING WELL AWAY FROM MAJOR URBAN CONURBATIONSand tourist centres, the rural district of Cochem-Zell has succeeded inincreasing passenger numbers by 25 % in the last eight years alone. Andat the same time, this picturesque but economically weak area nestlingbetween the Eifel, Mosel and Hunsrück regions of Germany has signifi-cantly boosted its image. It was all made possible by a experienced man atthe helm – public transport planning expert Edi Reiz.

Up until the mid-1990s, the area’s public transport system had beenfinding it hard to attract more passengers, despite its integrated schoolsservice and seasonal timetables for tourists. There was a shortage of all-year-round scheduled services. Mobility needs in the evenings and atweekends were not being served. “It was obvious that the public transportsystem in Cochem-Zell was not meeting the needs of the local populaceand its visitors; routes and timetables were often difficult to understand”,Edi Reiz recalls. His colleague Manfred Peckart adds: “Many routes wereserved only two or three times a day. That was clearly inadequate, and wehad to change things.”

Impetus came from the grass-rootsThe control, coordination and implementation of measures to integrateinfrastructure and public transport planning procedures were handledfrom the beginning by the local district council. Reiz says: “The impetushas to come from below. If developments are imposed from above, there isa lack of consultation and local feel, and so new measures are less wellaccepted.”

The state of Rheinland-Pfalz also joined in the efforts. Part of the solutioninvolved finding a partner to develop a close-knit local public transportnetwork. Major effort was focused on obtaining assistance in implement-ing new service offers by taking up all available grants and subsidies, util-ising available marketing resources and introducing a system of ongoingperformance monitoring. A more service-oriented public transport systemwas established from 1998 onwards: most bus routes ran to an hourlytimetable; a leisure-time transport service was set up; and better linkswere provided to the small and medium-sized centres around the district.All of those measures represented first key steps on the road to success.Over the following years an on-demand group-travel taxi service filled thegaps in low-demand periods. Later, similar taxi services aimed specificallyat young people and a bus service for senior citizens were successfullyintroduced. In the next step, all school bus services were integrated intothe public transport system.

The increased demand enabled the network of bus routes to be extended further. Unattractive public transport offers and additional off-

Demographic shifts, new school structures, changing leisure trends. Local public

transport must meet such new challenges, and offer flexible services.

Cochem-Zell has been able

to increase passenger numbers

by 25 % in eight years thanks to

a number of constructive measures.

How has Cochem-Zell been able to turn itself from an

economically weak rural district into a model of public

transport success? The recipe explained.


Cochem-Zell

Kaisersesch

Zell (Mosel)

Ulmen

Cochem Treis-Karden

Omnibus 3·2010 Transport of the Future 15

The rural district of Cochem-Zell covers an area of 719.42 km2 ,

comprising 92 local communities, with a total population of 66,000 people.

peak leisure-time services were abolished. Services were more efficientlytimed with, and integrated into, state-wide transport services aroundRheinland-Pfalz; weekend services were extended; and the bus fleetunderwent comprehensive modernisation.

The idyllic countryside around the district was also recognised as amajor driver of economic prosperity, and was exploited more effectivelyby providing bus and rail links to designated walking paths and excursiondestinations. “Today we are finally able to transport more tourists to ourregion’s sightseeing highlights, including our ancient castles, the spectac-ular bend in the Mosel river, and the Hunsrück and Eifel hills,” reports adelighted Manfred Peckart. Supporting measures undertaken by the stategovernment included reactivating the rail route across the Eifel and set-ting up a shuttle bus service to Hahn Airport. It also established regionalbus services run on a system similar to the railway network.

Clearly structured and attractive service offersThe establishment of the Rhine-Mosel public transport network resulted inunified, and cheaper, fares. Bus services were clearly structured, adaptedto changing needs, and more closely interlinked. Rhein-Mosel-Bus, underits operations manager Timo Henes, Moselbahn GmbH and an increasingnumber of private bus operators also helped in building up an attractive busnetwork. Rhein-Mosel-Bus runs almost 80 % of the local public transportservices around the district, operating some 64 buses, of which only sixbelong to the company itself. “Private bus operators, with their own conces-sions, have been better integrated and assigned specific routes,” explainsReinhard Kochems from Mesenich, who operates route number 717. Smalland medium-sized bus operators around the region today account for 80 %of the public transport bus fleet in the rural district of Cochem-Zell.

Academic backing was provided by the Institute for Mobility and Trans-port (imove) at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. It has been advis-ing the district council for many years, and in 2009 integrated the districtinto its pilot project aimed at setting forth recommendations for establish-ing attractive, environmentally friendly and efficient rural public transportservices. Oliver Dümmler from imove explains: “The project was instigatedon the initiative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the local districtcouncil and the Institute. The state of Rheinland-Pfalz is providing finan-cial backing”. A key vision of the joint pilot project is to improve transportconnections based on innovative telematics concepts. Where is the neareststop? When does the bus go? No problem – all that information can todaybe obtained using a mobile phone. No regular bus service available? “That,too, might not be a problem soon,” asserts Edi Reiz. “We are looking to setup dynamic stops, equipped with an electronic on-demand bus orderingsystem.” Cochem-Zell is also pursuing the goal of zero emissions. “We areincreasingly pushing our bus suppliers not only about comfort but, espe-cially, to deliver lower-emission engines. Particulate filters are becomingmore and more the standard, and we are also observing developments inelectric-powered vehicles very closely,” Reiz concludes.

In another project, imove is working on a recommendation for the futurefinancing of local public transport specifically with a view to rural areas.All local public transport services will continue to be coordinated by thedistrict council in future. Rhein-Mosel-Bus has just in the last few daysmoved into the council building as a tenant. t

www.cochem-zell.de Photos: Edi Reiz


Always getting betterThe goal of improving day by day is embedded in the corporate culture

of Mercedes-Benz. Service expertise is something which grows and

develops over years. That fact is demonstrated by the example of France.

ON JULIEN CALLOUD’S DESK there is a modelof a historic Mercedes-Benz bus. Ever sinceCarl Benz built the world’s first omnibus backin 1895, the buses bearing the three-pointed starhave always come with a special sense of respon-sibility. “That’s exactly what my job is about,”states the passionately committed service man-ager of EvoBus France S.A.S. “A business rela-tionship is founded on mutual trust and confi-dence.” But how is such a foundation built?

Service is keyFor the manager, trust is based on service. “Theterm ‘service’ covers a lot,” he reflects, pushingthe model bus into the middle of his desk.

With over 600 service centres aroundEurope, premium manufacturer Mercedes-Benzoperates the continent’s largest and tightest-knit bus and coach service network. Alongsidethe company’s bus products, the concept ofservice plays a key role. There are 71 servicecentres in France alone. “While other manufac-turers in France are dramatically cutting backtheir service networks, Mercedes-Benz is

investing in providing full geographical cover-age,” Julien Calloud reports. “We are leadingthe way in terms of service.” The current totalof 71 service centres has grown up from a baseof just 11 six years ago. And it is still growing,according to the head of the French operation,reflecting a strategy aimed at assuring premi-um service to accompany a premium product.As Calloud asserts: “The EvoBus service brandOMNIplus provides the largest and most effi-cient bus-specific service network of any play-er on the French market. And the multi-levelservice network comprising BusWorlds, Bus-Ports and BusPoints delivers the right expertiseand know-how whenever and wherever it isneeded.”

