平治 O405 Mercedes Benz O405

平治 O405 Mercedes Benz O405

編號 Class：HKR109，DBAY73，110，120

長久以來，愉景灣車隊都是以日本車廠出品為主，而最大型的單層巴士只能夠載客五十多人。面對更多大型樓宇落成，聯繫愉景灣的區內及區外的交通需求將會有增無減，於是有關方面除了計劃購入大型渡輪以應付對外交通需求外，同時計劃引進更高載客量的大型單層巴士以作配合，接駁碼頭及住宅區以應付所需。

一九九三年年底，愉景灣交通服務有限公司向平治的代理商仁孚行查詢，能否提供兩架載客百人的單層巴士，經過一段時間研究及相關工作後，仁孚行向愉景灣提供了平治O405巴士，成為繼九巴於八十年代引入O305雙層巴士之後，另一款於香港行走的平治城巿巴士。兩台O405巴士底盤於一九九四年十二月初抵港，當中最吸引人目光是兩車底盤上已經裝上原廠的車身頭尾幅，充滿日耳曼味道。抵港之後，兩台底盤被安排到亞洲車身廠進行車身裝配。由於載客量冠絕全港所有單層巴士，加上設計上的座位跟企位比例亦是全港最高，所以運輸部門要求O405要設有五道太平門，以及只能在愉景灣內行走，方會發出行車牌照。由於受在港所採購到的車身物料所限，載客量由原設計的三十人座位配七十五人企位，企位被減至完成相關測試後的六十七人。經過漫長的裝配及一系列測試，兩架平治O405終於在一九九五年八月抵達愉景灣，在獲得HKR109及HKR110車隊編號後開始服務居民。

有感兩車表現稱職，愉景灣亦在之後增購一架平治O405，並且於一九九六年抵港。由於要符合歐盟二型排放要求，第三架O405(HKR120)在一些設計上跟首兩架同型巴士有所分別。另外，由於亞洲車身無暇替此部新車裝配車身，故此這架O405巴士選用了西班牙的Hispano Carrocera車身，而Hispano早已在較早時間，向新加坡的八達巴士(現稱SMRT)供應車身予旗下的O405巴士。由於車身設計不同，這架O405巴士載客量為九十四人，車廂佈局仍舊是多企位設計，合共提供六十五人企位。另外，第三架O405有若干設計跟首兩架O405有所分別，例如單扇前門，空調系統由置於車頂改為安裝於底部，而且這架O405亦是首架配用電子路線牌的新車，至於兩架亞洲車身O405，初時只有一個顯示號碼的電子牌箱，愉景灣交通服務有限公司亦於稍後時間，替HKR109及HKR110加上傳統路線牌箱，最後更進一步改配電子路線牌箱。

一九九八年，愉景灣接收最後一架平治O405(HKR73)，並一如第三架O405一樣，車身由Hispano裝配完成，再付運香港。自此之後，平治除了偶爾得到香港政府購買零星的小型巴士外，再沒有任何巴士產品打入香港巿場，直到二零一一年的OC500RF為止。這四架平治O405一直默默地在愉景灣服務居民，除了車身顏色轉變，兩架Hispano車身的O405亦進行車廂翻新工程，以及更換新款LED電子牌箱。除HKR109外，其餘三架O405的車隊編號，於二零零八年八月由HKR開首變成DBAY開首。愉景灣首兩架O405於二零零八年十二月退役，由兩輛配馬來西亞順豐車身的猛獅中型巴士取代，而DBAY120最終亦於二零一零五月除牌，餘下DBAY73留守車隊之中，並再被翻鬆全新的「Dbay」企業色彩，一直服役至二零一六年，成為四架O405巴士中，服役時間最長的一員。在退役之前，DBAY73除了偶爾在繁忙時間，支援各條愉景灣區內路線外，更多時間行走穿梭愉景灣碼頭及愉景北商場的免費穿梭巴士路線。

At the initial stage, the full-sized single decker in DBTSL was mainly from Japan and had maximum capacity of about 50 passengers only. As more and more multi-storey building completed,the demand for both external and internal transport in Discovery Bay would be increased. To solve the problem, DBTSL purchased large ferry vessels for the external need together with full-sized single decker with high capacity for linking the pier and the community.

For the introduction of new single decker, DBTSL enquired with Zung Fu Co. Ltd., the dealer of Mercedes Benz in Hong Kong, for supplying single decker can carry about 100 passengers. Zung Fu Co. Ltd. successfully supplied two O405 chassis in early Dec., 1994. The O405 is the second Mercedes Benz bus model operated in Hong Kong since the first O305 delivered to KMB in 1983. The first two were arrived with the original front and rear grille and completed their bodyworks by Asia Auto locally, left a great characteristic for these O405s. As this pair of O405 is the single decker with both highest carrying capacity and seating and standing ratio in Hong Kong, total five emergency exits were required and can be only serving passengers within Discovery Bay for registration.

Though the original design for the O405 was carrying 105 passengers with 30 seats provided, the final standees was reduced to 67 as the restriction imposed by bodywork material acquired in Hong Kong. These two O405s finally delivered to Discovery Bay in Aug., 1995 after completion of bodyworks and series of testing. DBTSL classed the O405 as HKR109 and HKR110 respectively. This pair of O405 was featured with an indicator box showing route number only provided, DBTSL then replaced this with a full route roller-blind and finally, an electronic route display was installed.

DBTSL further acquired it third Mercedes Benz O405 in 1996 and as to meet the Euro 2 emission standard, the third O405 show some differences in design with the previous O405 in the fleet. This O405 was classed as HKR120 with it bodywork supplied and completed by Hispano Carrocera of Spain, a bodybuilder already supplied several hundred bodyworks to TIBS (now known as SMRT) in Singapore mouthed on the O405 chassis. The carrying capacity of HKR120 was only 94 passengers with a large area used for standees. Single leaf door was chosen as entrance and an underfloor air conditioning unit was fitted. In addition, HKR120 was fitted with an electronic route display when new.

DBTSL took the delivery of the last O405 (HKR73) in 1998 which also bodied by Hispano. After the commissioned of HKR73, Mercedes Benz bus or coach did not show any success in the Hong Kong market with only small quantities of minibuses supplied to the HKSAR Government until the arrival of OC500RF in 2011. Instead of repainted with new livery, the DBTSL Hispano bodied O405 also carried out cabin refurbishment and replaced the electronic display with a LED route display. The fleet number of DBSTL was changed from HKR-prefix to DBAY-prefix in Aug., 2008 and except HKR109, all O405s in the fleet were received the new fleet number.

HKR109 and DBAY110 were withdrawn in 2008 and a pair of MAN midibuses took their place in the fleet while DBAY120 retired in May, 2010. The remaining DBAY73 was repainted with new "Dbay" colour scheme and showing the longest service life among the family which withdrawn from the fleet in 2016. The main duty of DBAY73 before it withdrawal included supporting different internal routes during rush hours or serving the free shuttle service between the pier and DB North Plaza.

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