ABC #397

NEWS
VOLVO BUS AUSTRALIA
NEARS 50TH BIRTHDAY
THE RETRO SPOTLIGHT is shining
on select historic Volvo buses as the
Swedish manufacturer prepares to
celebrate 50 years of operating in
Australia, it reports.
The significant milestone is
helping highlight key bus and
coach clubs and groups nationwide
– such as the Tasmanian Bus &
Coach Society (TBCS) – where retro
collections harbour iconic vehicles
that keep alive Volvo’s long bus
history in the Australasian region,
it states.
TBSC currently owns 11 vintage
buses, three of which are Volvos.
These historic Volvo buses include: a
1978 B58/PMC; a 1985 B10M/PMC
artic; and a 1988 B10M/Custom
Hyliner touring coach.
TBSC secretary Neil Robins also
personally owns an impressive 1980
Volvo B58/Volgren Hess-bodied bus.
The 1978 Volvo B58/PMC –
nicknamed ‘Tassie Bluebird’ – has
a history of its own and has spent
its whole life in Tasmania, Volvo
states. It was acquired by the society
in 2016 and has won numerous
awards throughout the years.
The 1985 Volvo B10M/PMC artic
was previously a Metropolitan
Transport Trust/Metro Tasmania
bus and was the oldest bus in state
government service when donated
to the society.
The 1988 Volvo B10M/Custom
Hyliner is the society’s latest addition
and was donated by Rob/Fruncine
Sainty from Launceston in April,
2020, and was originally with
Westbus NSW and Coachlink QLD.
As for Robins’s 1980 Volvo
B58/Volgren Hess body, it is the
first articulated bus in Tasmania
and also the very first Volvo bus
Neil ever drove many years ago –
which he has now owned for
four years.
FOND MEMORIES
Robins says the society boasts an
impressive collection of historic
Volvo buses among others.
With 37 years working in the bus
industry, Robbins has lived and
breathed buses for as long as he
can remember, says Volvo, and that
he recalls fond memories as a child
being surrounded by buses in his
local community.
With buses being his main mode
of transport, he got to know every
Above, Below:
“To see the
vehicles in such
great condition in
this collection and
the passion for
the Volvo product
is really inspiring
for the team at
Volvo Bus as we
approach our 50-
year milestone,”
acting general
manger Volvo Bus
Australia, David
Mead, said.
community bus driver in his area, as
well as the different bus makes and
models, it explains.
Robins’s love for buses continued
into his youth and adulthood,
where he landed his first job in the
industry as a community bus driver
at Redline Coaches, Tasmania. Here
he spent years passionately working
for Redline and would later be
promoted to the role of operating
manager. It was in 2010 that
Robins and other Tasmanian bus
enthusiasts created the Tasmanian
Bus & Coach Society, in response
to a need to establish a body for
Tasmanian bus and transport
enthusiasts, where he became
the secretary, Volvo explains.
A LIVING MUSEUM
The society quickly became
established and was recognised for
conducting unique and enthralling
enthusiast bus tours showcasing
Tasmania’s spectacular scenery
and unique transport vehicles and
operators, Volvo explains.
Robins proudly describes his
tour as Australia’s only “living
museum” in actively exhibiting
across Tasmania to the public,
covering anywhere from 30km
to more than 600km in one tour.
However, in order to embark on
these great tours, the Tasmanian
Bus & Coach Society spends many
of its hours up keeping and
preserving the integrity of its
historic vehicles, it adds.
“My future vision for the Society
is having a fully enclosed depot
which can operate as a Museum
as well, opening to the public,
said Robins.
“I am trying to get others more
involved, so I can step back and let
the younger brigade take on the
reins, but the prime goal at moment
is to establish the premises we
already have and to develop it more
with extended undercover areas,”
he said.
Acting general manger
Volvo Bus Australia David Mead
said: “It is absolutely wonderful
to see people like Neil the members
of the Tasmanian Bus & Coach
Society preserving the true spirit,
passion and history of the bus
industry.”
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ABC September 2020 busnews.com.au