www.setra.de Magazine for customers and friends of the Setra brand

Imprint

PublisherEvoBus GmbHSetra OmnibusseCarl-Zeiss-Straße 289231 Neu-UlmTel. +49 (0)731 181-0Fax +49 (0)731 181-2418www.setra.de

Responsible for content:Dr Jens Heinemann,Head Marketing Communication Setra

The following people worked on this issue:Christine Denzel, BUS/MPM-SBernd Goy, BUS/MSG-4Dieter Startz, BUS/MSE-2Sonja Waldenspul, BUS/MSD-D

Concept, editorial work, layout:Newport3 Werbeagentur GmbH & Co. KGNeumann-Reichardt-Str. 27-3322041 Hamburgwww.newport3.de

Repro:Final Art ProductionNeumann-Reichardt-Str. 27-3322041 Hamburg

Printing:Süddeutsche Verlagsgesellschaft UlmNicolaus-Otto-Straße 1489079 Ulm

Number 49 | Issue 1/12

Crowning gloryThe truly amazing “Final Edition”

ComfortClass 400 special series

Page 08

Football ECFootball EC consortium bus

operators kick off with Setra

Page 20

Off to the starsSetra serves the shuttle service

at the Guiana Space Centre

Page 42

Family

Setra Editorial | 0302 | Setra Impressions

Always on the ball! During the European Football Championship, teams, managers and officials will be travelling to the stadiums in Setra touring coaches

highlighted how decorative stitching and quilting can give the seats in your Setra a touch of individuality and luxury.We also have news from the world of tele-matics. Most of you are familiar with the OMNIplus BusFleet fleet management sys-tem. Well, it has been developed further – specially for coaches and buses. As intro-duced for the first time at a recent SetraShow, it is now available under the name “FleetBoard” and can also be man-aged very easily from wherever you are on the road via iPhone or iPad.Of course, that isn’t all you’ll find in this latest issue of the SetraFamily. You can look forward to many exciting highlights from the fascinating and ever-changing world of coaches and buses.Wishing you pleasurable and informative reading.

Best regards

Lothar HolderHead of Sales Setra Buses and CoachesEvoBus GmbH

Dear customers and friends of the Setra brand,

when American playwright Woody Allen was asked what his secret for success was, his answer was very straightforward: “Being different than the rest.” At Setra, we have been following this very simple maxim for decades. And with this in mind, the latest edition of the SetraFamily magazine takes a close look at the Setra ComfortClass’ truly unique and very refined vehicle concept. With its special Final Edition model, the ComfortClass sets unprecedented stand-ards with regard to materials, comfort, equipment, reliability and design. In this issue, we also report on the delivery of a Final Edition coach to Linden-Reisen. We gathered fascinating impressions from the operator, his driver and passengers, having accompanied this very special vehicle on its maiden journey from the Customer- Center in Neu-Ulm to its new home Stadt-kyll in Germany’s Eifel region.By the way, were you aware that our ComfortClass 400 vehicles are the most popular and most widely sold Setra touring coaches ever? In fact, shortly before this issue’s editorial close, the 6,000th vehicle from the ComfortClass 400 range was de-livered. The proud recipient of the mile- stone S 416 GT-HD Final Edition was Reise-dienst Flaschenträger. We gladly send them our very best wishes.

A major sport highlight this year is just around the corner. I’m talking about the European Football Championship which will be held in June/July in Poland and the U-kraine. We are looking forward to this event with bated breath, not only from a sporting perspective, but because the European Football Championship’s bus consortium will be kicking off with Setra. During the whole event, 40 Setra touring coaches will be deployed to transport teams, managers and officials. On April 18, the “Sindbad” and “RafTrans” companies, which make up the consortium, took over the first 30 coaches in the context of a large event which we report on here in the SetraFamily. Also in this issue, we have a number of stories for you that are “pure Setra”. We are happy to introduce the 5-star luxury touring coaches recently purchased by Car Rouge – a premium tour operator in Bern, Switzer-land. In spite of the 90 cm distance be-tween seats, the developers succeeded at incorporating a fifth row of seats in front of the second entrance, as well as a 2+1 row right at the front entrance. We also report on Möllers Reisedienst’s experience with yet another seat configuration – staggered seating. The article is most interesting and certainly worth reading. Staying on the topic of customised seating, we have also

17 Two MultiClass 400 buses connect Latvia’s metropolis Riga with the city of Talsi20 The European Football Championship bus operator consortium kick off with Setra 30 In Norway, there are Setras which have been customised into small hospitals06 The high-end tourism provider Club Med deploys Setra for its shuttle services 08 The culmination of the ComfortClass 400: a look at the Final Edition special series

Setra Content | 0504 | Setra Content

42 Setra coaches deployed as shuttles at the Guiana Space Centre

Family News

16 | A princely contractFour new low-entry buses for PostAuto Liechtenstein

17 | To the “pearl of Kurland”Talsu Autotransports takes over 100th new vehicle for Latvia

22 | Setra Family get-togethersA look back and a look ahead at shows and exhibitions

24 | Sweet dreams in a SetraA Setra for the baby’s bedroom

25 | Contagious enthusiasmSales-Lentz Autocars S. A. places most extensive Setra order in the history of EvoBus Belgium and Luxemburg

32 | Coach and bus storiesReal-life Setra stories

36 | WESTbus drives SetraAn attractive and very unique model for city connections in Austria

37 | With safety in the foregroundCars Moreau also invests in passenger safety with ten new Setra coaches

38 | Donating wagesBus builders at the Neu-Ulm location support the “Aktion 100 000 undUlmer helft” charity campaign

42 | With Setra to the starsSetra bus shuttle at the Guiana Space Centre

Best in Class

06 | A Setra for the islandsSetra wins Club Med tender

18 | Tailor-made electricsA look behind the scenes at pre-assembly in Neu-Ulm

28 | Staggered seatingA progress report from Möllers Reisedienst in Neumünster

40 | Swiss flagship modelFour Setra luxury coaches for premium tour operator Car Rouge

Cover Story

08 | Final EditionThe highly advanced ComfortClass 400 vehicle concept

Premium Service

26 | New fleet management system FleetBoard system for coaches and buses has come a long way

34 | At your service 600 times overThe various categories of the OMNIplus service points

Highlight

20 | Setra at the Football EC16 teams, managers and officials travel in Setra coaches

Setra Individual

30 | Hospital on wheelsGeilo Turbusser uses Setra buses for transporting patients in Norway

38 | Your company in the leading roleThe benefits of customised Setra on-board videos

39 | Always a stitch aheadDecorative stitching and quilting give seating a touch of individuality

41 | Travel pleasure all along “la ligne”Setra takes on intercity applications for the first time in France

Setra Best in Class | 07

“Where happiness meets the world” – just like its slogan promises, the luxurious Club Med chain

offers all-inclusive, premium holidays. To ensure that the all-around luxury promise is met and that

guests are absolutely satisfied with their travel experience, the “Les Boucaniers” Club Med resort on

the Caribbean island of Martinique deploys a Setra S 411 HD coach as shuttle.

A Setra for the Caribbean islandsMartinique – Club Med uses Setra for its shuttle service:

T he “Les Boucaniers” Club Med in the Lesser Antilles offers every-thing to make travellers’ hearts beat just a little faster. The breathtakingly beautiful Club village is reminiscent of a fishing town on a picturesque bay where turquoise waters, endless palm trees and white powder beaches soothe the soul. With all this at guests’ disposal at the Club Med luxury resort, life can hardly get any better.

Needed: luxury shuttlesThere are four different types of Club Med resorts, each offering a different level of comfort. “Les Boucaniers” is a premium-category resort visited by affluent interna-tional guests. To meet their discerning expectations in terms of comfort and luxury in shuttle services, Club Med called for

tenders – where only the best would have a chance of winning. Setra customer, Trans-ports Bernard, with a Setra S 411 HD and headquarters in Rivière-Salée, easily per-suaded the resort management and was given the contract. Guy-Albert Bernard from Transports Bernard knew all along that he was on the right track with Setra: “At Transports Bernard, we believe that a luxurious holiday begins with a comfortable shuttle bus on the way to the resort from the airport. And from this perspective, Setra is and will always be our first choice.”

Equipment perfectly suited to the tropicsThe S 411 HD carries guests to the Caribbean Club Med resort from the airport to the village, and also takes them on sightseeing excursions around the “Flower island”, as

the locals call their Antillean gem. The luxury shuttle has 43 seats, two 19-inch screens as well as a panoramic-view and rear-view camera. As well, the shuttle is especially equipped for the tropical island climate. With a refrigerator, tinted windows and an air conditioning system suited to high tropi-cal temperatures, journeys in the Setra are pure holiday pleasure.

A perfect holiday feeling: Club Med offers its guests all-inclusive luxury – including an extremely comfortable shuttle bus

Club Med:A new definition of holiday luxurySince its inception in 1950, the Club Med chain, with its all-inclusive concept, has been single-mindedly driven by its objective to offer a new definition of holiday luxury to its guests. Travel, rooms, and evening en-tertainment are all included in the package. The concept has been met with great suc-cess: today the chain provides its guests all-inclusive holidays in over 80 Club Med resorts worldwide. Whether families, sin-gles or newlyweds, sports enthusiasts, wellness fans or simply those looking for utter relaxation, Club Med has the right package for any target group.

