It has been announced that NZBus is the preferred tenderer in the recent tender rounds for the Western Bay of Plenty contracts which come into affect in December.

I think the one on Trademe was the last remaining one with Ritchies ( #401 ) which was ex H&E #3. This one therefore has to be either ex H&E #1,#2 or #5 as the H&E ones had the rubber moulding around the windows ( not bonded ) as I can tell by looking at the drivers window and first pass...

Looks like it could be one of the four ex Howick & Eastern Hino RR172's. They were all sold to Ritchies in 2005 /2006. One was recently on trademe for sale so assuming it could be that one judging by the paintwork.

1120, 1121, 1122 & 1123 are based at Shore Depot as School/Charter Buses. Very rare that they are allocated to service trips, must be due to a shortage of Buses as a lot of the older fleet is being sold off reducing the operational spares.

I can tell you that the Shore services operated by Articulated Buses are - Route 873X > Constellation Station to City Centre Express @ 6:45am and Route 839 > City Centre to Long Bay @ 5:05pm. They will continue to operate until the New North Shore Network is implemented in September 2018.

No, returned to Australia earlier this year and currently on trial with Latrobe Valley Bus Lines in Victoria. Most likely to be displayed in the Australian Bus & Coach Show in Sydney next month too.

Howick & Eastern ADL E500 #504

LB608 wrote:Have been Told that Go Bus now own the one in NZ for their Auckland services, can you confirm?

I have had a confirmation that this Bus has returned to Sydney

It is a joint venture for the urban contracts won in South Auckland commencing Sunday 30th October. The units won by Ritchies/Murphy Buses were Manurewa, Papakura, Pukekohe and Waiuku which require over 50 Buses that will be operated out of the Murphy Buses Takanini Depot ( and probably another sate...

Taken at Britomart while on trial with Ritchies

Volvo Hybrid Demonstrator operating on the Northern Express service for Ritchies

The Gemilang Demonstrator at Ritchies has been repainted into the new AT Metro livery for The Northern Express.

Two more ( Spotted today ) - Birkenhead #24 and NZBus #2146

Also Birkenhead - 36 & 53, H&E 272, NZBus 4152 All companies are commencing their repainting program this year in preparation for upcoming tenders. NZBus have also repainted a Scania ( "Bubble" Designline ) although it needs the graphics applied, not sure of fleet number this stage.

At Wynyard Quarter this afternoon on a test drive

New for Birkenhead Transport is #76 Gemilang bodied MAN 18.250

A BCI Demonstrator / prototype Double Decker is supposedly on it's way to NZ soon aimed for the Auckland Market....

Whatever happened to the Designline Hybrid?

Ritchies #329 - Ex Demonstrator MAN Lion City ( Gemilang ) in service on the Northern Express

The Tender documents containing the routes and timetables for the New Southern Network has not yet been released as it needs to be signed off by the NZTA. Funding cuts to the construction of the two major interchanges ( Manukau & Otahuhu ) may well see the implementation dates pushed out further...

Howick & Eastern Scania K230 #248 - The first Bus to be painted into the new standard AT Metro livery

Bus Travel NZ is the trading arm of the Leopard Business in Auckland. They are the same Company.

So I'll kick off the first post for 2015 in the Auckland section! - 2014 & 2017 are still complete and parked in Metalmans East Tamaki yard.

Cordes Express wrote:I believe Howick & Eastern have one painted in the new AT livery as well.

Scania K320 #248

On the 16th December the new AT livery will be launched along with the three Link services rebranded in a new AT livery for each service still retaining the Red for Citylink, Green for Innerlink and Orange for the Outlink. From what I have heard there will be a public display with Ritchies and H&...