One of Australia's fastest growing and most progressive
universities choses an Allison-equipped Fuso bus to deliver more
efficient and comfortable student and staff transport
GEELONG, Australia - Rapidly-growing Deakin University has added a
new 62-passenger Allison-equipped Fuso MP300 low-floor city bus as
part of a $2.3 million investment aimed at encouraging bus travel
to and from its campuses.
According to Deakin University's fleet management coordinator,
Wendy Meesen, the choice of the Fuso MP300 was based on a number of
criteria, including good fuel economy and environmental
friendliness, as well as strong safety features and ease of
operation - all thanks to its Allison fully automatic
transmission.
"An automatic transmission was a clear priority in the buying
process, as the roads the bus negotiates require maximum
concentration, not only because they are narrow and difficult, but
because of the many pedestrians, bicycles and cars on campus,"
Meesen said.
Narrow campus roads, busy urban thoroughfares and the stop-start
nature of Geelong's increasingly busy main roads moved the
university's fleet management department to look exclusively at
automatic buses. This was an important step to ensure safety and
efficiency while meeting the demands of 44,000 students and 1,379
staff.
Meesen continued, "Our drivers love the automatic transmission
because it enables them to concentrate on guiding the bus without
having to worry about changing gears, and it makes for less driver
fatigue".
The six-speed Allison T310-equipped MP300 runs between the main
campus at Waurn Ponds and the Barwon Valley Activity Centre (BVAC)
which takes about 15 minutes. A run to the Geelong Waterfront
Campus takes another 10 minutes. Up to 1,000 staff and students use
the free bus service daily from 6:45 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
The MP300 alternates with the two smaller Fuso Rosa buses that
previously ran between the main campus and the waterfront via the
BVAC until unprecedented growth demanded additional capacity.
Delivery of the Fuso MP300 bus coincided with the opening of a new
main campus transit hub, providing shelter from the weather along
with shower and bicycle storage facilities. Another added
convenience is onboard Wi-Fi. The Fuso has been finished in a
striking black and white wrap that reflects the university's new
iconic cube signage and has been nicknamed, the 'Cube' bus, proving
to be popular with students and staff alike.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is the world's largest
manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and
heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and is a leader in
hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are
used in a variety of applications including refuse, construction,
fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in
1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
and employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. With a market
presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional
headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with
manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison
also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer
locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.
For further media information in Australia and New Zealand
contact:
Jon Thomson
Thomson PR
Ph 0418 641 959
jon@thomsonpr.com.au