In line with this categorisation, every servicecentre has to conform to specific, Europe-wideservice standards, stipulating all aspects oftheir operations, including available workshopequipment and special tools. What sounds goodin theory is in practice being continuouslyimproved in keeping with the corporate culture.Calloud goes on: “Once we had established

a truly national service network, we set aboutoptimising service quality.” This was done bymeans of systematic monitoring and ongoingtraining and qualification procedures. Allemployees working in the service network inFrance were provided with the necessary train-ing and support in order to create a genuineservice culture for buses and coaches.

The quality philosophy put into practice inFrance also entails staff being responsible fororganising and continuously improving theirown work. Conformance to standards is regu-larly monitored. “In order to utilise additionalpotential for improvement, at least two networkaudits a year are carried out,” Calloud explains.A major factor is the ability to offer a broadrange of services which are nevertheless close-ly tailored to bus operators’ needs. That is vitalwhen it comes to providing customers withcomprehensive, expert backup in all areas.

For Calloud, however, the quality of the service network does not depend only on thebackup provided, but also on how it continuesto develop and grow. Calloud states that


Omnibus 3·2010 Market and Industry 17

OMNIPLUS SERVICE NETWORK

With over 600 authorised OMNIplus service centres,

Mercedes-Benz offers the largest and tightest-knit

bus service network in Europe. The service centres

are classified according to the range of services

they offer as OMNIplus BusWorld, OMNIplus

BusPort or OMNIplus BusPoint. The base version

of the service centre, forming the heart of the

network, is the OMNIplus BusPort, which provides

bus-specific service backup meeting the high

standards underlying the OMNIplus brand. The

title of OMNIplus BusWorld, or BusWorldHome for

manufacturer-owned service centres, is awarded

to premium service centres offering an even

broader range of services. BusPoints complement

the service offer in export markets where there

are only small numbers of buses in operation. The

OMNIplus bus specialists service and repair buses

and coaches, fit original parts and accessories,

and carry out livery and paintwork jobs. All in line

with top OMNIplus standards.

Mercedes-Benz has

continually expanded its

European service network.

Today it operates over

600 service centres

across Europe – 71 of

them in France alone.

They provide customers

with comprehensive,

expert service backup.

Premium products need to be backed by premium

service: standards are set uniformly Europe-wide.

Right: checked down to the smallest detail:

is the clamp fitted properly, and is everything leak-tight?

from us”. Bus and coach sales in France havemore than doubled since the service networkwas established, and as it has grown. The ser -vice quality which Mercedes-Benz cultivates inFrance has also been a major factor in that suc-cess. “Responsibility demands commitment”,asserts Calloud, glancing down at his model ofthe world’s first ever bus. t

www.mercedes-benz.fr Photos: Martin Heying

Mercedes-Benz will continue to invest in newservice centres along France’s main trafficroutes and at major transport hubs, as well as inareas with high densities of buses in operation.

“We are looking to add more service centresto our network,” Calloud assures. “We have nointention of resting on our laurels. Customerscan give us no greater compliment than to keepcoming back and buying more and more buses


18 Market and Industry Omnibus 3·2010

A success storyHamburg’s central bus station is today more than just a place to

catch a bus. Lots of different services are provided in and

around the station, freely based on the motto:

“All under one roof.” That concept is also

reflected by the building’s architecture.


Omnibus 3·2010 Market and Industry 19

EARLY IN A MORNING and late in an evening, it’s always the same: theHamburg BusPort is always busy. There are hundreds of travellers wait-ing for the buses. People sit on suitcases, eager to head off on holiday, orvisiting friends and family. Those not waiting at the stops themselves areenjoying the comforts inside the building, and relying on the state-of-the-art info column, with its touch-screen display, or the large-format displayboard, to keep them up to the minute on all the comings and goings. Allincoming and departing buses are detailed to the minute, as are any pos-sible delays. And anyone who’s not quite so conversant with modern tech-nology can simply ask one of the travel office staff, who are happy toanswer customers’ questions as well as selling tickets.

All covered over, with lots of service facilities packed insideSomething else is strikingly apparent: the almost 300 m² glass roof – thehighly visible feature making Hamburg’s BusPort such a landmark. Theroof is an impressive 11 metres high, and appears to float above the facil-ity like a suspended sculpture. Travellers and people coming to collectthem are not only protected from the elements beneath the transparentroof, the three light and airy glazed buildings comprising the complexoffer all the services to be expected of such a state-of-the-art facility: plen-ty of shops offering sustenance or something to read for the journey, aswell as two restaurants; and a dozen or so travel agents, selling bus toursand other holiday trips to anywhere in the world. There are also modern,clean toilets of course, including a disabled facility, shower rooms andbaby-changing facilities, as well as luggage lockers and public telephones.A state-of-the-art feature that no modern-day facility of this kind can dowithout is of course an internet cafe. A car-hire office offers private mobil-ity to arriving travellers. And there are change machines and bankingfacilities at the BusPort too.

“The main service facilities are open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.,and on Wednesdays and Fridays even until midnight,” reports WolfgangMarahrens, general manager of the BusPort. The Hamburg-born qualifiedengineer regards the bus station as an all-round service facility. “The oldbus station would have been modern for its time, but it simply could nothandle new trends in long-distance bus travel especially. Fluorescenttubes flickering on the ceiling and hard bucket seats were no longer inkeeping with modern needs.” That was why the decision was taken tobuild a new bus station. After all, bus transportation is a key pillar of Ham-burg’s long-distance transport infrastructure, alongside its airport andrailway station. “The main question was what the new bus station wouldneed to offer customers,” Marahrens recalls. “Those considerations had tobe thorough and wide-ranging, because the station’s customers are notonly the travellers passing through it, but also tour operators’ guides and– most especially – the bus drivers”. The drivers and other bus companypersonnel are particularly warm in their praise of the shower facilities thenew station offers.

Bay design ensures stress-free entry and exitThe new station’s technical features are just as modern as its architectureand outfitting. Passengers can log on to the internet at home to find outwhen their bus departs, and from what bay. At the BusPort itself there areinformation columns with touch-screen displays as well as the main large-format display board pointing travellers in the right direction. “There isalso an electronic display board at each bay,” Marahrens adds. The local

bay displays indicate the current and next scheduled bus departures. Thestation general manager is particularly proud of the bay design. It is atried and proven system at many bus stations in other countries, and assuch can only be a good thing for Hamburg. Instead of parking as at a nor-mal stop, buses pull into the bay facing forwards, and reverse out whendeparting. Marahrens expands: “The key benefit is that passengers do nothave to cross a road to get to and from their bus”. The system also enablesluggage to be loaded and unloaded safely on both sides of the bus. As soonas the bus pulls out of the bay, the red lamps inset in the ground startflashing to warn vehicles behind.

The display boards announce a wide variety of European destinations,particularly in Eastern Europe. But Marahrens believes that will soon bechanging. In view of the new long-distance bus travel offers now on themarket, the BusPort general manager believes the establishment of 20 to30 new connections within Germany itself is a realistic prospect for Ham-burg alone. He is confident of being able to handle such an expansion,because the facility’s capacities are nowhere near exhaustion levels as yet.“We’ve literally got everything covered here,” Marahrens comments witha grin, “and the same goes for our capacity reserves.” t

www.zob-hamburg.de Photos: Rüdiger Schreiber

BusPort general manager

Wolfgang Marahrens:

“Everything under one

roof, and keeping a close

focus on the needs of all

users. That is our recipe

for success.”

A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR LONG-DISTANCE BUS TRAVEL

In its coalition agreement, the German Federal Government has set out proposals to

amend the law and open up the long-distance bus service market. If all goes to plan,

by the end of 2010 there will be a draft new Passenger Transport Act which will

authorise long-distance bus services to be set up with effect from August 1, 2011.