It is the culmination of a longstanding success story. With the Final Edition, the ComfortClass 400

has been refined even further – with exclusive design features and unusual, luxurious equipment

details. The Krebs family of bus entrepreneurs recently took delivery of two S 416 GT-HD/3 Special

Edition models at the Setra CustomerCenter in Neu-Ulm. And SetraFamily was there to witness their

maiden voyages.

Experiencing something ultra-specialTwo S 416 GT-HD/3 Final Edition coaches for Linden-Reisen:

08 | Setra Cover Story Setra Cover Story | 09

10 | Setra Cover Story Setra Cover Story | 11

S hortly before 12 noon. Gearing up to the festive handover ceremony with over 80 guest passengers, driver Ralf Juchems had a little time to make himself comfortable in the coach. He stud-ied the cockpit with meticulous attention to detail. His first impression: “The seating, the legroom and the all-around view are ideal. They promise a relaxed drive.” He was also impressed with the shape of the windscreen and the Final Edition’s uniquely forward-pulled roof. “The windscreen isn’t overly curved, so it offers ideal protection from direct sunlight.”

ComfortClass 400 success model with 6,000 vehiclesThe day at the CustomerCenter was also a premiere for senior partner Dieter Krebs. “Linden-Reisen”, which was founded as a

as well as a video surveillance system for the rear entrance.

The best proof of satisfactionIf his passengers are satisfied, then Dieter Krebs is too: “Many of our customers have been travelling with us all over Europe for years. And to me, that is still the best proof of satisfaction.” So, with this in mind, the premiere trip from Neu-Ulm to Rhineland- Palatinate was a true pleasure. The guests were delighted. Especially in Neu-Ulm when they were informed about the coaches’ in-genious, fully integrated safety system. After their return, 81-year-old Karl Holzhäuser commented: “I’ve been travelling with Linden-Reisen for over 50 years. It is hard to believe and so fascinating just how much has been done in the key areas of safety and comfort.”

transportation company in 1939, has been a Setra partner since 1986. And now, the third-generation family business which is managed by son Marco is also deploying ComfortClass 400 Final Edition vehicles. And he knows he is in very good company. First launched in 2003, the advanced ComfortClass 400 has since sold 6,000 units – and is thus the most popular Setra of all times. With the new Setra coaches, including the 20th new Setra coach for Linden-Reisen, the company is ushering in a new generation of touring comfort. “Both S 416 GT-HD/3 beautifully comple-ment our S 415 HD TopClass 400 coaches. With these remarkable vehicles, we are once again underscoring our quality commitment to safety, technology and to comfort as well”, proudly stated Dieter Krebs.

“You feel pleasantly relaxed”The state-of-the-art safety system also gives Jakob Blum peace of mind and a reassuring feeling. But there were other reasons why the 67-year-old felt comfort-able on his first trip in a ComfortClass 400: “I noticed the generous leg space immedi-ately. There is nothing that is narrow or cramped in this coach. You are made to feel absolutely relaxed. Even our driver was virtually seated as comfortably as he would be in a living room.”

Top design44-year-old Ute Klinkhammer also found the coach very comfortable: “I really liked the two-colour ambiance with the curtains and ultra-comfortable seats. You notice these details as a woman.” Klaus-Peter Meyer (47) is a passionate coach traveller

4-star luxuryThe 4-star luxury coaches are equipped with 49 “Voyage Plus” touring seats. The seat backs feature leather headrest inserts. With the coaches’ on-board galley with integrated 40-cup coffee machine and 8.5 l sausage cooker, service personnel can pamper passengers. The touring coaches, which are driven by a powerful, dynamic and environmentally friendly 315 kW OM 457 LA Mercedes-Benz engine, no wishes unanswered under their sheet metal exterior. Safety features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ART) with Active Brake Assist (ABA), Front Collision Guard (FCG) and Lane Assist (SPA). The driver has a complete view of goings-on all around and inside the coach. Both S 416 GT-HD/3 vehicles are equipped with a rear-view backup camera with integrated cleaning system,

who looks at things very closely and admitted with a smile: “I love to run my hands over different surfaces. I can’t resist. For example, I find the lighter carpeting on the side walls beautifully finished. It all reflects a very high quality and attention to detail. Also the Setra lettering in the seats. You really do feel like you’re sitting in a premium limou-sine.” And that wasn’t all he enjoyed: “The Setra S 416 GT-HD/3 is very quiet. I sat in the last row at the rear directly above the engine. But during the whole drive, you could hardly hear a thing. What a smooth ride.”

12 | Setra Cover Story Setra Cover Story | 13

For the love of detail The state-of-the-art cockpit of the Final Edition is a dream come true for bus drivers. The elegant, sub-dued design elements in the coach bear witness to the attention to detail Setra designers are known for.

14 | Setra Cover Story

T he Dr. Richard Group in Vienna took delivery of the double-decker coach. The largest private coach operator in Central Europe has accompanied the Setra brand right from the beginning with all five series – the 10, 100, 200, 300 and 400. It was also the first operator to drive all five model types of the current TopClass 400 series. The company uses the S 431 DT for touring and excursion applications as well as in the prestigious G1 line, which con-nects the South Burgenland with Vienna

several times a day. The new double-decker coach is in good company at Dr. Richard’s. Close to 450 vehicles carrying the Setra name are deployed by the group, and 40 of them are double-decker S 431 DT coaches. Since the market introduction of the S 431 DT in 2002, close to 15 % of all Setra double-decker coaches have been sold to customers in Austria.

1,000th Setra S 431 DT goes to Dr. Richard

The handover of the 1,000th double-decker: Axel Stokinger, Head of EvoBus Austria, Lothar Holder, Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches EvoBus GmbH, Dr. Ludwig Richard, Dr. Richard Group Management Board, Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses (l. to r.)

T he Penner travel agency in Stockerau recently became the proud owner of the 4,500th new Setra vehicle destined for Austria – an S 411 HD – along with a ComfortClass S 415 GT-HD and MultiClass

S 415 H. Managing directors Erwin and Mag. Elke M. Penner are proud to have made the largest investment since the foundation of their company, which is cel-ebrating its 20th anniversary this year: “The three new Setra coaches feature state-of-the-art equipment and the greatest possible comfort. And we now have the most ad-vanced and environmentally friendly coach fleet in Austria’s Weinviertel region.”

Austria crosses the 4,500 mark

Anniversary coach handover: Martin Biewald, Setra Brand Manager Central Europe, Erwin and Mag. Elke M. Penner, and Josef Schmitt, Sales Setra Buses and Coaches (from l. to r.)

M anaging directors Lena Persson and Lennart Robertsson took delivery of the S 416 GT-HD anniversary vehicle at the Neu-Ulm CustomerCenter from Michael Frey, former Head of Market Management Setra Export Markets. With this new vehicle, the Karl Everts company, which was taken over four years ago by entrepreneurs Persson and Robertsson, currently deploys five Setra coaches. Lena Persson: “Most of all, we value Setra’s high quality and comprehensive aftersales

service.” The vehicles owned by the South Swedish operation are on the road through-out Europe.

Scandinavia, Sweden, Setra!

Grattis!/Congratulations! Lena Persson (l.), Lennart Robertsson (m.) und Michael Frey, former

Head of Market Management Setra Export Markets

Setra Family News | 15

Passengers feel pampered when surrounded by the Final Edition’s stylish ambiance. You can not

only see the attention to detail, you can also feel it.

I n the principality of Liechtenstein, public transportation is almost exclusively served by bus lines. These are operated by PostAuto Liechtenstein under the authority of LIECHTENSTEINmobil (LIEmobil) with 39 buses. Since January 2012, LIEmobil is the successor organisation to the Liechten-stein Bus Company. PostAuto Liechtenstein is a PostAuto Switzerland company, the most important distributor in Swiss public transportation. PostAuto has been operat-ing the bus network in the principality on behalf of LIEmobil since 2001. As PostAuto was once again awarded with the contract in 2010, over half its fleet was updated. The

country’s mountainous landscapes call for very reliable, powerful buses – and the S 415 NF easily fulfils these requirements. Since then, four more Setra S 415 NF buses have joined the fleet. Their maintenance is in the best of hands: all LIEmobil buses are serviced by OMNIplus BusPort Altherr AG Schaan from Nesslau in St. Gallen.

A princely contract for Setra More than half of PostAuto Liechtenstein’s fleet has been modernised since 2011 – including four

Setra S 415 NF buses. PostAuto Liechtenstein is on the road for the LIECHTENSTEINmobil Transport

Services.

