猛獅 14.220 MAN 14.220

猛獅 14.220 MAN 14.220

編號 Class：DBAY36，37

當愉景灣隧道工程進行得如火如荼時候，愉景灣交通服務有限公司亦積極籌備相關途經路線的預備工作，當中包括訂購行走有關路線的巴士。首批因應隧道通車而購買的是兩架猛獅14.220單層巴士，同時為猛獅巴士服務愉景灣社區揭開序幕。

按照猛獅的命名準則，不難理解這是一台可以承重十四噸，配備馬力達二百二十匹引擎的底盤，愉景灣選用了荷蘭的Berkhof出品的2000 NLF車身，雙門配合低地台設計，方便乘客進出車廂，至於空調系統則由德國超卓提供。值得一提是Berkhof這個車身製造商對香港來說其實並不陌生，九十年代中期當粵港直通巴引進歐洲客車時，已經一併將Berkhof這名字帶來香港，而當城巴於一九九八年增購猛獅24.310雙層巴士時，亦是採用這家車身廠出品。說回這兩架猛獅中型單層巴士，當一九九九年抵達愉景灣時，由於隧道仍未竣工通車，於是便先行被安排行走區內路線，直到愉景灣隧道啟用後，才偶爾服務往返東涌巿中心的DB01R路線，其餘時間主要服務愉景灣區內路線。

猛獅14.220車廂合共可運載六十一名乘客，儘管是一架低地台巴士，但車廂內未有預留任何輪椅停泊位置，在設置三十六個座位之後，其餘位置全數闢作企位之用。除此之外，車廂入邊亦增設行李架，方便乘客擺放雜物。兩架猛獅巴士原裝車頭牌箱是採用牌布，但側牌則未有使用，直到大約二零零八年，愉景灣交通服務有限公司替兩架巴士翻新時，才於更換電子路線牌箱時候，開始使用左側路線牌。

配合愉景灣的全新企業形象，兩架猛獅14.220亦不會例外，除了車隊編號由HKR36及37改成DBAY36及37，披上全新車隊色彩。隨著全新的亞歷山大丹尼士飛鏢E200於二零一四年四月加入愉景灣車隊，兩架猛獅14.220亦於這個時候退役，在離開愉景灣之前主力行走9，9A路線，而鮮有執行對外路線的任務。

When the construction of Discovery Bay Tunnel still processing, DBTSL actively in preparing the opening of the external routes including acquired additional buses. The first batch to be ordered was a pair of MAN 14.220 low floor midibus which was also the first MAN product in DBTSL fleet.

The gross vehicle weight and the maximum horsepower of the engine can be known from the model name according to the tradition nomenclature of MAN: the first two digits indicated the gross vehicle weight while the last three, the maximum horsepower of the engine. These two MAN 14.220 were bodied by Berkhof from Netherlands with it 2000NLF dual-door bodywork and passengers can get on and off from the bus easily as a result of the low floor designed bodywork. Berkhof was first introduced to Hong Kong in mid. of 1990s when GDHK purchased a large number of European coaches. In addition, when City Bus placed further order for MAN 24.310 double decker, Berkhof bodywork was chosen too.

When they were delivered in 1999, construction works of the tunnel was not yet completed and DBTSL deployed them on internal routes until the opening of the Discovery Bay Tunnel and supporting the external route DB01R when necessary. MAN 14.220 can accommodate 61 passengers with 36 seats provided with no wheelchair parking bay offered and a luggage rack was provided for commuters. Before 2008, only a front roller-blind route display was used on this pair of 14.220 and after refurbishment works carried out, front and nearside electronic route display was fitted.

The MAN 14.220 mainly served internal routes 9 and 9A and to cope with the new corporate image of Discovery Bay, a new Dbay corporate colour scheme was applied with their fleet number changed from HKR36 and 37 to DBAY36 and 37 respectively in 2010. Finally, they were replaced by the Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart in Apr, 2014.

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