Section 13, paragraph 2, of the Act stipulates that long-distance rail travel is to be

largely protected against competition from buses. Long-distance bus services have

long been a well-established part of the transport network not only in the USA,

but also in other parts of Europe, such as Spain, the UK and Sweden. Such services

provide affordable mobility for price-conscious travellers, and open up new markets

targeting new customer groups. Some bus operators believe they can also attract

business travellers, and so are looking to offer free internet access and other

business-related facilities on-board. Other advantages are self-evident: compared

to the train, a bus journey may take a quarter longer, but it is only half as expensive.

Compared to regional rail services, buses would even be cheaper and a third faster.

Long-distance bus services are among the most environmentally friendly means of

transport, and cautious estimates predict that they might attain a market share of

over five percent.


20 Interview Omnibus 3·2010

potential to realise. That instills me with greatconfidence. I expect to see a tough battle to safe-guard limited supplies of commodities, such aslithium. The companies best able to deploy therequired raw material commodities most effi-ciently for their purposes in future will doubt-less dictate the trends. Eco-friendliness, effi-ciency, economy and availability must be com-bined to perfection.

Are the engineering issues the most impor-tant ones?Suffel: Definitely not! In urban centres, espe-cially, an integrated urban and infrastructureplanning is vital. More efficient urban publicmobility can only be attained by way of a long-term partnership between vehicle manufactur-ers, operators, and transport and town plan-ners. The objective must be to design and inte-grate local public transport services by aprocess of joint dialogue. Cost pressures, morestringent environmental requirements, finan-cial constraints on local authorities, and the

Shaping the futureAnyone who fails to keep up with current trends now will not be able to grow in future. The mega-trends being confronted

by EvoBus through Mercedes-Benz are outlined by Holger Suffel, Vice-President, Marketing, Sales and After-Sales, of

Daimler Buses and Vice-President, Sales, of EvoBus GmbH .

Mr. Suffel, what are the issues of tomorrowwhich you are already thinking about today?Holger Suffel: In order to retain a leadershiprole on international markets in future, vehi-cle manufacturers’ research and developmentactivities absolutely have to come up with sustainable innovations such as in relation tohybrid and fuel cell drives. A number of newregulations which are current already the subject of intensive debate by the competentauthorities will soon make new design conceptsessential.

With regard to green technology: how effi-cient are the alternative drive systemsalready currently available, in your view?Suffel: Measured against its 115-year historyand experience, the bus industry as a wholeis still at a very early stage of development interms of alternative drive systems. In view ofthat, it is all the more remarkable that we are infact already successfully deploying the tech-nologies concerned. But we still have a lot of

need to come up with affordable, efficient tech-nologies for the future pose major challenges toall involved. An increasingly important consid-eration will be the rating of transport solutionsbased on a balanced view of both ecologicaland economic costs and benefits. And in thatrespect the bus will in future take on a muchmore prominent role as an efficient and eco-nomical, comfortable, flexible, very safe and –above all – highly eco-friendly means of trans-portation.

Do you expect to see even more consolida-tion on the global market in future?Suffel: Yes. The competitive landscape, too, ischanging increasingly dynamically: ultimately,what will remain, apart from some local nicheproviders, will be just a small number of globalplayers. Firstly, large manufacturers from Indiaand China will continue to drive forward theirsales – especially in emerging economies –based on low prices. Secondly, more stringentcarbon and exhaust emissions legislation will


Omnibus 3·2010 Interview 21

in future pose virtually insurmountable eco-nomic and technological challenges to manysmaller manufacturers.

And how can you, as a premium manufac -turer, keep up?Suffel: The initial experience of some cus-tomers who have tried out vehicles from theFar East indicates that in future they are likelyto return to looking for absolute reliability inthe products they buy – even if they are higher-priced. Smart operators who place value inquality – and above all have a close eye on theirfleets’ life cycle costs – will sooner or later cometo a greater appreciation of the merits of high-quality products and system solutions.

And when I say system solutions, I meanthe efficient combination of vehicle quality andservice backup all from a single source, found-ed on many decades of experience.

From wide-area service network coverage,through assured parts supply, to the fleet man-agement tool.

That is to say, the professionally coordinatedinteraction of all elements essential to cost-effective, lastingly successful service backup.

How important are the passengers?Suffel: Vital. I believe the currently still under-rated image of the bus as a means of transportcan be rapidly boosted. In major urban conurba-tions especially, a new trend is emerging: nothaving a car is “in”. Among other factors, suchtrends demand attractive alternative local pub-lic transport offers. Congestion-free runningin dedicated bus lanes, ground-level access atstops and advance electronic ticketing permitfast access, fast travel and permanent bus avail-ability. Those are just a few examples of howthe attractiveness of bus travel can be greatlyenhanced. We have been pursuing such anapproach for a number of years already by wayof the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) concept. Infor-mation and entertainment – online connectionsfor e-mail and delivering news updates, forexample – is also an increasingly key factor in

travellers’ choice of transport. And there is agreat deal more scope for increasing awarenessin terms of passengers’ sense of their own worthwith regard to comfort, safety and reliability inrelation to bus travel. That starts with schoolbuses, extends into coach travel, and culmi-nates in the local public transport service.

What role will other means of transport play?Suffel: We can only meet people’s increasingmobility needs by adopting a multi-modalapproach and by making the transport systemas a whole more efficient and attractive. It is aproven fact that top-class transport services canonly be assured based on intelligent interlink-ing with other local and long-distance networks.There are some very good approaches beingadopted to that challenge around the world. Andthe BRT system in Nantes, France, demonstratesthat it is not only in mega-cities such as Istanbulthat such systems can be successfully deployed.Thank you for talking to us. t

www.daimler.com Photos: Daimler AG

Fast, congestion-free travel in dedicated bus lanes, such as in Turkey (left) is a trend which Holger Suffel (right), Vice-President, Marketing, Sales and After-Sales, of Daimler Buses

and Vice-President, Sales, of EvoBus GmbH , believes will become the norm in urban conurbations. “We have been pursuing such an approach for a number of years already by way

of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) concept”, he comments.


22 Daimler Worldwide Omnibus 3·2010

BRT – Major events as drivers of localpublic transport projectsWhat do Athens, Johannesburg – and soon Rio de Janeiro too – have in common? They have all recently hosted,

or will soon be hosting, major global events. Such events create a lasting legacy for every host city, because they

not only produce medals, ranking lists or new stadiums – for their residents, an efficient local public transport

system is a much greater concern.

The planned BRT system

in Johannesburg was only

partially completed in time

for the football World Cup.

OBM_0310_22-25_EN.qxd:22-25 16.11.2010 17:49 Uhr Seite 22

Omnibus 3·2010 Daimler Worldwide 23

WHAT IS BRT (BUS RAPID TRANSIT)?

�Dedicated BRT lanes, guaranteeing buses priority passage through traffic

�Stop platforms at bus entry level, providing unhindered, stepless entry and exit

�Prepaid ticketing to reduce stopping times

�Custom fleet management concepts tailored to demand and the needs of the city

�Optimised traffic management of BRT buses using ITS systems

� Integration into the existing transport system based on optimum interlinking of the

various transport modes

�Complete system laid out along primary axes, accessed by feeder routes

MAJOR EVENTS THRILL the masses. Whether Olympic Games, the football World Cup or anExpo – each demands an efficient, coordinated transport concept. The preconditions imposed onhost venues in order to be awarded such events are one thing; the impact of new local publictransport systems on the economic and social life of the city after the event is another.