In Liechtenstein’s mountainous landscapes, powerful buses such as the Setra S 415 NF are needed

Liechtenstein – four new Setra low-entry buses for PostAuto:

I t was the 100th new Setra for Latvia, and the first to embark on the long trip to the central Baltic country since 1999. The S 415 UL from the Setra MultiClass 400, along with another S 415 UL, was delivered to the “Talsu Autotransports” company from Talsi to the West Latvian region Kurland. Both buses from Setra’s current generation of intercity buses are equipped with 49 seats. With their integrated service sets, double-glazing, adjustable seatbacks for the “Route” seats, air conditioning, destination display and space for a baby carriage across the middle entrance, they fulfil all requirements defined by the Latvian

Ministry of Transportation. Both vehicles will be deployed in interurban applications all around the “pearl of Kurland”, as Talsi is often referred to, as well as on the route to the country’s capital Riga, 120 kilometres away. The “Talsu Autotransports” company has coaches from all three Setra ranges – the TopClass 400, ComfortClass 400 and MultiClass 400 – in its fleet. The operation not only serves local and regional service lines, it also deploys its coaches on behalf of tour operators for tours all across Europe.

Two Setra vehicles for the “pearl of Kurland”With its purchase of two Setra S 415 UL buses, the “Talsu Autotransports” company recently took

over the 100th new vehicle for Latvia. The MultiClass 400 buses connect Talsi in West Latvia with

Riga, the country’s capital.

Raimonds Kalejs from the “Talsu Autotransports” bus company in front of the new Setra S 415 UL, the 100th Setra for Latvia

Latvia – 100th anniversary vehicle is a Setra S 415 UL:

Setra Family News | 1716 | Setra Family News

In the third part of our “Factory tour” series, tour guide Rolf Kürsammer, 68, escorts us through the

Neu-Ulm production facility – where he takes us through electrics pre-assembly for the underbody

cable bundle and cockpit cabling.

Tailor-made electricsFactory tour – electrics pre-assembly:

Now that’s what I would call “cable spaghetti”! Mr Kürsammer, can anyone keep a clear overview here? Of course! Every-thing that goes

on here is planned down to the smallest detail. For every vehicle, there are circuit diagrams, piece lists and working plans. This is how we make sure that during and after assembly, we can quickly follow up on where each cable comes from and where it’s going.

Here we are at the “underbody cable bundle” assembly area. What exactly goes on here?The underbody cable bundle runs through the length of the bus – from the main con-trol panel under the driver’s seat all the way to the secondary control panel right above the rear-right wheel well. It supplies the bus with its complete electrics and all circuitry, excluding the roof’s electrical system.

But all we see here is what looks like a very thick hose ...?It’s the so-called “zipper hose” and there is a lot on its inside. In fact, the underbody cable bundle includes around 150 individual cables – sometimes a little more and some-times a little less. After all, each and every Setra is unique – customised with its own features and components. Over and above the cable bundle supplied, at Setra it is given a “tailor-made suit” – specific to each bus. For this very purpose, the zipper is opened, additional cables are inserted and the bundle is then closed again.

It looks quite heavy. How does it get into the bus?You’re right: heavy it is. The underbody cable bundle alone weighs around 75 kilo-grams. When it is ready, it is rolled onto an assembly trolley. During assembly, it is then installed in the so-called cable package in the central channel with different lines – for fuel, water, air conditioning and brakes. This cable package is then lifted using a

crane through the windscreen and sunk into the coach’s central channel, so that all cables run under the floor.

And what happens if one of these lines is defective?The lines all have a white casing with a number that matches one on the circuit diagram. Customers’ special options have yellow cables with numbers and are easy to recognise. Coloured lines are data lines, for example to connect diagnostic devices. This way, problems with a line can be easily identified.

Here we see everyone working with great concentration. But who is actually supervising their work?There is no supervision per se during assembly, since the electrics work is per-formed with so-called “worker self-inspec-tion”. This means that each worker is responsible for his or her own work and signs off on the vehicle’s specifications.

But there must be some kind of a control system?Of course. At the final stage, a customer-specific software which is perfectly aligned to the specific customer’s bus configuration is entered into the system and then a ten-page checklist is processed. First of all, things are tested visually – do lights, indi-cators, brake lights, etc. all work? This is then followed by verification with diagnostic devices. In a stationary position, heating, pumps, valves, etc. are tested. And then, with the vehicle running, all electrical systems which relate to the engine are checked as well. In the finishing hall, the headlights are adjusted, and then it is verified in great detail whether the vehicle runs properly.

Now we have arrived at the workstation for cockpit cabling. It doesn’t look any less complex.You’re right. The cockpit has a separate cable bundle, which also connects between 400 and 500 cables with the main switch-board. In the cockpit itself, depending on the model, there will ultimately be up to 40 switches with which the driver can operate the coach’s complete electrical system.

How do the workers manage to lay 400 to 500 cables, without getting their arms all in knots?The cockpit is assembled on a so-called “oxen grill”, on which an original bus part is positioned, so that the cockpit then fits 100 percent during assembly. This oxen grill can be turned 360 degrees, so that the worker can always maintain an ideal work-ing position, without having to twist and turn. When the cables are mounted, the cockpit is installed onto a steel structure, with the instrument panel and the various switches. Then, using a crane, the entire cockpit is lifted to its position through the opening in the windscreen.

Looking at the cables, I can’t help but notice that they don’t have any soldered joints connecting them to the plugs.We don’t solder the cables. Instead we “squeeze” them using crimp connectors at cable ends.

And that lasts?As long as a Setra does. In other words: forever.

Underbody cable bundle and cockpit cabling – facts & figures:

• Approx. 150 cables are used in the underbody cable bundle

• The bundle weighs approx. 75 kg• It is 12-14 m long• It has a diameter of approx. 6 cm• There are approx. 3 km of cables

in the underbody cable bundle• 400-500 cables are deployed

in the cockpit cabling• There are approx. 40 switches

in a Setra cockpit• And 7,000 connectors in every bus• 10 km of cable are used in a bus• 40 workers work in electrical

pre-assembly

Facility tour guide Rolf Kürsammer, 68, was previously employed as expert welding engineer at Kässbohrer/EvoBus for 38 years

18 | Setra Best in Class Setra Best in Class | 19

Using a crane, the cable package is lowered into the bus’ middle channel

The underbody cable bundle assembly at the Setra manufacturing facility in Neu-Ulm

Cables of different colours facilitate the diagnosis of problems as they occur

On June 8, the 14th Football EC will be kicked off. The whole football world will be watching Poland

and the Ukraine – and the Setra brand too. Bus operators from the 2012 European Football Champion-

ship consortium have already taken over the first 30 Setra touring coaches of the total 40 ordered.

Successful double pass2012 European Football Championship:

20 | Setra Highlight Setra Highlight | 21

J ust two short months before the offi-cial kick-off in Warsaw, the only thing everyone was talking about at the Setra CustomerCenter in Neu-Ulm was football. On April 18, Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses, and Lothar Holder, Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches EvoBus GmbH, handed over 30 luxury touring

coaches to the organisers and drivers of the 2012 European Championship which will be held in eight stadiums between June 8 and July 1. During the three-week cham-pionship, the vehicles will be available to transport the 16 teams, managers, officials and their guests. A consortium bringing to-gether two bus operators “Sindbad” and

“RafTrans”, as well as Setra’s Austrian customer “Blaguss”, is responsible for the organisation of the transfer. All three oper-ations unanimously opted for the quality and safety of Setra’s touring coaches in co-ordination with the UEFA European Football Association and Hyundai, its official spon-sor. Once again this year, the double pass

with OMNIplus’ comprehensive service offering and its wide-coverage network were also key to the consortium’s decision.The three bus operators purchased a total of 40 coaches. The order included 19 S 415 GT-HD vehicles, 15 S 416 GT-HD coaches, an S 417 GT-HD and two S 419 GT-HD vehicles from the Setra ComfortClass 400. An S 417 HDH and two double-decker

S 431 DT coaches will be available to carry officials and VIPs in Poland and the Ukraine, along with two luxury Setra TopClass 400 coaches. Following the awards ceremony, the vehicles will be joining the fleets of the three respective tour operators.As with football, solid training is vital to suc-cess in the bus world as well. For this very reason, OMNIplus invited the drivers of the

European Championship coaches to Neu-Ulm two days prior to the festive handover celebration. In the nearby town of Lange-nau, the drivers received a theoretical and practical briefing at the buses followed by an extensive training program focusing on the key areas of safety, cost-effectiveness and driving skills which they successfully completed by passing a written test.

Gearing up to the EC with a smile (from left to right):Lothar Holder (Head of Sales Setra Buses and

Coaches EvoBus GmbH), Rafał Janczuk (owner of the RafTrans company), Ryszard Wójci (owner of the Sindbad company),

Hartmut Schick (Head of Daimler Buses)

´

Direct, personal contacts with peers are key to most business people, and this is especially true in the

coach and bus sector. For this very reason, operators are keen on having all the important trade shows

in their calendars. Here, SetraFamily provides an overview of past trade show highlights as well as the

most important ones for the coming year.

