Available on Volvo coach chassis and its bodied derivatives from mid 2015, the Volvo DSS provides forward collision warning and emergency braking as well as lane keeping support. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is also available as an option on B11R when specified with the I-Shift gearbox.
Jim Burke, GoBus.ie managing director, says he decided to participate in the test programme after seeing the DSS at the Volvo factory in Poland. "We've been using the system since March this year so all our drivers have had the opportunity to try it out and they all think it's great."
He adds: "The system works by vibrating the driver's seat if the coach slightly deviates over the road lines. In addition, if the driver is using cruise control, the coach will automatically activate the ACC to reduce speed, keeping it at a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Once any danger is averted, the coach will automatically revert to its original speed without any input from the driver."
Active safety systems will become law for commercial vehicles from November this year, and for coaches, this applies to M3 Class III category vehicles with seated passengers only.
Elsewhere, Bullocks Coaches has taken delivery of its first Euro 6 tourer, a Scania Irizar i6.
Fuel economy, performance and passenger appeal with previous Scania vehicles led to this latest order, says the Cheadle-based operator.
Constructed on a Scania K 360 IB4x2 chassis with 360bhp Euro 6 engine, the vehicle is fitted with a 12.45m Irizar i6 body equipped to Bullocks' executive specification.
The vehicle is also supplied with Scania's fleet management system, along with a 10-year complimentary subscription to the manufacturer's entry-level Monitor service.