Brazil is committing to BRTA total of 20 BRT systems, 11 bus projects entailing partial traffic prioritisation and five rail-bound solutions are planned for the 12 Brazilian cities chosen as venues for the 2014 World Cup.The total investment in these developments and for the next major global event in Brazil –the 2016 Olympic Games – will be some 45 billion Euro. Most of that investment (around 53 %)will be committed to transport: underground railway lines; upgrading of motorway networks;new city transport and traffic systems, etc. The run-down city of Rio might well see a genuinerenaissance if many of its urban problems can be solved. New underground lines, dedicated buslanes, improved security, more hotels and a reinvigorated port area are intended to make Riomore attractive. With a view to the upcoming events, Governor Sergio Cabral is looking to triplepassenger numbers using suburban light rail and underground systems from the present levelof one million a day over the next six years. A six-lane highway is being planned, as well as adedicated bus lane linking the eastern and northern districts. Dr. Eckerhart Ehrenberg from theState Institute of Social Research in Dortmund sums up the underlying thinking: “The extentto which the public at large accept and identify with major global events being hosted by their ü


24 Daimler Worldwide Omnibus 3·2010

home city is clearly linked to the legacy benefit once the event is over”.Key factors in this include improvements in quality of life with regardto public transport, clean air and leisure facilities.

Rio de Janeiro has already felt the positive effects of such major eventsfrom its hosting of the Panamerican Games in 2007. However, a key les-son of that experience was that hosting such events is not just aboutproviding the necessary investment; there also has to be public trans-parency with regard to how funds are being spent. Brazil has learntfrom that experience in its preparations for the World Cup, and is pro-viding the general public with extensive information on the plannedinvestments well in advance. Previous hosts of World Cups and OlympicGames have also profited from the boost they deliver: the public trans-port system in Athens, for example, was completely revitalised. Bothforms of transportation – the metro and the bus network – played amajor role in relieving traffic congestion around the city. By contrast,the outcome in South Africa was much more modest than expected.The planned BRT system in Johannesburg was only partially completedin time for the football World Cup.

BRT means thinking in terms of solutionsAn intact, well developed local public transport system is one of theessential prerequisites for growth, and also offers a means of counter-acting the steady rise in urban pollution from car emissions. “BRT isabout much more than just buses. It is about effective and efficientmobility concepts and, ultimately, about enhancing quality of life”,explains Holger Suffel, head of Marketing, Sales & Aftersales withDaimler Buses. Major events are often merely the catalyst for innova-tive mobility concepts such as BRT. They do demonstrate clearly, how-ever, that cities which actively confront the question of how publictransport needs to be organised in future in order to safeguard qualityof life and deliver growth will profit in the medium to long term. “Experience gained in other countries enables us to develop tailoredsolutions for BRT systems in line with specific requirements. Our activities in this field are only just beginning, but the rapidly risingdemand instills me with confidence,” Holger Suffel concludes.

The benchmark was set back in 1974There are indeed many BRT solutions which have been establishedindependently of major event hosting. The world’s first BRT system –and the most widely studied example of urban development sparked bynew and upgraded transport systems – is Curitiba in Brazil, as head ofBRT in Latin America Gustavo Nogueira affirms. Having been runningsuccessfully for almost 40 years, the system today carries more than2.5 million passengers a day. That makes the Curitiba BRT system oneof the most efficient in the world. In view of that long-standing success,and based on our extensive specialist know-how, we are providing valu-able advice and support to the World Cup host venues in finding andimplementing solutions. The close interchange between Daimler Busesand the parties involved in planning BRT systems was intensified thisyear by a BRT seminar held during the Show Bus 2010 event in Campinas,Brazil. Among the 2,000 customers, representatives of public agencies,transport operators, vehicle body manufacturers and suppliers werealso respected BRT experts such as Jaime Lerner, Mayor of the city of

Quick and easy access: entry-level platforms or automatically deploying steps

mean disabled passengers also have unhindered access.

Separate, dedicated lanes are a fundamental aspect of the BRT concept.

The TransMilenio BRT system in Bogotá clearly demonstrates how this

can ease traffic congestion.


Omnibus 3·2010 Daimler Worldwide 25

Curitiba and co-founder of its BRT system, and Victor Raul, Presidentof UITP Latin America and Chief Executive of TransMilenio in Bogotá,Colombia. Stefan Sahlmann, Daimler Buses head of BRT Team, Design,maintains close links with his regional BRT colleagues at Mercedes-Benzdo Brasil. The most recent visit of the ‘Green Mobility Brazil’ delegationto Germany was focused on knowledge transfer. As well as touring theMercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim, the delegation attended pre-sentations on BRT solutions and received extensive advice from theDaimler Buses global BRT team.

Bogotá: more public transport – better quality of lifeThe TransMilenio BRT system completed in the year 2000 in Bogotá,Colombia, is a shining example of a successful transport solution, andas such is in many ways a benchmark for implementing such systems.The entire city has profited from improved, and now eco-friendly,mobility. The BRT system has delivered an enormous boost to every-one’s quality of life. By transferring much of its car traffic to local pub-lic transport services, Bogotá has substantially relieved traffic conges-tion. Apart from conserving resources, that means fewer accidents andless dust, noise and pollution. It has also enabled pedestrians and

WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF BRT SYSTEMS?

� Major cost advantages over other transport modes offering

comparable capacity

� Environmentally friendly, thanks to high efficiency

� Rapid implementation compared to rail-bound solutions

� Flexible adaptation to rush-hour volumes and high degree

of system customisation

The buses run around city centres according to flexibly adaptable timetables. As a result, optimum transport service is guaranteed at all times and buses never run empty.

The BRT system in São Paulo is called “Expresso Tiradentes”. The system’s major public transport hubs feature separate access routes to the individual buses and also enable

quick transfer to other transport modes.

cyclists to reclaim the streets. The BRT system in Bogotá demonstratesthat a well-run local public transport system can be implemented evenwithout hosting a major global event. There is no doubt, however,that such events often serve as a driving force – a prospect that will behighly beneficial for the future of Brazil, in particular. t

www.mercedes-benz.com/brt Photos: action press, Mercedes-Benz


Self-help for bus expertsOMNIplus offers highly effective WorkshopTraining courses to bus and coach operators and public transport corporations

at three OMNIplus training centres as well as on-site at customers’ locations. Mobility service provider BOGESTRA also

makes use of the offer.

BUS OPERATORS AND DRIVERS are never afraid to get their handsdirty. When an oil change is due, if the clutch is grinding or the air-con-ditioning fails, bus experts will often know how to help themselves.

To assist in carrying out repairs and servicing work quickly and economically at customers’ in-house workshops, OMNIplus, the Mercedes-Benz service brand, offers highly effective WorkshopTrain-ing courses. These are specially tailored to operators in the local publictransport and coach tour sectors, as well as to drivers and service

26 Service Omnibus 3·2010

personnel. The specialist courses cover all aspects of the necessaryknow-how, from electrics and engine/transmission components to suspension and comfort systems. OMNIplus WorkshopTraining coursesare held in Mannheim, Dortmund or Ulm. OMNIplus also operates ded-icated training centres in 16 other countries, providing on-site trainingin all those locations too. The offer is also utilised by Bochum andGelsenkirchen district public transport corporation BOGESTRA for itsworkshop staff. Bernd Sommer, vehicle training manager, explains

OMNIplus always conducts training based on the latest

vehicle models. Professional trainers teach in a

challenging, highly motivational climate.


