The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a front-engined commercial vehicle manufactured by Mercedes-Benz of Germany. It is currently used by a number of Hong Kong's disciplined services and government departments, and to a lesser extent by minibuses and light goods vehicles.
Route Operator Fleets[]
Green minibuses (GMBs)[]
Chit Fai Motors introduced a number of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 413CDi and 416CDi minibuses in the 2000s, all of which were sold after a few years of operation.
In response to the Government's launch of the Wheelchair Accessible Low-floor Minibus Trial Scheme [1] in late 2017, Chit Fai Motors introduced one low-floor minibus and one regular-floor EVM-bodied Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDi into Hong Kong in mid-2018, which arrived in Hong Kong in September of the same year [2][3][4]. The low-floor version has a wheelchair parking area and foldable front seats next to the wheelchair parking area, while the normal-floor version adopts a two-step door design to ensure the safety of boarding and alighting passengers. Both minibuses are equipped with USB charging and three-point seat belts, and are powered by Euro 6 engines with a displacement of 2,143cc.
However, as of 28 April 2019, the two minibuses have not yet passed the Government's inspection due to 37 failures pointed out by the Vehicle Examiner surnamed Yeung, including the problem of the left-side mirror not being able to see passengers alighting from the vehicle. [5] In November 2019, Mr Jacky Lim, who was responsible for assisting with the inspection, said that TD was delaying the Type Approval process and would not issue the licence until the process was completed. [6] On 16 March 2020, the low-floor light bus was formally subject to the Type Approval process. [7]
When Chit Fai Motors announced its liquidation in April 2020, two of its minibuses were still not in service. The minibus that met the low-floor minibus specifications was transferred to Wai Ching Industrial, which formally passed the "Vehicle Type Approval" process on 8 July 2020 [8] and was issued with a licence on 11 February 2021 with the registration number XD8567 (Chassis No.: WDB9066572P560729) [9] and commenced service on 24 February on New Territories GMB Route 413 serving Princess Margaret Hospital [10]. The regular-floor version of the minibus was fully advertised by Carsos, a roadside assistance platform, in mid-August 2019 [11] but has not been licensed and has been parked in Whampoa Garden for a long period of time. After the liquidation of Chit Fai Motors, the vehicle was towed to the Kowloon Bay Vehicle Detention Compound for parking offences and has been parked there since then.
Demonstration Vehicle[]
Chassis number: WDB9061552N764020[12]
On 19 November 2018, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDi low-floor minibus with a Mellor Strata body arrived in Hong Kong [13][14][15]. The minibus has a one-page extra-wide passenger door and, despite its low-floor design, no wheelchair parking area was reserved inside the vehicle on arrival.
After attending the Commercial Vehicle Show held at the Science Park in Tai Po on 23 November 2018[16], the minibus departed Hong Kong by ship on 26 August 2019 [17] to attend the show in Australia, and was then shipped back to the United Kingdom where it was used as a demonstrator before being sold to TLC Travel under the licence plate LN69 OGX, it still operates in Public Light Bus livery with a blue stripe on the bottom.[18]
Gallery[]
.JPG "XD8567 New Territories 413 24-02-2021(2).JPG (2.91 MB)")
.JPG "XD8567 New Territories 413 24-02-2021(3).JPG (2.05 MB)")
.JPG "XD8567 New Territories 413 24-02-2021(4).JPG (2.13 MB)")
.JPG "XD8567 chair with CFM logo(1).JPG (5.35 MB)")
Remarks[]
Related Articles[]
- Low-floor Minibus Trial Scheme
- Optare Solo SR
- Fiat Ducato Mellor Orion
References[]
- ↑ Wheelchair Accessible Low-floor Minibus Trial Scheme, 2017 Policy Address, item 155.
- ↑ 低地台版Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 小巴抵港 (Low-floor version Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus arrives at Hong Kong), HKiTalk.net.
- ↑ 昨日抵港的Mercedes-Benz Sprinter小巴(多相) (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus which arrived at HK yesterday (multiple pictures)), HKiTalk.net.
- ↑ 【獨家】首架Benz低地台小巴曝光 料今年底落地 可上輪椅 ([Exclusive] First Mercedes-Benz low-floor minibus comes into public's spotlight; expected to be in service by end of this year, wheelchair accessible), HK01, 2 Oct 2018.
- ↑ 運輸署夠膽死都包庇豐田小巴非法改裝 (The Transport Department has the guts to harbour the illegal conversion of Toyota minibuses), Jacky Lim.
- ↑ 「新綠頂」駕到 (The "New Green-top" (GMB) comes to town), CarPlus, 1 November 2019/
- ↑ HK Bus Channel: 平治低地台小巴終於去驗車 (The Benz low-floor minibus is finally heading to vehicle examination), 16 March 2020.
- ↑ Post from HK Bus Channel's Facebook page, 8July 2020.
- ↑ Tianhe Coach Terminal's Facebook post, 19 February 2021.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Service Adjustment on NT GMB Route No. 413" [Traffic Advice], 22 February 2021.
- ↑ Minibus Collections's Facebook post, 18 August 2019.
- ↑ 無功而回定係取完西經?(多圖) (Returning without success or finishing the journey to the West? (Multi-Photo)), HKiTalk.net.
- ↑ BusLanes's facebook post, 18 November 2018.
- ↑ 新款專線小巴 Benz Sprinter抵港 [8 pics], (The new Benz Sprinter minibus arrives in HK), HKiTalk.net.
- ↑ Benz低地台小巴抵港 掛T牌現身青衣 (Benz low-floor minibus arrives in Hong Kong, appearing at Tsing Yi with a temporary plate), HK01, 19 Nov 2018.
- ↑ 平治 商用車展 - 直播 Part 1 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516CDi EVM 小巴 - HK Bus Channel 20181123 (Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Show - Live Part 1 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516CDi EVM minibus - HK Bus Channel 20181123), HK Bus Channel - YouTube channel
- ↑ Tianhe Coach Terminal: 短暫過客 Mellor Coachcraft 已經上船準備離開香港了。 (The transient guest Mellor Coachcraft is ready to get on a ship to leave Hong Kong. )
- ↑ TEN6083 - Gateshead Central Taxis LN69 OGX
External Links[]
- Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516CDi Body conversion by EVM 低地台小巴 - EP13 HK Bus Channel 20210906 (Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516CDi Body conversion by EVM low-floor minibus - EP13 HK Bus Channel 20210906), YouTube.
Benz Sprinter