The Dennis Jubilant was a
front engined double decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but Open top bus, open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and there are Coach (bus), coaches too for long-d ...
chassis manufactured by
Dennis
Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius.
The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...
between 1977 and 1981. It was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment (hilly roads and "one-man-operation" with a
farebox
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger for use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used. Fare structure is the system set up to determine how much is to be paid by various p ...
) in Hong Kong.
The chassis design featured a set-back front axle, which enabled the front door to be located in front of the front axle, and a strengthened chassis frame. It could be fitted with
Gardner 6LXB engine and
Voith
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith trades in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport. Founded in 1867, Voith today has aroun ...
DIWA 851 automatic gearbox.
The orders
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is a bus company operating Bus services in Hong Kong, franchised services in Hong Kong. It is the largest bus company in Hong Kong by fleet size and number of bus routes, with over 4,000 buses ...
(KMB) received four Dennis Jubilant prototypes for evaluation, they were fitted with KMB's own bodywork (utilising parts from British Aluminium Company) and entered service in 1977/78. After the trial of the prototypes, KMB introduced 209 Jubilants with
Alexander
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here ar ...
KB bodywork between 1979 and 1981, and 150 Jubilants with
Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec was a bus bodywork builder based in West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England in the United Kingdom. It usually supplied body kits for bus assembly overseas.
It was originated from the bus body manufacturing busi ...
bodywork between 1981 and 1982.
China Motor Bus (CMB) in Hong Kong ordered 30 Dennis Jubilants with Alexander CB bodywork, they entered service in 1980.
One Jubilant chassis was delivered to
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, South Africa and was fitted with bodywork supplied by Bus Bodies (South Africa) Limited.
Air-conditioned Jubilant
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is a bus company operating Bus services in Hong Kong, franchised services in Hong Kong. It is the largest bus company in Hong Kong by fleet size and number of bus routes, with over 4,000 buses ...
also received one air-conditioned Jubilant coach with Alexander KB bodywork and put it into service in 1980. The air-conditioner was driven by a separate engine mounted at the rear.
Kowloon coaches
''Commercial Motor'' 12 July 1980 However, the air conditioning proved unreliable and was removed in 1983. The coach was downgraded to a bus few years later.
Withdrawal
China Motor Bus wrote off one of its Dennis Jubilants after a fire in 1993. The other 29 buses were transferred to New World First Bus on 1 September 1998 after the franchise of CMB was terminated, they were replaced by new buses by September 1999.
Kowloon Motor Bus also had two of its Jubilants prematurely withdrawn, and in 1994 started to withdraw the rest. During the process of withdrawal, some of the Jubilants took over the role of the Leyland Victory Mark 2 (the competitor of Dennis Jubilant) in the fleet. The last was withdrawn in January 2000.
See also
* Leyland Victory Mark 2, bus manufactured by Leyland with similar design
References
External links
*
{{Dennis, state=collapsed
Jubilant
Double-decker buses
Vehicles introduced in 1977
Step-entrance buses