Crowding cited as cause of mishaps
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 22, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Dutch manufacturer of Istanbul’s metrobuses responds to complaints about the vehicle’s malfunctions. ’They have 230-passenger capacities and can carry up to 280,’ one official says, drawing attention to overloading
Officials from the Dutch company that manufactured new buses for use in Istanbul have traveled to Turkey to respond to repeated complaints about the suitability of the vehicles for the city.
The Phileas metrobuses made by APTS have been called unsuitable for Istanbul due to their malfunctions and difficulty climbing hills.
At a press conference organized to address such issues, Jan Mooren, a member of the acting board of VDL Groep, the parent company of APTS, said: "The 26-meter-long metrobuses have 230-passenger capacities. The vehicle will not malfunction [when carrying] up to 280 people. However, we saw how football fans get on the vehicles after a match. We need to check the bid documents and reconsider things. We have not considered the metrobus being packed like a can of sardines."
Mooren added that the vehicles could climb a 2.5 percent grade at 40 kilometers per hour, saying, "You all want them to climb faster; however, they cannot."
Six people per square meter
Hubert Van Wees, the commerce manager for VDL Groep, said the company’s metrobuses could climb ramps and hills even when they were at capacity. "The vehicle malfunctioned, but that does not stem from its structural design," he said. "You may approach metrobuses negatively, but the project is not unsuccessful. Employing metrobuses instead of tramways provides great flexibility. It is wrong to call it unsuccessful." Wees said the company would deliver 12 more vehicles to the Istanbul Electric Tram and Funicular Company, or İETT.
According to APTS General Manager Ruud Bouwman, the vehicles’ passenger capacity is determined by a calculation of six people per square meter, which he said would allow for a comfortable ride. "If 400 people are on board, that means 15 people per square meter. That is not feasible," he said. "İETT planned for a minimum of 200 people; having 50 more on board is not a problem. The vehicle will not malfunction with 280 people because these buses do not wear out easily."
Noting that some of the delivered vehicles are not in service, Mooren said that those sitting in the garage would soon take to the roads. "We have 18 vehicles in traffic now; there is no problem with that," he said. "The 20 in the garage will be included in the system in three to four weeks."
After being reminded there is a penalty for late deliverance of the 12 new vehicles the company has pledged to the İETT, Moreen added: "We are in close cooperation with İETT. All conditions of the contract will be fulfilled. The procedure of the bid will be in motion. Purchasing of a second group of 50 vehicles following the first 50 was mentioned, but for now, that is not the case."
Wees also addressed claims by French experts who say the Phileas metrobuses are not feasible for Istanbul. "The French expert wrote articles saying Phileas [vehicles] are unsuitable for Istanbul," he said. "I e-mailed him and he told me, ’I have not visited Turkey for 1.5 years; I wrote the articles three to four years ago.’ We invited him to our production facilities and he saw the facility." He added that the vehicles delivered to İETT have two-year warrantees.
The Phileas metrobuses made by APTS have been called unsuitable for Istanbul due to their malfunctions and difficulty climbing hills.
At a press conference organized to address such issues, Jan Mooren, a member of the acting board of VDL Groep, the parent company of APTS, said: "The 26-meter-long metrobuses have 230-passenger capacities. The vehicle will not malfunction [when carrying] up to 280 people. However, we saw how football fans get on the vehicles after a match. We need to check the bid documents and reconsider things. We have not considered the metrobus being packed like a can of sardines."
Mooren added that the vehicles could climb a 2.5 percent grade at 40 kilometers per hour, saying, "You all want them to climb faster; however, they cannot."
Six people per square meter
Hubert Van Wees, the commerce manager for VDL Groep, said the company’s metrobuses could climb ramps and hills even when they were at capacity. "The vehicle malfunctioned, but that does not stem from its structural design," he said. "You may approach metrobuses negatively, but the project is not unsuccessful. Employing metrobuses instead of tramways provides great flexibility. It is wrong to call it unsuccessful." Wees said the company would deliver 12 more vehicles to the Istanbul Electric Tram and Funicular Company, or İETT.
According to APTS General Manager Ruud Bouwman, the vehicles’ passenger capacity is determined by a calculation of six people per square meter, which he said would allow for a comfortable ride. "If 400 people are on board, that means 15 people per square meter. That is not feasible," he said. "İETT planned for a minimum of 200 people; having 50 more on board is not a problem. The vehicle will not malfunction with 280 people because these buses do not wear out easily."
Noting that some of the delivered vehicles are not in service, Mooren said that those sitting in the garage would soon take to the roads. "We have 18 vehicles in traffic now; there is no problem with that," he said. "The 20 in the garage will be included in the system in three to four weeks."
After being reminded there is a penalty for late deliverance of the 12 new vehicles the company has pledged to the İETT, Moreen added: "We are in close cooperation with İETT. All conditions of the contract will be fulfilled. The procedure of the bid will be in motion. Purchasing of a second group of 50 vehicles following the first 50 was mentioned, but for now, that is not the case."
Wees also addressed claims by French experts who say the Phileas metrobuses are not feasible for Istanbul. "The French expert wrote articles saying Phileas [vehicles] are unsuitable for Istanbul," he said. "I e-mailed him and he told me, ’I have not visited Turkey for 1.5 years; I wrote the articles three to four years ago.’ We invited him to our production facilities and he saw the facility." He added that the vehicles delivered to İETT have two-year warrantees.