Setra get-togethersA look back and a look ahead:

Setra Family News | 23

quite a lot of enthusiasm, especially among customers who offer long-distance trips. While the very large luggage compartment with a continuous loading surface and the possibility to load from both sides was most

A look back:19th International Pre-Owned Coach & Bus Fair (IGOM), 1/4-6/2012: The IGOM, which kicks off the new year, has evolved into an important contact plat-form with international flair. Right next to the Setra Pre-owned Vehicle Center, well- known used-vehicle dealers, EvoBus sub-sidiaries and general representatives once again presented their attractive wares. And in fact, many of the 217 pre-owned vehicles available found proud, new owners. The participating dealers were also delighted with their sales success. The high export share of close to 50 % of the vehicles sold appears to indicate a recovery of export markets. More than 1,600 visitors from all

Exhibition Preview RDA Workshop, Cologne, 7/17–19/2012: Service providers from all tourism sectors will be presenting their ideas and products to support tomorrow’s business. Not only will trends be highlighted, contacts made and enhanced, but also, orders will be placed and experiences shared – all at one venue and in just a little while. This year again, Setra will be presenting itself in Hall 10 with two current vehicles in a very attractive ambiance.

81st Izmir Enternasyonal Fuari, 8/31–9/9/2012:Trade shows in Turkey are always a very

special experience. Doors usually open at 17.00 and visitors can meet and chat in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy the balmy weather until 1.00 in the morning.

64th IAA Commercial Vehicles Trade Show, Hanover, 9/20-27/2012: This year, the number one trade show for mobility, transportation and logistics will be profiling itself under the motto “Driving the Future”. Its comprehensive offering of inno-vations, exhibitors from wide-ranging groups and sectors, discussions and well-informed visitors all together make for an event that is quite unique. Setra will be represented with 7 exhibits in the Daimler Hall.

fascinating to operators who organise one-day shopping tours.

UMA Motorcoach Expo, California, 2/8-12/2012: At this year’s United Motorcoach Associ-ation (UMA) show, Setra presented an ex-clusive TopClass S 417 touring coach as well as an exceptionally cost-effective ComfortClass S 407 model. Along with a host of comfortable equipment features, this year’s exhibits were shown with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which will be available from now on in Setra’s North American touring coaches. In con-trast with the Setra TopClass S 417 which features a European design concept, the Setra ComfortClass S 407 is a classical touring coach reflecting North American design trends – a very attractive alternative in the business segment.

Holiday World, Prague, 2/9-12/2012: The first two days of the largest international tourism show in the Czech Republic, with its 20,000 m2 exhibition area, were reserved for trade visitors. On the following week-end, the event was open to the public. 725 exhibitors from 47 countries presented their goods and services to over 32,000 visitors and nearly 800 press representa-tives. Setra was present on location with an S 415 GT-HD exhibited outdoors.

SetraShow Berlin, 3/3-4/2012: The SetraShow in the German capital! Everyone, including Berlin residents, were delighted that a SetraShow once again took place at the BusWorld Home in Berlin-Mari-endorf. With an S 8, an S 80, an S 208 H, an S 309 HD and an S 411 HD in the entrance area alone, five generations of coaches gave visitors an impressive welcome. At the BusWorld Home Berlin, an S 411 HD, a Final

Edition S 415 GT-HD and an anniversary edition S 416 HDH were the true highlights of the show. The show also featured pres-entations on the “Coach travel 2.0” topic, the popular Setra GrandPrix Qualifying, test drives, ABA demonstrations as well as the introduction of FleetBoard, the new fleet management system.

TUR Show, Göteborg, 3/22-25/2012: As always, the travel season in Sweden began with the TUR Show in Göteborg. Ex-hibitors from all over Sweden and other parts of the world – with a focus on travel and tourism – were there. Setra presented a Setra S 416 HDH which now belongs to Vartofta Buss AB. The TUR Show is an im-portant Swedish meeting point – ideal for networking and meeting customers.

BeoTruck, Belgrade, 3/27-31/2012: The BeoTruck show is the most important commercial vehicle trade exhibition in Southeast Europe. In close collaboration with its local organisation, the Setra brand presented the Final Edition S 415 GT-HD. As well, in the context of the show, Setra’s new sales partner for Serbia, Mr Branislav Vajagic, was officially presented to Serbian customers. A highlight of the event was the sale of an S 431 DT to a customer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SetraShow Neu-Ulm, 11/17-18/2012: A new date at a well-known venue! Please note that the SetraShow in Neu-Ulm will be held at new dates this year.

over Europe gathered in Neu-Ulm for the event.

Setra Träff, Sweden, 1/13-14/2012:In spite of the snow and cold weather con-ditions, the Swedish Setra Family got to-gether in January at the traditional Setra Träff. Visitors had the opportunity to test- drive Setra coaches along the 2 km long test course, and to take part in seminars and technical discussions. This year’s un-contested guest of honour was, along with an S 416 GT-HD Final Edition, a Setra S 419 GT-HD with a second entrance be-hind the rear axle, and a WC and galley at the rear of the coach. This model sparked

A look ahead:

Showing its colours in Prague: the Setra S 415 GT-HD

An American dream: the Setra TopClass S 417

A cool appearance in Sweden

For more information on Setra and Setra events, simply visit www.setra.de. If you’d like to be kept up to date, our online newsletter will keep you informed regularly on all Setra news. Register now at www.setra.de and in no time at all, you’ll start receiving all your information first-hand.

22 | Setra Family News

A main attraction for show visitors: the Setra stand at the RDA Workshop in Cologne

Family businesses are often successful in the coach and bus sector. A company founded by the

grandfather is often passed on to a son or daughter, and then further managed by their own children.

These children are weaned on a love of buses and coaches early on. Or even in the coach itself, as

with the Petkov family from Bulgaria.

Sweet dreams in a SetraBulgaria – customised Setra furniture:

24 | Setra Family News

T he Chona Travel company is a small family operation in the Petrich region in Southern Bulgaria. Stefan Petkov manages the business together with his father and his older brother. The fleet includes only Setra coaches – an S 215 HD, an S 315 UL, an S 315 HD and, since 2010, an S 415 HD TopClass – the company’s pride and joy.As Stefan Petkov and his wife Gergana announced their family was expanding just a few months after the fleet itself had grown, Stefan came up with an offbeat

idea. He thought it would be wonderful to pass on his passion for coaches directly to his child. Not with a real Setra of course, but a wood model – created especially for a child. With a sketch of his company’s Top-Class in hand, he headed to a local master carpenter and asked him to build a piece of kids’ furniture to look just like a Setra coach.The master carpenter, whose speciality is kitchen furniture, was pleased to accept the challenge and immediately got to work. With great attention to detail, he created a

piece of furniture combining a bed, a clothes cupboard and a diaper-changing table. He sawed, drilled and sanded for close to a month, until his masterpiece was finished – 150 cm long, 70 cm wide and 100 cm high. Just in time for the arrival of the baby, the mini-model Setra was delivered to Gergana and Stefan Petkov’s home. We don’t know yet whether the child dreams of coaches and travel. But little Alexander’s parents are convinced that we feels perfectly at home in his Setra.

Close to the real thing – with a lot of storage space in the luggage compartment. A clothes cupboard is located behind the door, with a changing table right above itIt is the most extensive Setra order in the history of EvoBus Belgium and Luxemburg. In January

2011, Sales-Lentz Autocars S. A., the largest private bus operating company in Luxemburg, took over

the Belgian touring company Voyages Léonard S. A. and ordered 32 new Setra coaches.

Contagious enthusiasmBelgium/Luxemburg – the Sales-Lentz Group drives Setra:

W ith its impressive fleet of close to 300 vehicles, Sales-Lentz Autocars S. A., from the Bas-charage region in Luxemburg, is a well- known entity in the bus sector. Since Janu-ary 2011, the Voyages Léonard S. A. with headquarters in the Barchon area in Belgium also belongs to the Sales-Lentz Group. Pascal and David Léonard are both active in the third-generation family business which has been a loyal Setra customer for 40 years. The brothers are so convinced of the brand that the company’s 30-vehicle fleet includes only Setra coaches.Their enthusiasm for Setra was apparently contagious. After the take-over, Sales-Lentz signed a contract for the delivery of 32 new

Setra TopClass coaches. “Setra belongs to the top segment and radiates top class”, says managing director Marc Sales. “We consider the Setra TopClass the Rolls-Royce among coaches. The drivers’ enthusiasm as well as that of all Voyages Léonard employees for the quality offered by the brand from Ulm really impressed us. This was definitely a big part of our decision to select the Setra brand for our company in Luxemburg as well as for Voyages Léonard.”The festive handover of the first ten vehicles for Léonard – five S 431 DTs, four S 416 HDHs and one S 415 HD – took place in December 2011 at the Setra Customer-Center in Neu-Ulm. For the occasion, the

Belgians gathered together 50 employees, travel directors and several journalists, taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the city and the Setra manufacturing facilities. In January 2012, delivery of the first three from a total of 15 TopClass coaches for Sales-Lentz took place, and at a later date seven more will be delivered to Léonard. All coaches are equipped with premium components and features, including a glass roof, multi- channel sound system, state-of-the-art safety systems such as SPA, ABA and ART, as well as alloy wheels and Power- Shift transmission. Four vehicles are also equipped with premium 2+1 Ambassador seating.

