2 june 2008 - Trondheim, Vegamot, Voll gård. This bus was at that time on test for Team Trafikk, and on that day I got to try a Solaris for the first time as a passenger. I was downtown when I found out that they had put it on one of the routes I could take to my flat. And this was on the longest route of them all, which was a great opportunity for testing it. In general I liked it just as good as any other comparable bus I've tried, but there were two things that annoyed me. The DAF engine was way too loud, and had a pitch that was more annoying than other engines I'm used to. The other thing I didn't like was that the alarm sounds when the doors were closing were way too loud. They were almost hurting in my ears. But I guess this can be adjusted. Other than that I like the looks of these buses, and the Jamnik character is really nice, giving them a lot more personality than other buses. The picture was taken after I leaped out of it just outside my flat.

Comments

JP (2009-05-05 00:19:00)
Surprisingly, lowentry Solaris buses are very rare in Poland. We buy almost only fully low floor ones. Nice to hear that you enjoyed the test ride.
JacekM (2009-05-05 08:37:32)
Are the Norwegian companies and passengers pleased with solarises too?
Øyvind Berg (2009-05-05 09:03:40)
In Norway low entry is the standard configuration in cities. Only a few bigger cities have full low floor buses at all. I guess we don't really like the low floor at all, because that makes them noisy and probably worse to handle in the winter. But of course we need to have the low floor for elderly people and other physically impaired. Actually in Trondheim the first low entry bus was introduced in 1999, which is quite late. Before that there were only high floor.
Øyvind Berg (2009-05-05 09:06:33)
JaceckM: As most of the complaints I've heard are from old bus fans that only fancy older Volvo and Scania, I think they are quite successful. But I haven't talked to any driver who have tried these buses yet, as they are geographically quite limited.
JP (2009-05-05 11:08:05)
Kim: what is so wrong about them?
JP (2009-05-05 11:08:26)
I mean buses of course, not passengers
JP (2009-05-05 21:47:10)
I'm surprised that they are perceived as so bad. Have you got any pictures of interior, Kim?
Locutus (2009-05-07 21:02:07)
I can't really understand this problem with seats... The operator ordered the standard outfit, so they have got Ster 6MS - if only they had ordered other stuff, they would have had it without any problems - Solaris buses in Landskrona (Sweden) have some Swedish seats, in Sosnowiec (Poland), they are equipped with Kiel Centra... "The client is our master" tells a Polish proverb. Nevertheless, Ster seats are also a part of standard equipment in Volvo and (yes, yes, it's true) Scania buses and I've never heard about any complaints... Moreover, Solaris buses are present throughout Europe and I don't think that they are a source of mass protests such as the one that you've just described anywhere else... I'm shocked... Is the passage from high-floor, unfriendly for disabled persons, but Scandinavian, buses to the low-floor, but Polish, buses so difficult for the Danish society?
Locutus (2009-05-08 21:58:10)
Besides disabled people, you have also the older ones, who have some problems when they have to climb stairs too... All Europe makes an effort so that everybody, not only healthy youth, could use public transport, why Denmark wants to be different? Concerning protests - as far as I know it is the only town in the mass of hundreds of towns operating Solaris buses, where there are any protests. Statistically it's insignificant.

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