busnews.com.au May 2019 ABC^45different, but it’s been brilliant.
“So we bought it new in 1983
and we ran it ’til 2008 in full-time
service. It’s been a hugely reliable
bus,” he continued.
“It’s probably one of the most
reliable buses that we have ever
had. It was simple to work on;
they have the space to get to the
engine and all the filters and all
that stuff. It never missed a beat.
It just did the job, did it perfectly.
“In my estimation, with
hundreds and hundreds of buses
over the years, I don’t think we’ve
ever had a bus that has done as
good a job as the Mono. You drive
it now, the Fuller gearbox, it’s
as tight as can be. It’s just really
good,” Driver replied when asked
how this bus is mechanically.
So was this fondness from an
operator perspective, with its
longevity and reliability, or did
he actually drive it as well?
“My brother and myself both
drive that one a fair bit. AndLines in 1983 and remained in
service until 2008, making it one
of the longest serving vehicles
Driver Bus Lines has operated.
“We always ordered buses
to our specification and we
contacted Denning to order
another one and they said, ‘We’ve
got a stock unit available’. Now
we don’t buy stock, we want
to get our certain fabric and
everything in the way that we
want it. And he said, ‘Do you
mind if I just bring this stock
unit around, I’ve got it here in
Melbourne...’.
“I thought I’d have a look at
it. Anyway, it wasn’t exactly as
we would have got but they
offered us a good price and it
was brilliant, so this was Denning
number four,” he said.
“It’s got the brown and gold
interior. All of our interiors had
blue and sort of aqua colour
seats, with the white roof and all
that stuff, [but] this one was a bitDRIVER GROUP AUSTRALIA
Driver Group Australia Pty Ltd (DGA) is owned 100 per cent by the Driver Family. The business operates under four
trading names: Driver Bus Lines, Driver Coastal, Gray Line and Great Sights.
DGA holds a one-third interest in Australian Visitor Centres retail tourism outlets. It owns the Gray Line licences for
all of mainland Australia and has a 75 per cent interest in Tasmania. DGA owns the Greats Sights brand in Australia.