THE FLEET: FROM HORSE DRAWN TO ELECTRIC
THE company initially had two horse-drawn trams which carried just over 10 000 passengers annually by 1864. Just one year later this had grown to 12 000 passengers, and the tramway system had cemented itself as an integral part of society in Cape Town.
In 1893, the first steps towards electrification were taken, and in 1897 the first electric rail tram service was introduced in Cape Town. By the turn of the century, the Cape Electric Tramways Company was transporting an incredible 16 million passengers annually. In 1911, the transport industry experienced a revolutionary innovation – the introduction of the first fuel-powered motor buses. The company acquired its first Leyland bus which would run from the docks into town. At this stage, passengers could travel from Cape Town to Hout Bay and enjoy a lunch at the Hout Bay Hotel for the princely sum of seven shillings.
In 1928, South Africa’s first double-decker bus made its debut on Cape Town’s streets. In 1936, the first trackless tram ran from Adderley Street to Tamboerskloof – the longest trackless tram route in South Africa. In that same year the first diesel buses were purchased. By 1960 the fleet included 600 diesel buses and 139 trackless trams, and The Cape Electric Tramways Company (including buses in Port Elizabeth) transported 204 million passengers annually.
In 1964, the last trackless tram journey took place along the Hanover Street route. By 1975, City Tramways boasted a fleet of over 700 modern diesel buses, more than half of which were double-deckers, representing a capital investment of R45 million. In 1988, forty new 69-seater single-deckers on Associated Automotive Distributors (AAD) under-floor mid-engined chassis, with power steering, came into service.
In 2000, Golden Arrow Bus Services acquired its first twenty-nine MAN Explorer 66-seater buses. The buses suited Golden Arrow’s needs perfectly and by 2016 the company received their 1 000th MAN bus.
MAN buses now make up approximately 95% of the Golden Arrow fleet. The latest generation of MAN buses are fitted with powerful common-rail diesel engines that have the torque and economy to match its exceptional reliability. The buses are fitted with 176 kW (240 hp) engines and Voith automatic transmissions. The buses provide exceptional driving performance, fuel economy and passenger comfort. The common-rail injection system is quieter and complies with Euro 3 emission standards.
The chassis has many safety features, including ABS (anti-lock brakes), ASR (traction control) and EPB (electro-pneumatic brakes). The buses are fitted with acceleration control software to improve driver behaviour and reduce costs with improved fuel consumption.
This year, Golden Arrow has begun testing two electric buses on non-passenger journeys in the metropole. The data obtained will determine what role electric buses could play in the fleet in future.