Setra Family News | 25

Non-stop passion for Setra – as the first Setra coaches to Voyages Léonard S. A. are handed over (l. to r. Lothar Holder, David Léonard, Pascal Léonard)

Get-together at the BusWorld show in Kortrijk: l. to r. Lothar Holder (Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches EvoBus GmbH), Jos Sales (Managing Director Sales-Lentz), Marc Sales (Managing Director Sales-Lentz), Hans Smits (CEO EvoBus Belgium)

Up until recently, the fleet management system specially conceived for coaches and buses was

known under the BusFleet name. Now, the telematics system for intercity, touring and city vehicles

has been developed further and is available through the Daimler FleetBoard GmbH telematics

provider. The system’s latest innovation is that you can access it conveniently via iPhone or iPad

when you’re on the road.

Saving time and fuel with FleetBoard – conveniently and with ease

New FleetBoard fleet management system:

26 | Setra Premium Service

W here exactly is my bus? How long has my driver been on the road? How soon will both of them be ready for the next trip? Opera-tors know that high-level transparency with regard to their coaches and drivers is indis-pensable for a well-run operation. And this

is exactly what FleetBoard, the coach and bus-specific fleet management system, of-fers. Serving customer needs to a tee, it can reveal significant unused savings po-tential. For instance, it offers the possibility to significantly reduce fuel consumption. Setra and Mercedes-Benz coaches and

buses Europe-wide can be equipped with the FleetBoard system ex works. Vehicles from other manufacturers can be retro- fitted. Here, SetraFamily provides an over-view of the different FleetBoard services available.

With the App for iPhones and iPads, you can call up the location and availability of your fleet and your drivers – anywhere, anytime and free of charge!

Mapping: Where is my bus?With FleetBoard Mapping, using a digital street map, operators can call up the cur-rent location of a coach or even a detailed tracking at 30-second intervals. And this, at any point in time. Over and above locat-ing, key trip events, warning and status notifications and reports can be displayed as well. With the “Geofencing” function, spe-cific entry and exit areas can be defined. This not only provides key information on location of bus and driver, but also a big security benefit in the case of theft.

Deployment Analysis:How cost-effective is my coach’s performance?Using the FleetBoard Deployment Analysis function, you can considerably optimise your coach’s cost-effectiveness: fuel con-sumption as well as wear & tear can be reduced by up to 10 % – simply by driving more cost-effectively. Driver data and data on vehicle speed, rotational speed and heavy braking enable objective conclusions to be drawn on the driver’s individual driving style. These assessments provide valuable assistance, especially on how driving style can be optimised.

Trip Recording:When is my bus moving and when has it stopped?With the help of the Trip Recording func-tion, you can determine exactly when and where the coach drove or stopped, and whether the doors were opened or closed. Based on this information, you can follow up on passenger requests as to whether a certain vehicle actually stopped at a bus stop, or whether the ramp for people with limited mobility was used. Via the “Reports” feature, the driver can send standardised messages to headquarters. And vice versa: messages can also be sent from the com-pany to the bus via the instrument cluster display. The transmission of further vehicle reports enable, for instance, information on the use of the retarder or the usage cycles of additional heating or air conditioning. Conclusions regarding the condition of the

vehicle, and therefore on cost-effective-ness or comfort, can be derived. This contributes to more effective planning of required maintenance schedules and time-critical vehicle inspections.

Time Management:When is my driver driving or relaxing?With the FleetBoard Time Management function, driver work times can be planned based on actual rest periods and remaining drive times. The data can then be automati-cally entered into a payroll accounting system. Also, the legally prescribed driver card download can be carried out any-where and anytime. Additionally, automatic transmission of mass memory data from the digital tachograph can be performed remotely. Especially for long coach ab-sences, this enables significant time and cost savings.

Service:When does my coach need to be inspected?Using the Service function, all key oper-ational data including of course mileage, along with selected warning messages can be transmitted. Timely messages and alerts, i.e. on oil level or pressure are pro-cessed immediately by FleetBoard and

The Daimler FleetBoard GmbH ...… has, since its foundation in 2000, estab-lished itself as one of the European market leaders in commercial vehicle telematics. The user-friendly FleetBoard terminals and services support fleet managers, planners and drivers of buses, trucks and transport-ation fleets in all sectors and brands. With FleetBoard, you can significantly improve your fleet’s performance with regard to:• Cost-effectiveness: with considerable

savings on fuel, repairs and maintenance costs.

• Optimising logistics, information and organisational processes: transport management and time management with tachograph downloads.

• Environmental protection: CO2 savings through reduced fuel consumption.

Since 2000, 95,000 vehicles with over 2,500 customers have been equipped with a Fleet-Board system.

An overview of FleetBoard servicesFleetBoard services encompass numerous functions targeted at optimising the quality of driving and processes – to reduce vehicle wear and fuel consumption while increasing service quality:Mapping: Worldwide overview at a glanceDeployment Analysis: Documentation on quality of drivingTrip Recording: Transparency on bus deploymentNotifications: Text communication with the busTime Management: Analysis and archiving of tachograph dataService: Analysis of operational data, maintenance planning

Setra Premium Service | 27

made available by means of the “Bus- Client“. The operator therefore knows early on when the bus needs to go in for repairs or maintenance.

Free FleetBoard AppAs the first provider of telematics solutions, FleetBoard offers a free App for iPhones and iPads to support fleet management and deployment analysis. The only prerequi-sites for use are a vehicle equipped with FleetBoard and a service contract. The App enables vehicle deployment, work times and driver’s driving style, vehicle fuel con-sumption and even door and ramp status to be displayed – anywhere and anytime. With just a few clicks, operators can access a detailed overview of their entire fleet. This not only saves time and money, but also frayed nerves. You’ll find further information at www.fleetboard.com.

Setra always comes up with innovative concepts – for its coaches’ interiors as well. For example, its

staggered seating configuration – with the aisle seats positioned slightly ahead of the window seats –

available as special equipment for TopClass models since 2011. Companies like Möllers Reisedienst

from Neumünster love the idea.

“Never again without!”Staggered seating as special equipment:

J ust a few extra centimetres make a huge difference. In fact, six centi-metres open up more space and comfort in the shoulder and elbow areas, while allowing an enhanced view through side windows. With the staggered seating, the aisle-side passenger seats are posi- tioned six centimetres ahead of the window seats. “The passengers were somewhat perplexed when they entered the coach and saw the staggered seats for the first time”, reports Peter Möller from Möllers Reisedienst in Neumünster, Schleswig-Hol-stein, “but as soon as they settled into their seats, they were delighted.”

“Comfort is key to our passengers”Siblings Silke and Peter Möller are the managing directors of the company in Neu-münster. And, since the early eighties, they only deploy the coaches from Neu-Ulm, currently eight TopClass S 415 HDH mod-els. “Setra simply builds the best and the safest coaches”, says Peter Möller. He is convinced that his 4-star fleet will soon evolve into a 5-star business. Since 2011, they have had two S 415 HDH models with the staggered seating configuration – available exclusively with Setra – and the response has been so positive that another one joined the fleet in March 2012. “Never again without staggered seating”, Peter Möller adds. “Along with safety, what’s real-ly important for passengers is comfort. And staggered seating, with generous space between seats, plays an important role. It’s not only couples who travel by coach. There

are times where you’re sitting next to someone you hardly know or even a perfect stranger. Freedom of movement is there-fore really important.”

Coveted window seatsOver and above more freedom of move-ment, passengers are delighted with the enhanced view. Driver Thomas Holstein knows this well. He has been driving for Möllers Reisedienst for a good 25 years. “Passengers who have travelled just once with staggered seating, want to have it again on their next trip”, he reports. “One of

the great advantages of coach travel is the fact that you can enjoy the landscapes up close. With staggered seating, the passen-ger sitting in the aisle seat can enjoy the view just as much as the one seated right next to the panoramic window.”Experienced drivers have also come to appreciate another fact resulting from staggered seating: “Before staggered seating, there were often discussions between passengers as to who would take the coveted window seat. Now, it’s no longer an issue.”

28 | Setra Best in Class Setra Best in Class | 29

Staggered seating: more freedom of movement and an enhanced view for passengers

Long-distance touring and line service are the most common applications for Setra coaches. But

Setra can also offer so much more. In Norway, bus operators such as Geilo Turbusser are deploying

Setra buses for unusual applications: for instance, as a mobile hospital.

The hospital on wheelsNorway – two Setra hospital buses for Geilo Turbusser:

30 | Setra Individual

I n Norway, many rural areas are sparsely populated. As a result, many people live quite a distance from hos- pitals and, if need be, they have to call a taxi or an ambulance – which can be extremely

expensive especially for the chronically ill. With this in mind, Norwegian hospitals came up with the idea to equip and deploy spacious coaches with emergency medical equipment and personnel, as an alternative

to individualised transport. It turned out to be much more than just a good idea. Today, all around the country, tenders for supply-ing medical services are being held where such support is needed.

Setra Individual | 31

In 1999, Geilo Turbusser was founded by Steinar Juvet in Geilo, Hallingdal. In the same year, he purchased his first Setra, an S 215 HDH coach. Geilo’s core business is to provide hospital bus services. But coach travel and class excursions are also on the program. Geilo Turbusser is currently plan-ning on further expanding the company’s hospital bus business: the next S 419 GT-HD hospital bus is expected in May of this year. Along with the hospital buses, the company has three Setra touring coaches in its fleet.

people at one time. The separating walls, workstations, WC, electronics, water tanks and vacuum units in the hospital buses are installed by the Frenzel company in Ober- sulm-Sülzbach near Heilbronn. The special-ised medical equipment is then installed by the Norwegian company Handicare.

