Yutong City Master
Yutong City Master in Skopje, North Macedonia
Overview
ManufacturerYutong
Production2010–present
AssemblyZhengzhou, China
Body and chassis
ClassComplete bus
Body styleDouble-decker city bus
Double-decker open-top bus
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeLow floor
RelatedAEC Routemaster
Dimensions
Length10.6 m (34 ft 9 in)
Width2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Height4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
A Yutong City Master open-top bus operating in Guangzhou, China

The Yutong City Master is a low-floor double-decker bus that was first designed for JSP Skopje, the public company which has operated bus services in Skopje since 1948. The bus is designed in a "retro" style reminiscent of London Transport's AEC Routemaster. A total of 217 City Masters, including 15 open-top buses, were built for use in Skopje.[1]

On 14 April 2010, the government of the Republic of Macedonia ordered 202 double-decker buses from the Chinese manufacturer Yutong, totalling €35.5 million.[2][3]

The first 68 City Masters were put into service in Skopje on 6 September 2011.[4] The total number of the buses increased to 217, including 15 open-top buses with removable roofs for city sightseeing services.[1] The cost of the project was over €41 million, which was paid by the Macedonian government.[5]

Some City Masters were also built for service in Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Jiangmen.[6][7][better source needed]

Design

The buses are designed in a "retro" style, similar to Leyland Titans, the former London double-decker buses previously used in Skopje. Hundreds of London buses were purchased by the Yugoslavian government in the 1950s and used in Skopje until the 1963 Skopje earthquake in which 80% of the city's infrastructure was destroyed.[8][9][10]

The prototype bus appeared on the streets of Skopje on 1 March 2011.[11][12]

The buses are powered by an American Cummins diesel engine manufactured in the UK, with high quality ECO 5. The framework is made in Germany, only the chassis is made in China.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Skopje's 'Routemasters'". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.(subscription required)
  2. ^ "Ambassador Dong attended Yutong's signing ceremony of producing bus for Macedonia". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of North Macedonia. 15 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Macedonia buys double deckers from China". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 April 2010.
  4. ^ "68 Yutong double deckers arrive in Macedonia". Yutong. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Skopje prepares for Double-Decker Buses". Balkan Insight. 12 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Guangzhou No.1 Bus Company Y3-3361". Flickr. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  7. ^ "江门新双层 英伦风再临" (in Chinese). 13 April 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  8. ^ "BRITISH BUSES IN SPLIT, CROATIA". Classic Buses.
  9. ^ "Spirit of the Routemaster lives on in the heart of Macedonia". 12 April 2012.
  10. ^ "Double-decker buses in Skopje, ca. May 1954". University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  11. ^ "yutong.com". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  12. ^ "Double Decker Bus for Skopje". AP. 2 March 2011.
  13. ^ "MACEDONIA: London's famous bright red Leyland double decker buses were a common sight in Skopje's streets until an earthquake in the 60s destroyed most of them, now a new fleet is bringing some flair back to the city's streets". Reuters. 28 September 2011.

External links

Media related to Yutong City Master at Wikimedia Commons

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