BusForUs increases passenger comfort with Allison fully automatic transmission-equipped AKIA Ultra DD (double-decker) buses.

ISTANBUL, October 11, 2022 – İstanbul Ulaşım AŞ, one of the subsidiaries of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), operates AKIA Ultra DD (double-decker) buses equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions in the BusForUs Project that allow local and international tourists to discover the historical sites of Istanbul. Six buses equipped with the Allison T3375R xFE™ transmission have been providing tourist transportation services at world-class standards since January 2022 and bringing comfort to the city's promotion.

"After 10 years of private operation, travel and transportation services with tourist buses in Istanbul started to be provided by Istanbul Ulaşım AŞ, a subsidiary of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, as of January 2022,” said Murat İsmail Elal, İstanbul Ulaşım AŞ Businesses Manager. “In this project, which planned to offer high quality service to tourists exploring Istanbul, we continue utilizing special edition 2021-2022 AKIA double-decker buses equipped with fully automatic transmissions in our services to allow tourists to explore the city in the most comfortable manner. We are very pleased to see great interest in the project. 95% of our passengers are international tourists."

Outstanding comfort in city transportation with a 33-kilometer route of 12 stops
BusForUs buses run on a tourist route covering the must-see historical sites of Istanbul. The route starts and ends in Sultanahmet and covers approximately 33 kilometers with 12 stops. The tour ranges from 2 to 2.5 hours according to traffic conditions, and passengers are able to get on and off the buses at any stop and continue their tour and transportation with tickets valid for 24 hours.

In Istanbul, which is visited by local and international tourists year round, passenger satisfaction is kept at the highest level thanks to quality, comfortable and safe transportation provided with double-decker buses that offer panoramic views and high-tech equipment.

"Apart from the technical features of our 72-seat passenger buses, we also think about passenger comfort in all ways,” said Elal. “Unlike other tour buses in many countries, which only provide a driver, we also provide a multilingual vehicle hostess and additional catering package, hygienic kit, headphones, internet access and digital hardware (USB charging, LCD screen, 9 indoor and outdoor 360-degree security camera systems) with just one ticket."

"In this project, we aim to promote our city in the best way, and so the most important point in the comfort and safety of passengers is the technical features of the buses,” said Elal. “Thanks to the fully automatic transmission, the comfort of both the passengers and the driver increases as the passengers have a smooth driving experience and the driver does not need to change gears. As the automatic gear shifts provide more controlled and safe driving, the driver gets less tired."

The 12-meter low-floor AKIA Ultra DD bus is equipped with a 7.7-liter Mercedes-Benz OM936LA Turbo Intercooler that produces 220 kilowatts and 1200 Newton-meters of torque, Euro VI engine and an Allison T3375R xFE fully automatic transmission. Allison T3375R xFE, a member of the Allison 3000 Series™ xFE transmission family that provides the latest developments in the fuel economy, has 5th Generation electronic controls which offer advanced operation and prognostics.

The driving dynamics and technical needs of the double-decker Ultra DD model bus differ from a standard 12-meter city bus. Passengers, especially those traveling on the top floor, might feel discomfort caused by jerky gear shifts that can be seen in other transmission technologies. Thanks to Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ with torque converter, this can be avoided by smoothly multiplying engine torque, allowing more power to be delivered to the wheels. Therefore, full-power shifts and superior acceleration become possible. Developed for operations up to 1450 Newton-meters of torque power, Allison T3375R xFE allows for smooth gear shifts even on the most challenging roads of Istanbul. This transmission is also designed to operate at low engine speeds in longer distances and provide earlier lock-up in order to save more fuel by bringing FuelSense® Max package together with the most efficient ratio steps.

The Allison T3375R xFE also includes an integral retarder that provides more enhanced braking and reduces mechanical brake wear. For a vehicle with a maximum weight of 18 tons, working every day in the historic hilly areas of Istanbul, the braking power when descending from slopes is of great significance. Allison’s integral retarder system reduces the load and wear on brake pads and discs thanks to its high braking power during downhill driving. Therefore, the frequency and the cost of replacing brake pads of fleets decreases.

"At AKIA, we are happy to see our Ultra DD buses offer such a service. We equipped these buses with Allison fully automatic transmission to meet the torque power required for our operations in the most ideal way,” said Remzi Baka, General Manager, AKIA. “The fully automatic transmission is a must for low-floor vehicles used on city routes. We currently use Allison transmissions in many of our projects and different vehicle configurations. While developing the public transport systems of the future, having a business partner who is an industry leader makes our solutions more powerful. The most efficient and rapid gear shifts, easy start-stop, and smooth driving make the operation of the vehicle easier."

Women drivers of BusForUs buses
43 percent of the BusForUs team consists of women, including woman drivers and hostesses working in buses. BusForUs passengers can enjoy the panoramic views of Istanbul with internet access and audio guidance service in 8 languages: Turkish, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Persian.