Omnibus 3·2010 Service 27

why: “We found that – compared to other vendors – the OMNIplus train-ing courses were ideally suited to our vehicles and to the level of exist-ing know-how of our staff.” Also, the trainers take into account the on-site workshop facilities available, using the actual diagnostic andservice equipment to hand in presenting their tutorials. And BerndSommer has discovered a further benefit of the CMT customised train-ing programme: “The needs-based content not only saves us time, itsaves money too. There are no overnight accommodation, additionaltraining or travel expenses to pay.”

Effective training based on accurate assessment of abilityBut Udo Mache, Service Training Manager , is well aware that this con-cept only works if all participants are accurately assessed in terms oftheir existing capabilities: “Otherwise some will find it boring, while oth-ers will be overstretched. Either way: no one learns anything.” Mache hasexperience in conducting numerous training courses himself all over the world. OMNIplus WorkshopTraining courses are clas-sified as “Fundamental”, “Professional” and“Master”, in ascending order of qualification:� The Fundamental level establishes a basic

know-how.� Professional level courses build on the

basics learned and focus on specific topics.� The Master courses are intended for high-

level specialists.Online tests help to identify existing know-howlevels and so determine which class of coursea participant should undergo. Workshop fore-men, technicians or apprentices, or service personnel, can log on to the TrainingPortal atwww.training.omniplus.de to book an onlinetest in the desired discipline. They are provid-ed with a personalised user name and pass-word to access the facility. Once the test has

been passed, participants are provided with their assessments and arecommendation as to the course they should undertake. “The greatthing about the test system also is that it allows people to start at anylevel,” Mache explains. So if someone cruises through, answering allthe questions perfectly, they can start their course immediately at theProfessional level.

The Virtual Classroom facility is also a help to those starting at higher levels. After a period of self-study using brochures and books,they can get together with other course participants online on theLearning Platform. There they work with a trainer, who answers alltheir substantive questions, sets them new tasks and encourages themto interchange ideas among themselves. This means the material istaught in a personalised manner, wherever the individual participantsmay be.

But the quality of a training provider is not just about what it does,and where, it is also about how the training is conducted. Expert UdoMache explains: “The number of people on each course varies,

according to the topic, between eight and amaximum of 14 for theory classes. What weaim to deliver is intensive teaching, not cost-intensive services for the participants.” OMNIplus has learned its trade based onyears of experience in the field, and specifical-ly in direct collaboration with manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. That strong partner at its sidealso enables OMNIplus always to deploy thelatest bus models on its training courses.

And if the bus happens to have any prob-lems along the way, OMNIplus can help sortthat too. With over 600 bus-specific servicecentres and a professional parts supply system, the service brand is on hand locallywherever it is needed, Europe-wide. t

www.omniplus.de Photos: OMNIplus

OMNIplus operates its own training centres in 17 countries. It trainers are multilingual

and are highly qualified in their subjects and in all applicable teaching techniques.

On-site training courses are very popular with customers, because they are based on

existing vehicle models and use available workshop equipment.

HOW TO BOOK AN OMNIplusWORKSHOPTRAINING COURSE:

Variant 1: Visit www.training.omniplus.de to

find out about all the courses on offer, locations

and timetables. Click a link on the page to access

the TrainingPortal, from which courses can be

selected from a pick list. Training courses can

also be booked online.

Variant 2: Renate Pfetsch, on +49 731 181-21 89,

will be pleased to answer any questions you may

have, to provide information on the structure and

content of courses, and to accept bookings.


28 Service Omnibus 3·2010

Costs in focusCapital servicing, workshop repairs, fuel consumption, fleet management: bus operators

have to calculate life-cycle costs just as closely as the actual price of acquiring a vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz helps to keep life-cycle costs down.


Omnibus 3·2010 Service 29

THERE ARE unavoidable costs. Such as fleetmaintenance. Fuel consumption as well asworkshop repairs and servicing are major costfactors. But it is the life-cycle costs which ulti-mately determine just how economical a vehicleis. Mercedes-Benz takes all life-cycle cost factorsinto account, as a closer look at bus productionoperations at the Evobus plant in Mannheimreveals: a sophisticated quality managementconcept assures high standards of manufactur-ing. In conjunction with innovative engine technology, this is vital in keeping life-cyclecosts to a minimum.

Buses are genuinely hand-crafted products“The challenge of bus and coach production is tocombine state-of-the-art mass production withthe ability to deliver highly individualised

ve hicles,” states Jürgen Birkmeyer, qualityengineer with EvoBus GmbH in Mannheim.“Quality control and assembly processes mustbe carefully coordinated and be consistentlyapplied to all vehicle types,” Birkmeyer goes on.Whether a coach or scheduled service bus, alow-floor model or articulated bus – the qualitymanagement concept must cover them all. Italso has to incorporate all the different drivesystems (diesel, natural gas, fuel cell, hybrid),as well as custom outfitting options. Buses aremanufactured to order, with each one being fitted out to the customer’s specification.

This poses major challenges to the craft skillsemployed in the assembly process, which mustbe effectively monitored and controlled by thequality procedures. One fundamental methodemployed in achieving this is the concept of“quality gates”. In practice, this means thatquality control is implemented throughout the

various stages of the production process, andnot just at the end. The vehicles must passthrough virtual “gates” at pre-determined inter-vals in their production.

All assembly staff share responsibility forquality in their respective work segments. Thispractice of self-monitoring is the first qualitycontrol stage, or loop, involving checks by theoperatives themselves. At the second – the quali ty gate – a “gate-keeper” checks the resultof the production stage which has just beencompleted to ensure all required work has beendone to the correct standards. At the end of theproduction line the buses are checked onceagain by Quality Assurance in a third qualitycontrol loop, based on defined function groups(running gear, electrics, etc.). This stage alsoincorporates dynamic testing, whereby thebuses are put through their paces under realconditions. The interaction of the individualquality control loops assures the high quality ofthe vehicles.

Quality Assurance also conducts randomaudits of individual vehicles. This involves sub-jecting the finished bus to intensive scrutiny.This check focuses on the question: “How wouldthe customer judge the vehicle?” The QualityAssurance function performs other inproduc-tion roles (including assuring the quality of purchased parts for example) as part of the overall concept.

Quality is a key consideration right from thestart of development of a new bus. QualityAssurance staff are involved in the Simultane-ous Engineering process for all new models,from the concept phase through to productionmaturity. Complete vehicles and componentsare subjected to intensive testing based on mod-

elling and prototyping. The object is to ensurethat the standards of quality required to meetcustomers’ operational needs are fully attained.In the case of a new model start-up, all the work-stations planned for the production line are simulated in real production operations, witheach process being repeatedly run through andoptimised. This results in standardised assem-bly processes which deliver consistently highproduct quality in subsequent production.

Special inductionThe high demands placed on the bus assemblypersonnel make it necessary for them to under-go special induction procedures in addition totheir thorough training. New employees areintegrated onto the line by means of a mentor-ing concept. This involves experienced colleagues teaching them the job in a direct,hands-on way, so all staff staff develop the necessary skills and knowledge to handle thework practices within their particular assemblygroup. Any errors are caught by the group’squality gate and returned for rectification. Thisis beneficial to the indi vidual employees, whoundergo continuous improvement, and alsooptimises the production process as a whole,based on the idea: mistakes can happen; ifsomething goes wrong, it goes wrong – and isput right – here, not when the bus is being usedby the customer. Customers can then beassured that the high quality standards of Mercedes-Benz buses will minimise the needfor workshop repairs. Though of course, if theyare needed at any time, they too will be carriedout based on the same stringent quality controlprocedures. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photos: Martin Heying

Every bus that rolls off the production line has

undergone a whole series of tests. The staff assigned

to carry out that vital stage of post-production must

be specially trained and qualified. A team of 100

is responsible for testing at the Mannheim plant.

