Rapid Bus is currently deploying the Hino Poncho minibus on a trial run for 3 months.
Rapid Bus Begins Trial Run with Hino Poncho
As an initiative for the development of an efficient intra-city bus service, a low-floor minibus with 7-metre length was introduced by Hino Motors Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd. Rapid Bus is currently deploying the Hino Poncho minibus on a trial run for 3 months.
From 20th October, 2019 to 20th January, 2020, the trial run covers the route between T784 LRT Taman Bahagia and T201 LRT Gombak.
The Hino Poncho is the first low-floor minibus with 7-metre length in the world. In Japan, there are more than 2,000 Hino Poncho minibuses manoeuvring within the busy cities and narrow roads. It is designed to match the most innovative community transport solution and is deemed as one of the solutions to cater to the first and last-mile travel for passengers.
Malaysia was chosen as the first country in Southeast Asia to have the Hino Poncho in its public transportation fleet to complement the existing system in the city and suburban areas. On 21st October, the second day of the trial run, Malaysia Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook took the minibus ride for about 15 minutes by hopping on from the LRT Taman Bahagia to the bus stop station Damansara Uptown.
Compared to the current buses now in operation that are about 10-12 metres in length, the Hino Poncho at only 7 metres in length is easier to manoeuvre through busy city and narrow roads. Featuring an ultra-low floor with a kneeling function that could be lowered further, the new minibus is senior citizen and wheelchair friendly. It could cater up to 31 passengers including those standing.
Equipped with a height adjusting system, the vehicle’s height could be lowered by 50mm for easy boarding and alighting. In addition, the system’s raise control enables the chassis to be lifted up to 30mm higher for better driveability on rough roads.
Hino Poncho is powered by a 5.0-litre Euro 5 diesel engine with a common-rail fuel injection system and mated to a 5-speed fully automatic transmission. Its engine comes with a Diesel Particulate Reduction (DPR) system, an after-treatment system that could significantly reduce particulate matter. This differentiates Hino Poncho from other current Euro 5 vehicles that require additional fluids such as AdBlue urea fluid, thus reducing the operating cost and maintenance time.
日野Poncho试跑
日野汽车销售（马来西亚）私人有限公司近日将7米长的低地板迷你巴士，介绍给Rapid Bus私人有限公司，作为发展高效城际巴士服务的倡议。Rapid Bus目前正在试跑日野Poncho迷你巴士，为期3个月。
从2019年10月20日至2020年1月间试跑期间，该迷你巴士将覆盖T784 LRT幸福园（Taman Bahagia）和T201 LRT鹅唛的路线。
日野Poncho是全世界第一款7米长的低地板迷你巴士。据悉，目前有超过2，000辆Poncho迷你巴士穿梭在日本忙碌的城市和狭窄的街道。它的设计，旨在匹配创新的社区交通解决方案，并被视为是其中一个应付第一哩路和最后一哩旅客的解决方案。
马来西亚是东南亚国家中第一个选择日野Poncho，以弥补其现有城市和郊区共公共运输工具不足的国家。马来西亚交通部长陆兆福在此迷你巴士试跑的第二天，从幸福园轻快铁站乘坐它到Damansara Uptown的巴士车站，整个车程约15分钟。
与现有车身长度约10-12米的巴士相比，日野Poncho只有7米长，能够轻易地穿梭于繁忙的城市和狭窄的街道。这款新迷你巴士的特点是低地板设计，方便年老乘客和轮椅族。它能够运载31名乘客，包括站立的乘客。
该款迷你巴士配备高度调整系统，可将巴士高度降低至59mm ，方便乘客山下车。此外，该系统还能提高底盘高度至30mm，使它在崎岖不平的路上具有更好的驾驶能力。
日野Poncho搭载5.0 升柴油引擎，采用共轨燃油喷射系统，匹配5速自动排挡。其引擎配备柴油颗粒减少系统（DRP），一个可大大降低颗粒的后处理系统。这使日野Poncho有别于现有需要使用添加液如AdBlue的欧5车辆，可降低运营成本和维修时间。
