BELGIUM - The PSV Circle Website

NEW ZEALAND 738-OJ-161 NEW ZEALAND
(u) u/r MCW MF150/14 MB9118 MCW B25F 6/87
(ex D467 PON)
(u) u/r MCW MF150/38 MB9038 MCW B25F 11/87
(ex E139 KYW)
Explorer Bus, Auckland Clearway, Palmerston North 23 by12/99
YO 4609 MCW MF150/38 MB9007 MCW B25F 10/87
(ex WF 4023, E131 KYW)
General
Clearway, Auckland / Palmerston North. The story of this operator, a subsidiary of Portrick Holdings, is somewhat
convoluted. Operations commenced in Auckland, temporarily running subsidised services after Cesta,
Auckland gave them up. Having failed to win the services when they were retendered, Clearway successfully
won the local bus contracts in Palmerston North. The Metroriders were joined by ten ex-UK MB L608D Ar
leased from Stagecoach, but the company collapsed 1/98. The MB and services were taken over by another
local operator, Total City Buses, while the Metroriders were parked up in a yard in Auckland for about a year,
until a new operator, Choice Buses, was formed (seemingly involving some of the people behind Clearway).
As of 11/00, Choice Buses was running services in South Auckland and Whangerei with eight Metroriders;
seven ex-Clearway and one ex-Pavlovich. The three unregistered Metroriders with Clearway were due to
become 28-30 (WF 4028-30), order unknown, but were not licenced; one later became YY 1220 with Choice,
while the other two were still parked at an engineering yard in West Auckland 11/00 in poor condition,
awaiting possible preparation for service. These two are believed to be former Stanwell Buses MR7
(D467 PON) and MR39 (E139 KYW), but it has not been possible to physically check them. However, there
has been a report that one has chassis number MB9022, which would make it the former E122 RDW (new to
Cardiff but last recorded as a non-PCV with Greater Manchester North). 18 (ZG 7618, ex XS 6943,
D618 NOE) was an accident write-off with Pavlovich, hence its re-registration before entering service with
Choice.
Double Decker Fun Tours, Auckland. In addition to the pair of Metroliners noted above, another two had been
obtained from Northumbria (TW) at around the same time, but for various reasons they never left UK shores
and were later disposed of. The two involved were 159 (B472 JVK, ex WSV 572, B337 WFJ) and 160
(C744 JGR, ex WSV 571, NMS 700, C160 UHN). The pair that did reach NZ were current 11/00 and are
two of only three double-deck coaches in NZ (the other is a MAN Designline with Scenic, Auckland).
Explorer Bus, Auckland. The proprietor of this operation is a Mr M Gibson. A Metrorider registered XM 9953 was
being operated 3/99; it is not known if this was just an intermediate registration on YO 4609 (ex WF 4023,
E131 KYW) or a different, untraced vehicle.
Hamilton City Buses. 91-98 have been converted to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Mana, Porirua. 23 and 53 are probably ex West Midlands (WM), from the D6xx NOE batch.
Nimon, Havelock North. The previous identities of 7 and 11 have also been reported in reverse order, but 11 was
physically checked 11/00 and has chassis no. MB10067. Most Metroriders in NZ have lost their internal
plates and can only be identified by the plates under the bonnet, though sometimes these are missing too.
Ritchies, Timaru. 466 has also carried fleetnumber 391 at one stage, and has been leased to various operators,
including Astro, Christchurch in 1997. 467 has carried 393, and was also leased to Astro at the same
time. Ritchies have bus operations in a number of places in New Zealand and, as transfers are common,
they are difficult to keep track of; the last known operating centre for at least some of the Metroriders is
Rotorua, while 405 was at Timaru 4/01.
Tranzit, Masterton. Like Ritchies, Tranzit have a number of operating centres. In 11/00, the Metroriders were
based in Palmerston North (243-6) and Wanganui. It is likely that one of 240 or 245 is the former West
Midlands (WM) 647 (D647 NOE), which was exported from the UK to Associated Coach Sales, Palmerston
North (Q) 6/98, along with what became Tranzit’s 241-3 and the Nimon pair.
SINGAPORE
SBS GROUP
Information on Singapore has been provided by a very small number of people (3 including the sub-editor) so
anybody visiting Singapore is urged to make notes and send them in ! If anyone is planning a visit, and would like
a list of sorts to work from, please feel free to contact the sub editor (address in January OJ).
SINGAPORE BUS SERVICES (1978) Limited
New vehicles
64 SBS 64S Sca N113CRB 1816533 Ar -?- B49D -/90