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WOODSTONES TAKE FOURTH GENERATION OF
70 SEAT
PROFILES
Woodstones Coaches has been operating since
1957 in Kidderminster, moving to modern purpose built premises on
Hoo Farm Industrial Estate in 1983. The Profiles are engaged
on a variety of school contract and private hire work across the
West Midlands. The company policy is to replace a third of the
fleet every year and the well maintained low mileage three year
old vehicles are popular on the secondhand market. The first
seventy seat Profiles arrived in 1998 and were replaced by Volvo
based examples in 2003, 2006 and now 2009, making the new coaches
the fourth generation of the model to serve the company.
Two new DDA compliant Plaxton Profile
bodied Volvo B7Rs have replaced similar three year old vehicles in
the Woodstones Coaches of Kidderminster fleet, a fleet composed
entirely of this successful body and chassis combination. Managing
Director Richard Meredith sees no reason to change his choice of
vehicles, ‘We are very happy with the Profile/B7R combination,
it’s a sound reliable product with excellent support from
Plaxton and Volvo.’
Supplied by Volvo Coach Sales at Loughborough,
the latest vehicles feature 70 Phoenix Balmoral seats in 3+2
format, six of which are demountable to accommodate a single
wheelchair loaded via the nearside mounted PLS cassette lift. All
seats are fitted with three point belts and the coaches are
equipped with Hanover displays all around. In addition to
different contrasting colours for the handrails, further
individuality has been added to the vehicles with one being
trimmed in dark red and the other in shades of grey.
Customer entertainment is provided by a radio/CD/PA system and
their safety is promoted by an Autosound CCTV system with
internal, external and reversing cameras.
Mechanically, the rear engined Volvo B7R
chassis features a 290hp D7E-290 Euro 4 engine employing SCR
technology and ZF six speed automatic gearbox together with disc
brakes all around. The combination of an effective retarder and
careful experienced drivers has meant that similar vehicles have
left the fleet after three years with their original brake pads
still serviceable. Externally, the new Profiles carry
Woodstones Coaches’ vibrant red, orange, yellow and white colour
scheme, embellished by polished step rings on the front wheels.
Delivery of the new coaches means the Woodstones Coaches fleet is now standardised on the Euro 4
Plaxton Profile/Volvo B7R combination with digital tachographs.
Each coach has some individuality, particularly in the handrail
colours, and a variety of seating options, 53, 57 and 70 (or 64
plus a wheelchair), can be offered to customers. Knowing the
product so well has enabled Richard to develop a number of
improvements which have been adopted by Plaxton for the latest
deliveries. These include relocating the digital tachograph to the
dashboard to make it more accessible and providing easier access
to the front destination display.
VOLVO
Comfortable, safe and with a lot of
consideration
Comfortable and safe
The Volvo B7R offers good road holding,
and the high level of safety that you get with all Volvo coaches
and buses.
With a choice of bodywork,
electronically controlled suspension and braking system, the B7R
offers you the ultimate package of high specification features.
Quality, safety and environmental consideration
Being able to rely on your bus is obviously crucial for good
profitability. However, it is just one of a number of important
factors which Volvo see as key for you, your business and the
environment.
The B7R is an excellent example of how a superb
combination of technical solutions can promote high profitability.
The uncomplicated chassis design and the lightweight engine
provides a low net weight.
This in turn creates high capacity and promotes low running
costs in relation to the number of passengers that the bus can
carry. The B7R has been built to meet varied global demands on
availability and capacity. |