Because quality saves customers money.


30 The Company and its People Omnibus 3·2010


Omnibus 3·2010 The Company and its People 31

An addictive sportThe basic idea underlying golf is really very simple of course: hit a ball

with a club towards a hole – that might be 100, or maybe 500, yards away –

and get it in the hole using as few shots as possible. Do that around 18 holes,

taking fewer shots than anyone else, and win. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

AND YET: Golf is a highly complex and difficult game to master. The complicated motion of a golfswing brings into play about 80 different muscles. Perfecting that coordination, targeting thewhole body’s movement onto a tiny point of impact – the ball – is one of the challenges whichmakes golf so fascinating. Fascinating or addictive? Golfers mostly avoid the question, preferringinstead to keep on practising, searching for that perfect swing. The annual MercedesTrophy offersgolfers the opportunity to pit their skills against others who share their passion. And of course,what can be more fun than sharing your hobby with others who love it too?

The tournamentMore than 57,000 golfers in over 50 countries take part in the MercedesTrophy every year. All of them are customers and friends of Mercedes-Benz. The MercedesTrophy is an exclusivegolf tournament series which helps to maintain and strengthen existing business relationships.Within what is probably the world’s largest customer series, customers of Mercedes-Benz Busesand Coaches have a tournament all of their own. Their aim: to qualify for the MercedesTrophyWorldFinal in Stuttgart.

The international series involves three levels of tournament golf. The first stage is an invita-tion tournament at local level, offering the chance to qualify for a national or regional final. ü


32 The Company and its People Omnibus 3·2010

The culmination of the entire series is the World Final, traditionallyheld at the “birthplace of the automobile”, around Stuttgart. After all,tradition is a commitment that has to be sustained.

The World Final features players who qualified by winning the finalsin their respective countries or regions. The international character ofthe MercedesTrophy is demonstrated most clearly by the people whocompete in it: every year, the Stuttgart final attracts golfers from over50 different nations.

In good companyIt is not only the course which makes the MercedesTrophy so appealingto golfers. It is also the history behind the event; the several hours’healthy exercise; the tournament competition; and of course, above all,the sense of belong to a growing global group. It was back in 1989 thatMercedes-Benz began hosting a series of tournaments for amateurs atnational level in conjunction with the German Golf Association (DGV).In 1991 the event was modified to become a competition for customersand friends of the company, and renamed: the MercedesTrophy wasborn. The series has since grown into an event which is spread acrossevery continent. Nevertheless, its charm lies very much in the fact thatit focuses on amateur golfers.

The competitors travelled to the prestigious tournament in appropriate style, on-board an exclusive four-star Travego. The Winner is: Winfried Heckt, with winners Uwe Marx,

Gerdi Gerlach, Carsten Pülm and Thomas Unholzer (from left).

More important than life and death“It’s a real experience just taking part,” comments Thomas Zeiler, a busoperator from Munich. He is thoroughly enjoying the unique atmos-phere at the Seddiner See course near Potsdam, which is hosting the2010 MercedesTrophy “Bus Day”. “It’s all perfectly organised, and there’splenty of time for the social side alongside the golf. And I have to say,we don’t just talk about buses either!” It’s as the Scots tend to say: Golfis not a matter of life and death – it’s more important than that.

By the time the evening comes around, the competitors are all tooaware that the old prejudice about golf not being a proper sport cannotbe true. Over the last four hours – the average time taken for a roundat the Seddiner See course – each one of them will have walked morethan 8 kilometres, swung anywhere between 100 and 200 times, andburned off around 1,200 calories. Those attending the event but notcompeting are also well catered for. They have the chance to get a fewlessons from European Senior Tour player and former World Cup winner Torsten Giedeon, together with the great Bernhard Langer. Sowho knows, maybe they will be back next year competing themselvesin the 2011 MercedesTrophy. After all, it’s quite easy: all they have todo is put the ball in the hole 18 times. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photos: Daimler


A MINI-LEXICON OF GOLF:

Caddy: The person who carries the player’s golf bag.

Dead: A ball is deemed to be “dead” at the flagwhen it has come so close to the hole that the nextshot is certain to see it sunk.

Driving range: Practice area next to the course.

Fore: Warning cry yelled whenever a shot poses ahazard to other players or spectators.

Girly shot: Slang term for a weak shot by a maleplayer, whereby the ball does not even get beyondthe shortest ladies’ tee. Anyone playing a “girlyshot” usually stands a round of drinks for theother players in the clubhouse afterwards.

Green: The green is the short-mown lawn-like area.The hole, with the flag in it, is located on the green.

Greenkeeper: The specialist responsible for maintaining the golf course.

Hacker: A bad golfer (someone who hacks aroundin the grass more than hitting the ball).

Handicap: A player’s handicap indicates his orher standard. The lower the handicap, the betterthe golfer. The handicap is the number of shotsover par in which a player might be expected tocomplete a round.

Hole-in-one: Tee shot which goes straight in thehole.

Honour: The right to tee-off first. At the firsttee this is granted to the player with the lowesthandicap; subsequently the player who shot thelowest score on the last hole.

Nineteenth hole: The clubhouse (usually the nextport of call after completing the 18th).

Pitch: A short, high approach shot towards theflag.

Platzreife (permit): A kind of licence required bygolfers in Germany to play any course. To obtainsuch a permit, players must convince the club professional that they are competent in the basicsof golf (in practice and in theory).

Rabbit: Term for a golf beginner who hacks aroundthe course, zigzagging back and forth like a rabbit.

Spin: Rotating the ball around its own axis (maybe a fade or a draw shot, depending on direction).

Tee (I): The place from which the first shot isplayed on each hole. Gentlemen generally tee-offfrom the yellow or white markers, and ladies andjuniors from the red or black.

Tee (II): A tee is not only the term for where eachhole is started, but also a small peg, made of woodor plastic, which is planted in the ground and onwhich the ball can be placed (teed-up). This smallelevation makes the ball easier to hit. Teeing-up isonly allowed when playing the first shot on a hole.

Underhit: A shot which fails to go the desired distance.

Waggle: A motion executed by players when positioning themselves prior to making a shot inorder to loosen up their muscles, or perhapsmerely as a ritual, to ensure a smoother swing.


34 Destinations Omnibus 3·2010

A mining town rejuvenatedEssen is the designated European Capital

of Culture 2010. Essen? Yes, that’s right.

In fact, this location in the heart of the

industrial Ruhr region has more charms

than many people might suspect. A visit

to a changing and hugely interesting city.


Omnibus 3·2010 Destinations 35

ü

ESSEN: A CITY characterised by coal and steel; by hard work and solidarity. And nevertheless,it has been awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2010. The honour is all down to theefforts of the Ruhr regional authorities. It was they who elected to throw Essen’s hat into the ring.In a region comprising 53 towns and cities, with a population of 5.3 million people, it was not anautomatic choice. The North Rhine-Westphalia cities of Cologne and Münster had also expressedinterest in bidding for the title. To resolve the issue, the state’s Minister of Culture, Michael Vesper,set up a commission to visit all three cities and check out their cultural highlights. Their votescame out clearly in favour of Essen.

There then followed a battle at national level within Germany. In that contest, too, Essen sweptaside a number of leading cities, including such cultural hotspots as Potsdam, Karlsruhe, Regensburg, Bremen and Lübeck – cities which could easily have taken on the mantle, and indeedwould have merited it. Yet once again, the decision was clear.