A hospital on wheelsThe buses left the Setra production facility with an even floor, a disabled lift and airline tracks – ideally equipped for the tasks to come. The front part of the buses is equipped like a touring coach with passen-ger seating, including calf support, whereas medical devices and equipment are located in the rear section of the coach. Moreover, there are three hospital beds, a WC for the disabled, a mini-galley to provide patients

with hot beverages and snacks, hot and cold water, as well as an electrical connec-tion at every seat. Just like a small hospital – on wheels.

Transporting patients and medicineGeilo Turbusser from the winter sport para-dise Geilo in Hallingdal won one of these tenders and, to meet demand, purchased two new Setra S 419 G-HD hospital buses – rounding out Geilo Turbusser’s active fleet to seven Setra hospital buses. The two new Setra coaches drive the Geilo-Ringe-rike-Oslo and Geilo-Drammen-Oslo routes. They have several hospitals along their routes and transport not only patients, but also medical supplies and equipment be-tween hospitals.

Medical first aidOver and above their daily routes, the hos-pital buses are also deployed as emergency stations at large sports events or whenever quick medical support is required for many

Patients can lie comfortably in Geilo Turbusser’s Setra hospital bus

Setra Familien News | 29

All locked upA fter working at Setra for 40 years, and today as a tour guide at the Setra plant, Rolf K. has some great stories to tell. But there is one that is most definitely his favourite story of all. For months, he and his co-workers laughed every time they thought about it, and even the one who the story is all about was ulti-mately able to laugh about his misfortune as well.Setra is famous for its special equipment – anything is possible. Along with club corners for tour groups or extravagantly luxurious equipment with gold and marble for oil barons and rock stars, Setra also cus- tomises coaches for very specialised appli-cations, for instance library buses or even buses for prisoner transport.Of course, for applications such as these, it is especially important that the bus be taken for a test drive and checked very meticulously. After all, who wants to experi-ence a breakdown with a bus full of crimi-nals on a lonely country road? “Excuse me,

would you pass me the jack?” I don’t think so: none of us really needs that.So, our colleague was driving through the

countryside testing the various functions, when he suddenly heard a strange rattling at the back of the bus. Three curves later, he could still hear it. So he stopped the bus, walked around to the back and climbed in to check where the noise could possibly be coming from.As fate would have it, at that very moment, a hefty blast of wind slammed the door shut, literally imprisoning our test driver. And, as you would expect, the door could not be opened from the inside. As well, the bus didn’t feature normal windows, but only very small ones. Great views were clearly not a priority when customising these buses. Unfortunately this meant that the driver couldn’t even see when help was in sight.Our imprisoned test driver had no alterna-tive but to hammer away at the walls and doors of the bus to catch attention. At one

point, someone driving by noticed the bus and was perplexed by the noise coming from its insides. But, just think about it: would you be very enthusiastic about free-ing someone from a prisoner bus? I know I wouldn’t. The police were called to the site where they proceeded to question the “prisoner” in great detail, until the driver was finally released.Needless to say, that after this experience,

the bus passed the test and was certified as delivering absolute reliability against possible escape. The rattling door which caused the whole problem in the first place has since been taken care of as well. Submitted by Rolf K., Ulm, Germany

To commemorate the 60

th anniversary of the Setra bran

d, we collected stories about

Setra coaches

and buses from all around the

world. The SetraFamily is de

lighted to present to you a s

election of

these very unique anecdotes a

s part of an ongoing series. Yo

u’ll also find them at www.set

ra.de

Real-life Setra stories

Setra anniversary year coach

stories:

A coach on rails

B us operator Christian K

. remem-

bers March 10, 1961 very we

ll. It

was the day he took deliver

y of

his very first Setra. And from

that day on,

the Setra S 6 was his pride

and joy. At the

time, the “Club bus” with it

s six rows of

seats was quite unusual. K

ässbohrer had

succeeded in designing a coa

ch with all the

handling characteristics of a

passenger car.

Christian couldn’t wait to g

o on tour with

it, so he quickly spread the

news and an-

nounced the first trips. Th

e destinations

were mostly in the Alps and

were very well

received by the passengers w

ho didn’t have

cars and who wanted to do so

me exploring.

During the Pentecost holiday

in 1984, Chris-

tian had become the proud

owner of an-

other Setra S 6, and he w

as once again

headed towards the Swiss

Rhone Valley.

As always, both Setra-Kässb

ohrer coaches

easily mastered the steep mo

untain passes.

The trip was a great success

. The following

morning, however, he looke

d out the win-

dow and couldn’t believe his

eyes – every-

thing was covered in pure w

hite! He knew

right away that we wouldn’t b

e able to climb

the 2,436 m Furkapass, wh

ich joins the

Ursern valley in the Swiss

Canton of Uri

with the district of Goms in

the Canton of

Wallis. But then, since the w

eather was not

scheduled to improve, he ha

d an idea. Why

not drive on the Bahn rail

with the two

coaches? He immediately c

ontacted the

historic Furkabahn.

At the rail station, you could

feel the excite-

ment. Never before had buse

s been loaded

onto the Furkabahn! Would th

e two coaches

even fit onto the rail which

usually only

carried cars? The railway m

anager arrived

with his yardstick and took th

e exact coach

measurements. According t

o his figures,

they would just fit. Loading t

hem onto the

rails seemed to take forever,

and it was with

great apprehension that Chr

istian watched

his coaches as they were he

aved onto the

wagons, centimetre by cent

imetre – pray-

ing that they wouldn’t get stu

ck along the

way.

In the meantime, several s

pectators had

congregated, speculating w

hether some-

thing would go wrong wit

h the loading

process. But happily, every

thing worked

according to plan.

Once the coaches were safe

ly loaded, the

Furkabahn was more tha

n generously

rewarded for its efforts. The

rail employees

were thrilled: they had nev

er done such

good business on that line b

efore. The bus

operator was also relieved –

after all, there

is nothing you wouldn’t do

to make sure

your passengers arrive safely

and on time.

So they drove by rail all the

way to Ander-

matt – where there was n

o snow to be

found and where they coul

d continue on

their journey. The passenge

rs didn’t seem

to mind the delay. After all, n

ot many of us

can boast ever having travel

led in a coach

on rails.

Submitted by C

hristian K., Lorch, Germany

32 | Setra Family News

16 | Setra Premium Service

Wherever you are, OMNIplus is always close – with 35 of its own service points and over 600 authorised

service centers. What exactly do the OMNIplus BusWorld, OMNIplus BusPort and BusPoint designa-

tions mean? Here’s an overview from SetraFamily.

OMNIplus service point categories:

W hether for repairs, maintenance, original parts supply or even paint-work, lettering and film applications, the full-coverage OMNIplus ServiceNetwork is

unique Europe-wide – in its quality, reliabili-ty, speed and proximity to customers. So that all our customers know who the right partner is to answer their needs, we have

categorised the OMNIplus service points according to the scope of services offered:

In January, the Eugen Herrmann GmbH from the Middle Franconian Schwabach area was rated with the

highest possible OMNIplus BusWorld service category designation. The company, which was founded

in 1967 by Eugen Herrmann, has 24 employees and is now managed by daughter Susanne.

“We did it for our customers”

Ms Herrmann, congratulations, Mr Herrmann, congratulations and welcome to OMNIplus BusWorld!What are the requirements which had to be met for you to achieve this highest category rating?The investments we made to meet all the re-quirements were quite high. It all began with a finely tuned replacement parts logistics

and ordering process, and with our stock-ing up on the most important parts. Then, employee training in replacement parts logistics and in repairs was required, and we had to purchase special equipment and tools. Additionally, we adapted our outdoor signage and overall appearance to reflect the OMNIplus identity. And, of course, we had to be linked to the OMNIplus Service-

Network. Finally, extended opening hours and 24h SERVICE were also important.

What do you hope to achieve with the OMNIplus BusWorld service category designation? On the one hand, we want to underscore the fact that we offer specialised bus and coach services. We have 12 repair positions and are equipped to handle everything from maintenance to mechanics, body-work, paintwork and upholstery all the way through to retrofitting comfort installations. As an OMNIplus BusWorld service point, we can now offer our customers even better service while ensuring enhanced operational availability and minimised vehicle downtime. Ultimately, we didn’t do it for ourselves, but for our customers.

