Daimler Buses has been awarded a major contract to deliver 125 Mercedes-Benz feeder buses for the Gautrain Rapid Link project in South Africa. The Gautrain railway line will connect Johannesburg to Pretoria and Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport via Sandton. The project combines the railway line with a feeder bus service to allow commuters in Gauteng province to reach the train stations quickly. The first phase of construction is due for completion in 2010.

Mercedes-Benz feeder bus

The delivery of the Mercedes-Benz buses is expected to be completed by mid-2010.The vehicles selected to service the Gautrain are Mercedes-Benz 0500U low-entry buses, which have a 35-45 seat configuration and standing capacity for approximately 17 passengers. The low-entry design makes accessibility easy for wheelchair users, young children, and the elderly. The buses are equipped with automatic transmission, air conditioning, ABS brakes, and all-round air suspension.

The bodies are to be locally built by Busmark 2000/Caio, which is based in Randfontain near Johannesburg.

The future bus fleet will be operated by one of the leading transport companies in South Africa, Unitrans Passenger (Pty) Limited. A total of 36 bus routes will service nine key stations along the 77-kilometer Gautrain line. The 125 Mercedes-Benz feeder buses will operate on 430 kilometers of routes, covering a combined total 26,000 kilometers per day.