Ian Fuller2006
Citelises? Citeli?
Artics lined up in the Yelo depot yard.
La Rochelle has about two dozen artics, a mixture of Heuliez GX427s and GX427BHNSs, Renault and Irisbus Agora Ls and Irisbus Citelis 18s. These three (338, 340 and 337) are Citelis 18s. 340 was the only full-size vehicle to have joined the fleet in the twelve months since my previous visit.
Artics are expensive things and tend not to cover the mileages that the rigid buses do. Many French operators lay them up during the school holidays when their capacity may not be required and their hefty running costs are less justifiable. Yelo does use its artics during the summer - the Illico route requires artics all year round and the Velobus services to Re are particularly busy in the summer holidays. Still, there is less call for their services outside term times.
The expense of buying artics and their reduced mileages means that operators that usually buy their buses new might consider the odd second hand artic purchase, and Yelo fall into that category. 340, despite being a recent acquisition, is actually a 2007 bus new to the STiVO fleet in the Paris suburb of Cergy-Pontoise. I believe its two companions were bought new.
Artic buying by the La Rochelle fleet kicked off with six Heuliez GX187s, followed by an ex-Rouen Mercedes, four ex-Paris Renault PR180s and eight Volvo-Heuliez GX417 artics bought new. All these older buses have now departed (although I did catch a glimpse of GX417 no. 321 dumped on an industrial estate at Chatelaillon-Plage in 2015). Also gone is one of the Agora Ls which succumbed to fire damage.
Citelises? Citeli?
Artics lined up in the Yelo depot yard.
La Rochelle has about two dozen artics, a mixture of Heuliez GX427s and GX427BHNSs, Renault and Irisbus Agora Ls and Irisbus Citelis 18s. These three (338, 340 and 337) are Citelis 18s. 340 was the only full-size vehicle to have joined the fleet in the twelve months since my previous visit.
Artics are expensive things and tend not to cover the mileages that the rigid buses do. Many French operators lay them up during the school holidays when their capacity may not be required and their hefty running costs are less justifiable. Yelo does use its artics during the summer - the Illico route requires artics all year round and the Velobus services to Re are particularly busy in the summer holidays. Still, there is less call for their services outside term times.
The expense of buying artics and their reduced mileages means that operators that usually buy their buses new might consider the odd second hand artic purchase, and Yelo fall into that category. 340, despite being a recent acquisition, is actually a 2007 bus new to the STiVO fleet in the Paris suburb of Cergy-Pontoise. I believe its two companions were bought new.
Artic buying by the La Rochelle fleet kicked off with six Heuliez GX187s, followed by an ex-Rouen Mercedes, four ex-Paris Renault PR180s and eight Volvo-Heuliez GX417 artics bought new. All these older buses have now departed (although I did catch a glimpse of GX417 no. 321 dumped on an industrial estate at Chatelaillon-Plage in 2015). Also gone is one of the Agora Ls which succumbed to fire damage.