OMNIplus BusWorld is what we call our premium service points with the broadest available spectrum of services. BusWorld Home identifies our own operations in this category. The services offered by an OMNIplus BusPort are supplemented by:• Certified employees with expert training• The highest level of diagnostic expertise

with direct contact to factory customer service

• Body repairs, tire services and paintwork

• The greatest parts availability• Extended opening hours:

Mo-Fr 8-20h; Sa 8-12h; 24h SERVICE

OMNIplus BusPort is the designation we use for basic ServiceNetwork locations offering bus-specific services with OMNIplus quality. This encompasses:• Bus-specific repairs; standardised basic

employee qualification, supplemented by training in a variety of key areas

• A diagnostic system for coaches and buses and comprehensive special tools

• Either our own or coop partnerships with HVAC specialists

• The complete offering of all OMNIplus services and service products as well as acceptance of the OMNIplus ServiceCard and SetraCard

• The mobility concept• High parts availability• Europe-wide, country-specific

opening hours

BusPoint locations are our emergency service points which supplement the ServiceNetwork in export markets with low coach and bus inventories:• Repairs in the context of 24h SERVICE

only, standardised basic employee qualification for emergency repairs

• A diagnostic system for coaches and buses and a minimum inventory of special tools

• Coop partnerships with HVAC specialists• Acceptance of the OMNIplus Service-

Card and SetraCard

Setra Premium Service | 35

Did you know ...that you can find the service centres closest to you with addresses and maps, and determine the itineraries for all service stations along the selected route – quickly and easily at www.omniplus.de?

Susanne and Martin Herrmann from Eugen Herrmann GmbH in Schwabach (Middle Franconia) received the coveted OMNIplus BusWorld service category designation in January

How well do you know OMNIplus?

Austria: Böhm Judith, Kleinmutschen • Gollowitsch Franz Josef, Markt Hartmannsdorf • Gruber Touristik GmbH, Graz • Hofstätter Touristik GmbH, Althofen • Reisebüro Komm. Rat Franz Mayer GmbH, Semmering • Franz Mitterbauer GmbH, Ruprechtshofen • Neubauer Regina, Altenberg • P. Springer & Söhne, Klagenfurt • Belgium: Jean-Luc Cars, Bressoux • Voyages Roland Van Gyseghem, Mons • Zeimers AG, Heppenbach • Denmark: AlsBussen, Hadsund • Estonia: Indreg Kahn, Tallinn • Germany: Bad Wildunger Kraftwagen-Verkehrs- und Wasserversorgungsgesellschaft, Bad Wildungen • BE-Reisen, Minden • Bender, Ehringshausen • Beth, Lampertheim • Boos, Allershausen • Erich Diekena & Sohn, Upgant-Schott • Eisgruber, Velden • Florian Enders, Enders-Busbetrieb, Hannover • Enzinger, Piding • Friebel, Beerfelde • Geraldy, Schmelz • Hamburg City Vision GmbH, Hamburg • Halbasch, Lieberose • Emil Hilgen, Edewecht • Hirschmann, Lautenhofen • Höninger, Waldfeucht • Individual-Reisen, owned by Michael Koch, Bad Wünneberg • Kammerbauer, Titting • Königswinkel, Füssen • Landgraf-Reisen, Rückersdorf • LPG, Markranstädt • Ludwig, Schlottheim • Marquardt, Crailsheim • Nette, Burgstädt • Növermann, Mettmann • Pellemeyer, Lienen • Pfeil, Hohenstein • Pussack, Syke • Quitzk, Kolkwitz • Rothhaar, Zweibrücken • Sausner Reisen, owned by Frank Cordes, Stuhr • Scherer, St. Peter • Sdunek, Werneuchen • Schmid, Heubach • Stiehlow Tours, Schafflund • Tabu-Reisen, Eggersdorf • Teich, Quitzdorf • Ufer, Wipperfürth • Wackerl, Todtenweis • WMR, Müllheim • Else Wulf, taxi operator, Ihlow-Westersander • Iceland: Sudurleidir e.h.f. • Netherlands: Kras Reizen, Ammerzoden • Sweden: Sölvesborgs Taxi, Sölvesborg • Stock-holmsbuss, Sollentuna • Sundströms Buss, Färila • Tottes Bussar, Visby • Switzerland: Bührer, Hirzel • GBS, Susten • Gloor, Veltheim • Twerenbold, Baden-Rütihof • Turkey: Ulusoy, Istanbul

Welcome to the Setra family

T he family company from Fontaine- Fourches which was founded in 1958 has been a Setra customer for a good 30 years. It currently owns 23 Setra coaches. Along with design and first-class customer service and support, Setra’s exceptional safety was key to manager Danielle Moreau’s decision. For the most part, the coaches will be deployed in long-distance touring applications: “Passenger safety is always in the foreground. But we never compromise on comfort: with high-quality seats, an extra-generous distance between seats and the panorama roof.”The new coaches – four S 415 GT-HDs, four S 416 GT-HDs and two S 415 HDs – all feature state-of-the-art active and passive safety components. With the Adaptive Cruise Control (ART) feature, which auto-matically controls the distance to the vehicle

ahead, the Active Brake Assist (ABA) emergency braking system, Lane Assist (SPA) which via video camera recognises the lane for up to 30 metres ahead of the

coach, or the Front Collision Guard (FCG) system, Cars Moreau can rely on state-of-the-art safety with its new coaches from Setra.

With safety always in the foregroundFrance – ten Setra coaches for Cars Moreau:

In October, ten new Setra coaches made their way to Cars Moreau to join the company’s fleet.

Outstanding safety was a decisive purchase factor in favour of Setra coaches.

Setra Family News | 3736 | Setra Family News

With coordinated schedules, WESTbus and WESTbahn offer an attractive and very unique model for

intercity transit in Austria under the name WESTnetz. The WESTbus routes are served by comfortable

Setra coaches.

bus + train = networkAustria – new WESTbus transit provider drives Setra:

S ince December 2011, the WEST-bahn Management company, a private competitor to the Austrian state railway company (ÖBB), has been offering a close to hourly transit connection between Vienna and Salzburg. To meet their service standards and to carry cus-tomers to their destinations safely and on time, gaps in the WESTbahn schedule have been filled with coaches from WESTbus. The coaches and trains have also been coordinated in terms of looks. Together they create WESTnetz – a very positive example of a mutually beneficial collab- oration between otherwise competitive methods of transportation, buses and trains, and a model for other countries.On a trip from St Pölten to Vienna, Stefan Wehinger, WESTbahn Managing Director, and Paul Blaguss, Blaguss Reisen’s Manag-

ing Director, had discussed how they could offer their customers even better service if coaches were used to supplement the train connections. Shortly thereafter, they founded the WESTbus company together, with 51 percent from Blaguss Reisen and 49 percent from Rail Holding AG, the WEST-bahn parent company.The passengers are delighted that lengthy waits for the intercity connections are a thing of the past. WESTbus kicks in when-ever there’s a gap in the WESTbahn sched-ule. “The WESTbus is perfectly timed to the WESTbahn schedule and therefore ideally supplements our rail offering”, says Stefan Wehinger. “We are now closing gaps in the public transit network and responding to the thinning out of the rail offering. There are ten new Setra coaches serving WEST-bus. Four Setra S 431 DT double-decker

coaches with 76 seats travel the Klagen-furt-Vienna line, two triple-axle S 417 GT-HD coaches with 53 seats are deployed for the Linz-Graz line, and four double-axle S 415 GT-HDs with 45 seats are used for the Linz-Prague and Klagenfurt-Salzburg lines. A further Salzburg-Graz connection will be added in the course of 2012. “The brand new, environmentally friendly Setra coaches feature very comfortable seats and generous legroom. WESTbus cus- tomers can access WLAN (WESTlan) on board free of charge and a plug is always within reach. Of course, a lavatory and beverage dispenser are available in the coaches as well”, explains Paul Blaguss, Blaguss Reisen’s Managing Director.The SetraFamily magazine wishes this very promising business model resounding success!

Setra Individual | 39

O ur specialised sewing machines offer a broad selection of stitches; in fact, up to 80 different stitches can be used to enhance your Setra seats with attractive decorative stitching. You’ll find that choosing isn’t always easy, how-ever. Some may believe that seat stitching plays a minor role in a coach’s interior design. But just take a moment to imagine how black seat upholstery combined with a red, sporty, zig-zag “baseball stitch” will change the whole interior of your coach. Similarly, well chosen decorative stitching can give uni-coloured seats or a steering wheel an even more distinctive, high-quality appearance.Whether sporty, striking or elegant – Setra’s decorative stitching offers an opportunity to enhance your coach’s interior design with yet another individual note, without having to alter fabrics or cuts. And your in-teriors can be made even more distinctive with your company logo or other graphic highlights, which can be programmed following a digital template used with our

special sewing machines. The stitching can be done on leather upholstery as well as on Dinamica, fabric or synthetic leather. It’s important that a support material be used as padding on the back of the material used, to prevent it from slipping and to ensure seams that are uniform, straight and

clean. As well, a band can be used or, for large-surface stitching, a correspondingly large layer coating the cover material to be stitched. Whatever approach you select, the result is always a very unique look for your touring coach.

Outstanding quality every stitch of the wayDesign – decorative stitching as special customer option:

Setra has always been a significant step ahead in design. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a stitch

ahead – with decorative stitching and quilting to lend a touch of individuality and luxury to the seats

in your Setra coach.

W hat are the benefits of travelling in a Setra? How can passengers ad-just lighting, ventilation and seats? In a

compact four-minute film, the Setra on-board video ensures that your guests can fully enjoy all the comfort offered by your Setra coach. We are quite certain that many of you are familiar with the film which is included with every delivery of a Setra TopClass and ComfortClass coach. But did you know that you can order the film in a version that has been customised to your company?

