Mercedes-Benz Citaro: The most successful transit bus of all timeStuttgart – The most successful city bus of all time is now also being used by the transport company Keisei Bus in Japan, which recently put ten new Citaro articulated buses into operation. The company plans to put five more of the buses into operation in late 2010. Keisei Bus, one of the top mass transit companies in Japan, transports around 250,000 passengers per day. The new buses will primarily be used in east Tokyo.
Although the turquoise-colored Citaro articulated buses delivered to Japan are right-hand drive vehicles, their equipment otherwise largely corresponds to that used by mass transit companies in Europe. The ten Citaro buses are powered by the proven Mercedes-Benz OM 457 hLA inline six-cylinder engine in a horizontal arrangement. The low-emission engines comply with the Euro 5 emissions limit. Thanks to an output of 260 kW and a maxi mum torque of 1,600 Nm at 1,100 rpm, the bus can accelerate at a rapid pace even when it is fully occupied with 43 sitting and 85 standing passengers.
Keisei Bus especially values the vehicle’s safety and security features. It is essential for the driver of an 18-meter-long articulated bus to always have a perfect view of the situation inside and outside the vehicle, for example. The bus is therefore equipped with CCTV to help the driver monitor the area around the doors as well as the passenger compartment. Additional standard equipment features include the anti lock braking system and acceleration skid control, whereby the latter can be turned off. The installation of a stronger air-conditioning system in the passenger compartment ensures that the interior remains comfortable even on very hot days.
Due to its low life cycle costs, high reliability, and continuous enhancement, the best-selling Citaro bus is now also on the road to success in Japan. As a leader in technology and innovation, Daimler Buses has been setting standards for safety, economy, reliability, comfort, and design since its inception, offering its customers top-quality, individualized products.