“We were complete outsiders,” recalls Ulrike Vetter, Essen’s Press and Public Relations officer.“Initially the national media totally ignored us. Later the reaction was one of disdain.” Indeed, fewcould imagine a city of such industrial grime being awarded such a prestigious cultural honour.Even jury member Adolf Muschg, president of the Academy of Arts in Berlin in 2006 and a high-ranking cultural ambassador, subsequently apologised publicly for his reservations concerningEssen by way of a lengthy article in the weekly “Die Zeit”. He had at one point given the Ruhr nochance, and his team of experts had been in no doubt that such a dirty industrial heartland couldnever become a capital of culture. Today Muschg says: “The former coalfield is no longer cough-ing up dust; it is breathing the future.” It really is the case that Essen’s problem is one of imagerather than of substance. So from 2007 through to the end of 2009 that image had to be reshapedand burnished. After all, Essen was once a centre of the iron and steel industry in Germany.

Essen was long ruled by noble womenLike many other towns and cities in the Ruhr, Essen is undergoing a difficult and bitter process ofstructural change. The heavy industries which still dominate the consciousness of everyone livingin Essen were actually a feature of the city for “just” 150 years of its history. The structural character of the city began to change after the Second World War. The famous Alfred Krupp steel-works had been partially destroyed in the war, and the rest was subsequently dismantled. Inplace of steel, coal became king, as a major fuel for Germany’s post-war reconstruction. The gradual ending of that reconstruction phase in the late 1950s saw the first pits close down. Global trade was slowly but surely getting back into gear, and imported coal was becoming cheaper. The last Essen coal mine to close was the “Zollverein” pit in 1986. Today it is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. It is solely the dewatering system which keeps the wheels above the pit inmotion. The reason is that former operator Ruhrkohle AG – today partially embodied in succes-sor companies Evonik and RAG – has an ongoing obligation, for all time, to ensure that no waterincursion occurs and to keep pumping water out of the pits. Any such incursion might destabilisethe huge underground “mole tunnels” and cause land and buildings to subside. Appropriately, thecosts of this operation are designated “eternity costs”. The coking plant shut down in 1993. Therewas no longer a need for its coke – processed from coal – as a fuel for steel production.

Essen’s foundations stretch far back. The present city was established in 852 as a nunnery, andfor some 1,000 years the place was ruled by women – to be precise, by nuns, raised up to nobilityand designated as Princess-Abbesses. Their influence, power and wealth has meant that Essenstill today has some of the most significant ecclesiastical treasures in Europe. Essen’s Minsterincludes what is the oldest fully sculptural Madonna figure in the western world. It is a real treasure trove for anyone interested in church heritage.


36 Destinations Omnibus 3·2010

founded the famous Folkwang collection – thefirst museum of contemporary art in Germany.His philosophy was that art should not be elitist; in fact, that that would be contrary to itstrue function. He believed that art had to bepresent wherever hard physical labour wasbeing done – as a counterweight, or balance,so to speak.

After Osthaus’s death, the city of Hagen puthis collection up for sale, and the wealthy Essenimmediately took its chance. That wealth wasfounded on the contributions of a large numberof local industrialists who established an artsociety. Its members included Alfred Kruppand Friedrich Grillo. It was the latter benefac-tor who funded the construction of the GrilloTheatre – today one of the oldest theatres inthe Ruhr region. The Hagen purchase greatlyexpanded the collection of Essen‘s existing ArtMuseum. On a visit to what was now knownas the Folkwang Museum in 1932, Paul Sachs,co-founder of the Museum of Modern Art inNew York, described it as “the finest museumin the world”.

Sadly, the Nazis had little time for what theycalled “degenerate” art. When the new regime

came to power, some 1,400 pieces from theFolkwang collection were either destroyed orsold off. Some of those pieces are on temporaryshow in Essen this year. Large numbers ofmuseums from all over the world have loanedart works which they acquired at the time ofthe sell-off. Today the museum’s administra-tion is supervised by 96-year-old Bertold Beitz,chairman of the Alfred Krupp von Bohlen undHalbach Foundation, who donated the Museum– worth some 55 million euro – to the city ofEssen.

Another major sightseeing recommendationis the Ruhr Museum at the Zollverein site. Itis built-in to the former coal-washing plant –a machine in which the coal is separated fromthe rock by being transported from top to bottom by conveyor belts. Today’s visitors tothe museum undergo the same journey as thecoal back then. That they come out cleaner atthe bottom is just a rumour.

A further highlight is the Aalto Theatre. Theopera house, opened in 1988, was voted in apoll of 50 independent critics as the best operahouse in the German-speaking world, and in2008 was elected “Opera House of the Year”.

Just down the road from Essen: the Gasometer

in Oberhausen, constructed in the late 1920s,

is a reminder of the region’s heavy industrial past.

The region’s standing was boosted by theestablishment of a Duchy in the Werden district– nowadays a suburb of Essen. Werden was amale-dominated realm, and one of the features of its Ducal Abbey was the “Musica enchiriades” – the oldest surviving writtendocumentation of polyphonic music in Europe.It formed the basis for all subsequent develop-ments in polyphonic music.

A cultural groundbreakerThe process of change in Essen has not beenunderway merely for the last 30 years. In 1892,industrialist Friedrich Grillo donated to thecity of Essen the first municipal theatre in Germany. And in the early years of the last cen-tury there were a number of quite revolu -tionary developments in the city. The Folkwang School was established for example,featuring the dance class of Kurt Jooss who, inconjunction with Merry Wigman, invented andestablished modern expressive dance. It is aform considered to be the origin of dance theatre. In the 1920s Essen saw the creation ofa centre for modern art, funded primarily byindustrialists. In Hagen, Karl Ernst Osthaus


Omnibus 3·2010 Destinations 37

Essen’s first theatre and opera house

was donated to the city by industrialist

Friedrich Grillo in 1888. After the war

it was rebuilt with a simplified facade.

The Villa Hügel, built in 1873 for industrialist

Alfred Krupp, is the former official residence

and private home of the Krupp family,

situated within a 28 hectare park (left).

Creativity is boomingSustainability is in demand. And Essen’s nomination as Capital of Culture has deliveredsome positive momentum. Essen sees genuineprospects in culture as a driver of economicgrowth. For good reason: even in the crisisyears of 2008 and 2009, the creative industriesboomed. That boom has been sustained, andgives grounds for plenty of optimism. It appearsthat people really do need more cheering-upwhen things are not going so well economi -cally.

The cultural sphere not only encompassesmusicals and museums, but also film produc-ers, publishers, computer game developers,event hosting companies and advertising agencies, all of whom are profiting from thenew trend, and helping to cut what are stillhigh levels of unemployment in the area. The discernible increase in tourist numbers andthe boost to the hotel and catering sector is anoptimistic sign of the Ruhr’s potential forgrowth. Ulrike Vetter comments: “Touristenquiries are up 130 %. The number of citysightseeing tours has increased accordingly –from around five a week to five a day”. Guided

tours are booked up many months in advance.And the Ruhr is also adopting novel ways ofchanging its image. One example of that wasthe A40 still-life project. On July 18, 2010,along a 60 kilometre stretch of the A40 motor-way, a “culture zone” was established betweenthe cities of Duisburg and Dortmund. 20,000tables were hired out to clubs, societies, cultural organisations and the like. Eachexhibitor then had the opportunity to place itsorganisation and the work it does on show.Whether singing, drama, presenting extractsfrom their arts programmes: no limits wereplaced on creativity. Ulrike Vetter goes on: “Thecultural landscape has only just recently started to really blossom. And of course, thisrelatively new business sector will not be ableto replace the historic heavy industries of steeland coal. But its success to date gives groundsfor great hope.”

