London Hire has taken delivery of the first of seven 22-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Treka Van conversions.
They are with London Hire Community Services’ (LHCS) operation on behalf of the London Borough of Croydon and displaced Varios.
“There is no natural Vario replacement, but those in Croydon were not utilising their full capacity, and so a 22-seat Sprinter was suggested as a replacement,” says LHCS Director Neil Donald.
“Treka did an excellent job of accomplishing what we asked for, carrying out an evaluation of every component’s weight. As an example, it removed 7kg from the seat moquette.”
The Croydon minibuses have saloon air-conditioning and carry two attendants. They are not accessible, but Treka fitted tracking and there is provision to add a lift later with a reduction in capacity.
Mr Donald adds that a further benefit of replacing a Vario with a Sprinter in London relates to width restrictions.
“We see a definite market for this minibus and we will be happy to supply 22-seat van conversions to other customers. It is a smaller vehicle than a Vario, but accommodating children on a Sprinter gives economical and environmental benefits.”
