Mercedes sprinter

15004-22

Following issues with the Mellor Mercedes Sprinter vehicles resulting in a number already being returned to the leasing company Diamond Bus trialed an Illesbus bodied Mercedes Sprinter 517 at their Tividale depot see below under fleet number 20993. This proved successful and an order for 20 such vehicles was placed. The vehicles are designed to replace more of the Mellor bodied vehicles plus add additional vehicles c at Redditch which are mainly used on the Bromsgrove Demand Responsive Service which is due to be expanded to run in the Wythall area. At least two vehicles are due to go to the Burton on Trent depot for use on the 70/7A service in Derby. The first fifteen vehicles will have 24 plate registrations with the remainder due after September and will have 74 plate registration. The first two vehicles arrive in early June 2024 and were delivered in all over white and took the fleet numbers 15004 and 15005. These vehicles are destined to have a special livery applied as a vehicle wrap for the Bromsgrove DRT service. 15005 entered service at Redditch on 19th June 2024 and has mainly been used on the services 182 and 183. 15004 initially went to Tividale depot and was used on the contract services in Wolverhampton the company gained with the issues around the existing operator Travel Express who trade as Lets Go. The entry to service of 15016 was delayed by a week as it was exhibited at the Euro Bus Expo 24 on the Illesbus stand at the 12th to 14th November 2024.

20987-9

Rotala has over the years purchased small numbers of Mercedes based sprinter based minibuses for use on contract work around mainly Heathrow Airport. These particular vehicles were used on a NCP car park contract at Heathrow and were painted in a striking bright yellow livery. When the opportunity came about for contract for a new demand responsive bus service in Bromsgrove called Bromsgrove on Demand. Three such vehicles were moved into the midlands Diamond Bus fleet. The service was launched on Monday 19th July 2021 and was operated until March 2022 from the Redditch deport using two of the vehicles. The third vehicle is based at the Tividale depot and is used on Transport for West Midlands contract bus services mainly in the North Birmingham area. In readiness to create extra garage space at Redditch with the purchase of the Johnson's bus services the operation the Bromsgrove Demand Responsive service was move to the Kidderminster Depot in May 2022. With the loss of the Warwickshire bus services over the Summer the operation of the Bromsgrove demand responsive bus service moved back to Redditch. Additionally the sister vehicle 20889 also moved from Tividale to Redditch to provide a back up vehicle for the service.

20993 joined the Diamond bus fleet in late January 2024 as a brand new vehicle to the fleet. Ilesbus launched a new low floor Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based minibus, known as the I-City to the UK market in late 2023. It is currently available in two different specifications, with either 17 seats and space for nine standees, or with 20 seats and seven standee places. It has been designed to match the familiar styling of luxury mini coaches the manufacturer produces. The I-City features USB ports at each seat; 3-point seatbelts; a separate 12kW rear air-conditioning system, additional saloon heating, double gazing; ‘smart’ lighting; front, side and rear destination screens.  The vehicle has been allocated to the Tividale and is used on a variety of Transport for West Midlands contract services that require or it is able to use this sized vehicle on them.