Now everyone is pulling in the same directionWhat will definitely be retained beyond 2010will be the many new and effective networkswhich have been created at a wide variety oflevels. Cultural representatives from different

areas are now starting to get together to discuss and exchange projects and plans. People who previously had no contact witheach other are linking up.

The region is strong when it works to gether: firstly, in formulating offers whichenable money to be saved; and secondly, inattracting more visitor interest. The Capital ofCulture award has created a positive climateand engendered a can-do spirit which mightwell have a positive influence on business decision- making too.

There have been quite a few developmentsin terms of infrastructure too: after 15 years,the city’s run-down central railway station was finally renovated in early 2010; the development of the most important Jewish synagogue in Germany into a cultural centre isprogressing; and the redevelopment of the university quarter is also well underway. Coincidence? No, because lots of urban development projects have been instigated as aresult of Essen’s nomination, and others willfollow. It is a positive trend, and one well worthcoming and taking a look at. t

www.essen.de Photos: City of Essen


38 Travel tip Omnibus 3·2010

A legendary delight: “Pastel deBelém”. The traditional pastry,

which has been on sales at the “CasaPastéis de Belém” since 1837, is thoughtto have been created by the monks ofthe Mosteiro dos Jerónimos monasteryin Belém.www.pasteisdebelem.pt

Birdwatching is another popularpastime in and around Lisbon.

A more than 14,000 hectare reservehalf an hour’s drive out of town offersan opportunity to see many differentspecies.www.birds.pt

What special attractions doesa city built on hills have to offer?

That’s right: spectacular views. Visitorslooking to soak up the panorama whileenjoying Argentinian specialities shouldtry out the restaurant “La Paparrucha”.Its meat dishes are particularlyrecommended.www.lapaparrucha.com

The figures speak for them -selves: the Oceanário, opened

in 1998 to coincide with the World Expo,attracts over one million visitors a year.It presents the fascinating world of theocean, from shells to sharks.www.oceanario.pt

Languid beauty on the Tejo

w

w

w

w

In 1995 UNESCO declaredthe cultural landscape of Sintra,

not far from the centre of Lisbon, a World Heritage Site. And rightly so,as those who have seen the ruinedcastle of Castelo dos Mouros can testify.www.parquesdesintra.pt

w

Lisbon

Lisbon, like Rome, is built on seven hills. But the Portuguese capital on the shoresof the Tejo offers many highlights of its own which make it unique and well wortha visit (or indeed several).

“Bem-vindo a Lisboa!” – Welcome to

Lisbon, the city of languid, soulful music.

But even if you are not interested in

“fado” (lat.: fatum = fate), there’s plenty

to do and see. A walk along the beach

at Belém for example, from where

Vasco da Gama set off in search of

the sea route to India in 1497, provides

a hint of the eventful thousand-year

history of the city. The “Parque das

Nações” on the site of the Expo 1998,

will bring you right back up to the

present. From there, you have a splendid

view of the 17 kilometre long Ponte

Vasco da Gama, Europe’s longest bridge.

By then you’re sure to have become

a fado fan ...Photos: Theresia Gläser


Smooth powerThanks to PowerShift, even tricky manoeuvres in challenging environments are no longer a problem.

“THE RAPID GEAR-SHIFT, which despite its quick action is very pas senger-friendly, is a major plus,” was how many PowerShift testersappraised the new transmission on its market launch back in the Springof 2009. The terrain chosen by Daimler to test its new transmission wasthe Harz mountains region. With its many bends, and plenty of ups anddowns, it was the ideal environment in which to separate the wheatfrom the chaff. So the testers’ high praise is all the more remarkable:“PowerShift assists the driver without taking away his sense of control.The intelligent shift strategymeans even tricky manoeuvresare no longer a problem.” Asopposed to its competitors, indeveloping the automated trans-mission Daimler did not relyon an adapted truck box, butinstead developed a dedicatedbus unit. While retaining thesmall size of the six-speed man-ual gearbox, the developers suc-ceeded in producing a compactautomatic unit with a light alu-minium housing. PowerShiftworks without a clutch pedal, and its wide range allows it to smoothlyhandle any commonly encountered bus operations: from tight manoeuvring to economical motorway cruising. The overdrive design, inconjunction with the new, long rear axle transmission ratio, allows formoderate engine speeds.

Compared to other transmissions, the GO 240-8 PowerShift’s shiftingis progressive. That means pick-up on acceleration is very assured whatever the size of engine, plenty of power is transmitted to the road,and lots of engine torque is provided when shifting down on uphillstretches. In contrast to a truck box, the unit is designed not to skip anygear. Start-up on the flat is always effected in second gear. A wide rangeof sensors aid transmission control, ensuring that the optimum gear andshift point are always found.

“When driving an automated box for the first time, or if you are familiar with competitors’ units, you tend to have reservations about theshift speed,” commented one skeptic. “But by the end I had to admit thatthe shift delay with the GO 240-8 really is very short!” That is an

Omnibus 3·2010 Drive In 39

With its GO 240-8 PowerShift automated gearbox, Daimler is the only manufacturer to date

to have brought out an automatic transmission optimised specially for buses. Its advantages

include added comfort, greater fuel economy, lighter weight and ease of use.

impression confirmed by objective measurements. Even under fullacceleration, passengers notice virtually nothing when the vehicle ischanging gear. “The bus does not jerk or discernibly slow on shifting,and it also remains very quiet,” one PowerShift professional sums up.

How well the new automated transmission works is demonstrated ona steep uphill hairpin bend. In spite of the control system electing tochange down in mid-bend, the bus handles the tight manoeuvre smooth-ly thanks to its transmission’s extremely high shift speed. Experienced

bus drivers avoid such margin-al situations by changing down manually beforehand. PowerShift is ideally equippedto handle that too. A push on the ergonomically positioned dash-mounted gear stick switch-es the transmission to manualmode. The driver can thenchange up or down by tappingthe gear stick forward or back.

There is no possibility of error,as PowerShift does not executeany gear-shifts which would

result in excessively high or too low engine speeds. The central displayindicates the engaged gear. Incidentally, the driver does not generallyhave to switch to manual mode to change gear. It is also possible whilestill in automatic mode. When the gear is changed manually while inautomatic mode, PowerShift subsequently resumes control of the system. After over a year in practice on the market, users affirm that theautomated transmission is a major aid to the driver. They report that itscontinual adjustment of engine speeds, more sustained power feed andsmooth gear-shift, helping to preserve the clutch, delivers significantreductions in consumption and leads to less wear. The transmission isalso praised for being somewhat quieter.

Over 20 years’ experience in automated transmissions is paying dividends for Daimler. PowerShift delivers major advantages in terms of economy and ride comfort. The interior layout and classification according to the “Gütegemeinschaft Buskomfort” standard are alsoretained for example. t

www.mercedes-benz.com Photo: Daimler


Germany drives M

ercedes.M

AN, that’s something to be jealous about.

Mercedes-Benz Travego.

A Daimler Brand

280x215_Travego_Om

nibusMag_G

B.indd 1280x215_Travego_O

mnibusM

ag_GB.indd 1

18.10.10 15:4918.10.10 15:49

mercedes-benz december 2010 · pdf fileand mercedes-benz citaro had previously al-ready been...

Documents