Irizar will carry out PSVAR conversions on existing new and used i6 and i6S coaches at its factory in Spain. The project captures DAF-engined integral models and those that are built on Scania chassis and it is applicable to both two- and three-axle coaches.
The conversion work sees the installation of a Masats KS7 cassette-type lift and an additional door. Floor tracking, a quick-release Tecam seat system and appropriate restraints are also part of the package. It is completed by front, side and rear Hanover destination displays.
PSVAR conversion based on extensive preliminary work, says Irizar
Irizar says that extensive preliminary work was carried out ahead of going ahead with the project. That included a comprehensive study of the body frame.
All necessary reinforcements to maintain body durability and to ensure ongoing compliance with R66 rollover regulations are included. Irizar will provide a certificate of approval and a two-year guarantee on the conversion.
Irizar UK will manage the conversion process for DAF-engined i6 and i6S integrals. Sales Director Julie Hartley says the dealership has seen an encouraging amount of interest already. Besides integral coaches that are already with operators, Irizar UK will return some of its stock vehicles to Spain to undergo the work.
“This is a belt-and-braces conversion. The factory has gone to great lengths to ensure that structural integrity is retained,” adds Mrs Hartley. “It is a highly-competent and well thought out package that is a positive step forwards for existing operators of i6 and i6S coaches. It gives a route to PSVAR compliance that they can be confident in.”
Scania-based and integral i6 and i6S models captured by project
Four existing Scania Irizar i6 coaches will this week be returned to Spain for conversion. Both two- and three-axle models are represented.
“Once those coaches are back with us, completed and certified, and we can be fully committed to what the final specification will look like for each model, we will communicate that to the market along with the means of facilitating conversions into next year,” says UK Retail Sales Manager Lee Wale.
Scania has supplied several new Irizar i6 and i6S-bodied coaches that are PSVAR compliant over recent months. In addition, it has a “small number” of stock examples arriving that comply with the Regulations.
Mr Wale adds that Scania has seen encouraging interest in the Irizar PSVAR retrofit project. The principal driver has been home-to-school and rail replacement duties, which have come to form a more significant part of operators’ workloads during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
