豐田 Coaster Toyota Coaster

豐田 Coaster Toyota Coaster

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自愉景灣這個大型住宅項目發展以來，區內接駁交通需求雖然隨居民增長而有所增加，但由於大型住宅距離碼頭仍算接近，故此對大型單層巴士需求不如今天，而主要車型包括了豐田Coaster。有一點值得留意，早期愉景灣內行走車輛不用登記行車牌照，故若干車輛包括部份早期行走於區內的Coaster，都是於一九九零年當運輸署要求區內車輛需作登記時才領取車牌。有關早期在愉景灣服務的Coaster，由於資料所限及未有相關圖片，故本篇章不在此作出介紹，改為集中介紹於一九九四年後購入的豐田Coaster。

自豐田Coaster登陸香港以來，可以說是在小型巴士巿場上一枝獨秀，蹤影遍及公共及私家巴士巿場。而在愉景灣區內，豐田Coaster亦扮演不同角色。首先介紹是服務於愉景灣遊艇會的Coaster，一九九四年，愉景灣遊艇會購入一架Coaster HKR6(FX5006)，用作接載會員往返碼頭及遊艇會。除HKR6外，因應早年的舊款Coaster己屆退役之齡，一架全新豐田Coaster HKR89(JS6064)被購入，並於二零零零年登陸愉景灣。二零零五年，一架全新長陣版Coaster HKR6(MC2373)加入愉景灣遊艇會車隊，代表原HKR6功成身退。

除愉景灣遊艇會，愉景灣高爾夫球會亦都有購入豐田Coaster，作接送會員往返碼頭之用。在HKR6投入服務不久之後，高爾夫球會入的一架Coaster HKR62(FR5962)，亦於一九九四年投入服務，而不足一年之後，再有兩架Coaster加入高爾夫球會，分別是HKR111(GP5547)於一九九五年投入服務，而三年後另一架Coaster HKR133(HT1524)亦加入車隊。這三架豐田Coaster最終分別於二零零七年，零九年及一一年被新一代的長陣版Coaster，HKR62(MT6356)，DBAY111(NU5380)及DBAY133(PS239)取代。

至於在一般居民巴士服務中，在早年的豐田Coaster退役之後，在二零零五年購入一架長陣版Coaster DBAY179(ME3308)，其角色除了像另一小型巴士三菱Rosa一樣，主要行走區內低載客量路線，亦曾被安排行走往返機場的DB02R通宵時份班次。二零一一年，愉景灣交通服務有限公司除了為替代一架退役三菱Rosa(DBAY75/JZ6650)，購入一架全新豐田Coaster DBAY75(PS9587)外，亦為了配合愉景灣發展，於二零一二年購進兩架二手Coaster，DBAY156及173。值得一提是，上述四架Coaster車身未有披上任何愉景灣企業色彩，只以純白色車身示人，若非貼上愉景灣車隊編號，未必能察覺它們是屬於愉景灣交通服務有限公司。

除了於愉景灣碼頭能夠容易發現豐田Coaster外，在愉景灣北亦不難發現它們蹤影，主要行走往返機場及愉景北酒店的DB02A路線。

The shuttle service within Discovery Bay become more and more important as the development of this community. During the early stage, as all high-rise building not too far away from the ferry pier, only a few full-sized single deckers with minibuses can meet the demand. Among the fleet, Toyota Coaster was the mainstream of minibus. One point need to note is all vehicles operated in Discovery Bay did not registered until 1990, when Transport Department asked to do so. As only limited information and no photographs about those Coaster served in Discovery Bay at that time, so this chapter only focused on the Coaster introduced after 1994.

Toyota Coaster is the best-seller in the minibus market of Hong Kong and can be seen everywhere in Hong Kong including Discovery Bay. In 1994, HKR6(FX5006) was acquired by the Discovery Bay Marina Club as shuttle bus between the clubhouse and ferry pier. A further example HKR89(JS6064) was purchased in 2000 as a replacement of an aging Toyota Coaster. The original HKR6 was finally replaced by a brand new long wheel-based Coaster, HKR6(MC2373) in 2005.

Toyota Coaster also served in the Discovery Bay Golf Club and function as the Coaster in the Marina Club. The first to be introduced was HKR62(FR5962) and commissioned in 1994 as HKR6 did. After one year of the arrival of HKR62, two more Coasters HKR111(GP5547) and HKR133(HT1524) were entered service in 1995 and 1998 respectively. All Coasters in Discovery Bay Golf Club were off from the fleet in 2007, 2009 and 2011 respectively. After their withdrawal, three new long wheel-based Toyota Coaster HKR62(MT6356), DBAY111(NU5380) and DBAY133(PS239) were joined and took the place of Coaster mentioned before.

For residential service, a new long wheel-based Coaster was ordered, DBAY179(ME3308), the first after the retirement of Toyota Coaster served the community at the early stage. The duty of DBAY179 same as the Mitsubishi Rosa, serving the route with low demand. In addition, it was once deployed on the overnight service of DB02R. As one of the Rosa DBAY75(JZ6650) was withdrawn in 2011, another Coaster DBAY75(PS9587) was joined and an addition two Coasters DBAY156 and 173 were purchased from another private operator in 2012 to cope with the development of the DB North. There is no any "Dbay" livery applied on these Toyota Coasters mentioned above. The only way to tell people they are belonged to DBTSL is the fleet number on their bodyworks.

Discovery Bay ferry pier is the best place to find the Toyota Coaster together with DB North, while they are mainly serving DB02A between the Airport and DB North.

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