Wabco Supplies 500 IVTM Systems to Greek Bus Company

The public bus company of Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, is to equip more than 500 of its buses with Wabco’s Integrated Vehicle Tire Pressure Monitoring (IVTM) systems.

The first systems are now being retrofitted onto the OASTH bus fleet, following an IVTM system field test in July 2004. OASTH will equip a broad cross-section of its fleet, including Volvo B7L, B7R, and B10 models, Volvo B7LA articulated buses, and Scania and Irisbus vehicles.

“WABCO’s system helps our drivers maintain tyre inflation at the optimum level. In addition to keeping our buses more reliably on the road serving local residents and tourists, it can help us control costs in several ways,” said Charalabos Papadopoulos, president of OASTH. “The reduced fuel consumption, tyre wear and time spent on manual inspections and workshop repairs are important, measurable savings. We anticipate the investment will pay for itself within the next two years.”

WABCO’s wireless system is designed to continuously monitor tyre pressure and detect exceeded thresholds for under or over-inflation, as well as slow leaks.

“According to our field tests, long-term operational cost savings for buses add up to as much as 400 euros per vehicle per year,” added Jean-Francois Barth, WABCO vice president, aftermarket. “WABCO’s IVTM is the first and only tyre pressure monitoring system for trucks, buses and trailers that is technically mature and available to the market today. This system once again highlights our pioneering role in providing fleet managers and vehicle manufacturers with cost-efficient solutions that offer optimum safety for drivers and traffic participants.”

Barth added that WABCO’s IVTM system is also currently being field tested by public transportation companies in other major European cities.