Many companies all over Europe are cur-rently using a customised version of the Setra on-board video – for instance the Norwegian Høves Royal Class company. The touring company from Nykirke, about 100 kilometres south of Oslo, incorporated its logo at the beginning of the film and its key messages throughout the film. The result is a finely tuned profiling of two film stars – the company and Setra – which ideally prepares passengers for the trip ahead.If you are interested in a customised on-board video, please contact your Setra representative. He will be pleased to assist you in accessing the ordering platform.

Your company in the leading role Setra Service – customised on-board videos:

The Setra on-board video is very popular with bus and coach operators. More and more Setra cus-

tomers are taking advantage of the opportunity to customise the video with their company messages.

38 | Setra Individual

T he “Aktion 100 000 und Ulmer helft” charity campaign, organised by the city of Ulm and the Südwest Presse (the daily newspaper in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm/Alb-Donau district), has taken an all new ap-proach to fundraising. The idea is that em-ployees have an opportunity to donate a half-hour’s worth of their working wages. The funds benefit the needy and social-support facilities in Ulm, Neu-Ulm and both adjoining districts.For a single employee, wages for a half-hour of work don’t amount to much. But when close to the entire workforce of an organisation like EvoBus donates their wages for a half-hour of work, a very re-

spectable sum comes together: EvoBus succeeded in raising 52,400 euros for the “Aktion 100 000 und Ulmer helft” charity campaign. 90 percent of the employees at the Neu-Ulm location participated in the voluntary fundraising campaign and collected 39,000 euros. A further 12,000 euros were donated by management, and 400 EvoBus/Kässbohrer retirees collected 1,400 euros at their yearly get-together.Every cent collected goes directly to bene-fitting the needy. The donation enables the Südwest Presse to make employees avail-able, to reactivate former employees and to source volunteers to participate in this good cause. The 52,400 euro donation is

the largest individual donation the cam-paign has received in the 41 years since its inception. And it’s not the first time that Neu-Ulm has given its support: over the past three years, EvoBus donated a total of over 150,000 euros.

Donating wages Coach builders at the Neu-Ulm location support charity campaign:

In the context of the “Aktion 100 000 und Ulmer helft” charity campaign, donations are collected

to support the needy in the region. EvoBus employees once again raised funds for a good cause.

Decorative stitching can upgrade the overall appearance of your coach’s seats

Car Rouge, a premium tour operator from Bern, has been using Setra double-decker coaches for its

trips for over 25 years. Now, for the first time, the company has invested in four S 416 HDH touring

coaches from the Setra TopClass, and is now the proud owner of the youngest and most advanced

touring coach fleet in Switzerland.

Travel comfort as corporate philosophySwitzerland – four Setra luxury touring coaches for Car Rouge:

S ince the eighties, Car Rouge has been deploying Setra’s comfort-able touring coaches. With the company’s very first double-decker coach from the 200 Series, the S 228 DT, Setra provided the Bern operator with extensively customised solutions – as they do today with 5-star coaches specially developed for Car Rouge and equipped with extravagant components and features.

All around comfortThe four recently delivered luxury S 416 HDH coaches are equipped with 33 recliners and a glass roof. The interior height of 2.1 metres ensures a very generous feeling of space. Car Rouge also offers its guests an automatic coffee dispenser, so they can en-joy free coffee throughout the journey. All seats are equipped with a multi-channel sound system for passenger entertainment.

In spite of the generous 90 cm distance between seats, the developers also man-aged to incorporate a fifth row of seats ahead of the second entrance, and to in-clude a required 2+1 seating row right be-hind the front entrance.The Swiss tour operator couldn’t offer pas-sengers any more comfort. For Managing Director Martin Wüthrich, passenger safety also plays a vital role in all decisions: “Bear-ing in mind our commitment to fulfil the highest standards of safety in the sector, travelling with Setra is an absolute given.”

Driving comfort is decisiveFor Car Rouge, a company of the Swiss Eurobus Group, over and above exclusive destinations, passenger comfort is a key aspect of the company’s philosophy. Martin Wüthrich, who has headed Car Rouge since 2006, experiences again and again that

comfort is decisive to customers: “We offer guests our tours throughout Europe exclu-sively with 2+1 seating. We know that com-fort is increasingly important for our cus-tomers. Especially people travelling alone appreciate this kind of seating.”

Comfort in the foreground: Thomas Jenzer, Head of Packaged Tours Eurobus Group, Dietmar Widera, Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches, Switzerland, Martin Wüthrich, Managing Director Car Rouge, Christoph Hofmann, Head of Market Management Setra Export Markets (l. to r.)

40 | Setra Best in Class Setra Individual | 41

I n October 2011, Setra France present-ed a high-profile innovation to the French market at the Rencontres nationales du transport public (RNTP) trade show in Strasbourg. The double-decker was introduced under the “S 431 DT Ligne” name, clearly underscoring its appointment for long-distance line applications. The intercity double-decker’s many distinctive features, which include a panoramic glass roof, which Setra France presented at the RNTP, turn long-distance travel into pure pleasure. Room for a wheelchair user, a double rear entrance with an access ramp, as well as announcements of stops via loudspeaker and their display on 19-inch screens facilitate travel logistics – and not only for the disabled. Adaptive Cruise Control (ART), Lane Assist (SPA) and Active Brake Assist (ABA) ensure a safe journey.In May 2011, the SCAL company head-quartered in Gap in south-eastern France, capital of the Département Hautes-Alpes, had taken over the first French intercity version of the Setra S 431 DT – the only

intercity bus in France equipped with a stepless entrance. Until then, the high-end double-decker had been used exclusively as a touring coach. And intercity applica-tions were conventionally taken on by less luxurious, single-level buses. For a number of years, the intercity version of the double-decker coach has been deployed in other European countries.Double-decker coaches are ideal for many intercity applications – and not only due to their comfortable touring seats and state-of-the-art safety equipment. The galley is equipped with a coffee machine, an electric kettle, a microwave oven and a small re- frigerator. Two gaming tables and outlets are available to the max. 83 passengers. Their much higher number of passenger seats represents a key benefit for com- panies like SCAL – where a single driver and one coach can transport double the passengers normally carried with a single-level bus. Over and above the intercity equipment featured by the Setra exhibition vehicle from Strasbourg, SCAL’s double-

decker coach boasts a series of clever extras: a money-changer, a breath-alcohol measuring device with an immobiliser unit, two 19-inch LCD screens on the lower deck, two 6.5-inch and two 19-inch LCD screens on the upper deck, and three-point safety belts.SCAL passengers are delighted with the brand new intercity coach now available on the French market: “The coach is very com-fortable, smooth-running and quiet. I enjoy sitting on the upper deck and taking in the great view through the panorama glass roof”, raved a passenger on the trip from Gap to Marseille. “The stepless entrance is really practical, and on the lower deck you can sit right across from your travel part-ners”, exclaimed another passenger as he made himself comfortable with his friends in the four-person club seating area.

Travel pleasure all along “la ligne”France – Setra S 431 DT used for intercity applications for the first time:

As in many other countries, the S 431 DT is also very popular in France for long-distance trips.

What’s new however is its use as an intercity vehicle in France. Since May 2011, the SCAL company

has been deploying the first French intercity double-decker coach.

SCAL is a family business which was founded in 1886 in the city of Gap in south-eastern France. With a fleet of 45 vehicles, its main area of activity is servicing the Grenoble-Briançon-Nice-Marseille line, as well as coach tours all through Europe. SCAL, with its Setra double-decker deployed in intercity applications, is a first in France.

42 | Setra Family News Setra Family News | 43

The Transports Madeleine bus operator in French Guiana is responsible for shuttle service at the

Guiana Space Centre. They know they can count on the outstanding reliability of Setra shuttle buses.

With Setra to the starsFrench Guiana – Setra shuttles at the Space Centre:

F or the aerospace professionals at the Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais, CSG), reliability is vital to success. Nothing is left to chance: when transporting satellites into space, or vi-sitor groups to and from the centre. For this reason Setra vehicles are deployed for the shuttle service at the space centre, where un-planned waiting times are an absolute no-go.

A space centre station with a long heritageSince 1979, the ArianeSpace European Space Transport Company’s Ariane 5 rockets have been launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The Russian Sojus rockets also take off from there, as have

the European Space Organisation’s (ESA) state-of-the-art Vega launchers, the smallest of the European booster rockets, since February 2012. The CNES French national space agency operates the site.

An ideal launch siteThanks to its location, the CSG is one of the most ideally positioned launch sites in the world. Only 500 km away from the Equator, the earth’s rotation ensures the best possible momentum for rocket launches. A further advantage is that the rockets can reach the most important orbits by flying directly over the ocean, without having to fly over populated areas. A definite plus for safety.

A great atmosphere in the SetraThe Transports Madeleine operator has been deploying Setra vehicles for its shuttle service since 2010. With several MultiClass S 415 UL and a ComfortClass 415 GT-HD in their fleet, the company transports interna-tional delegations and VIP guests who have been invited to a rocket launch in fully air- conditioned Setra coaches – from the air-port to the hotel and back, or to the rocket launch directly at the space station.

The aerospace professionals at the Guiana Space Centre swear by Setra’s exceptional reliability to transport visitor groups