Showtime – 4

Omnibuses2.0 continues its look at Bus & Coach Live 2007

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It’s easy to take a jaundiced view of the imported Turkish BMC product. The SLF Falcons on Chesterbuses' park & ride, for example, were reported as poor performers. Very few if any mainstream players were prepared to commit to such a vehicle, though First has gone overboard with the low and high floor school bus variants.

Clearly in BMC’s favour is price. But it’s not just that. The 27-seat SLF minibus Hawk, for example, is an attractive product. It seemed airy and light inside, giving an impression of space, even if the window line was somewhat high for children and chair users. Double leaf doors and a well thought out cab added to the package. That on display had an incredible four wheelchair spaces, though the operator needs to remove tracked seats to make one or more available, but it’s an interesting option. More than a basic bus but BMC needs to ensure its quality in service is up to the mark.

The Nifty was more than a basic minicoach. This was the first outing for BMC’s Nifty, a 21-27 seat offering. It’s somewhat square but internally, the vehicle on display held 21 passengers and was somewhat opulently fitted out in executive leather trim, proving you can get a lot for your money. It's also high off the ground, with the promise of a good ride, though as a consequence the entrance steps seemed steep. Presumably, the Nifty'll find favour as a step up from a cheaper conversion.

The same importer also stocks Polish Autosans. There are about 50 on Britain’s roads, which means any purchase can be considered somewhat distinctive. It’s most familiar in 70-seat configuration as a high capacity single deck school bus, but it was also available at the show as a conventional coach and in high capacity wheelchair specification. At £120,000 for 70 seats, it has to be considered.

The characteristic lobule front is not to everyone's taste. For the 70 seater, the seat pitch on the nearside was acceptable. That on the off-side could benefit from the removal of one row of three seats, to give a shade more leg room. The interior is no match for modern trim but is more than adequate when you consider short distance school movements. In fact, the whole product could be used for reasonably distanced private hires, too, though the ventilators may be inadequate on a hot summer’s day when full to 70. Also in its favour are full luggage lockers.

Also on display with the same dealer was the King Long XMQ6127 which, at £135,000, offers outstanding value for a 51 seat executive. King Long is spreading its wings throughout the world but the numbers involved in the UK means that it, too, can be classed as distinctive and in fact, the styling’s right, too. Like the Autosan, it features trusty mechanicals in a Cummins engine and ZF box.

Photos by Omnibuses' Northern Correspondent