MAN-Hafencity-Riverbus

In Hamburg you can cruise on the river on a bus. It’s MAN Hafencity Riverbus

The city of Hamburg has a new attraction: MAN Hafencity Riverbus is the first amphibious bus in Germany and takes tourists to discover the city on land and water.

Boat or bus? The new Hamburg Hafencity Riverbus is a bit of both. The amphibious vehicle is perfect for a port city, located around the Elbe river, where most of the places worth a visit is either on the water or on the shores. This new attraction combines the chance to tour both.

MAN Hafencity Riverbus can go anywhere

MAN-Hafencity-Riverbus

Along the city streets the new MAN Hafencity Riverbus is a normal route bus with buttons to call the next stop. Not because it is a real option on this route, but because it was a requisite in order to get compliance certificates on such an unusual vehicle. The owner of the first amphibious bus in Germany, Fred Franken, has been quite a pioneer, as the development and construction took a good four years. And the hardest part was compliance itself: such vehicles are not contemplated by the German transportation laws.
Franken, a past as maritime worker and bus passionate, says: “I started to think of this project 18 years ago, after seeing a similar attraction in Singapore. I immediately thought that such a thing had to come to Hamburg”.

MAN-Hafencity-Riverbus

Under the hull is a MAN truck chassis, while the body above comes from an Hungarian company. A further challenge is maintenance, as service to MAN Hafencity Riverbus can be provided just once a week. The reason being the unexpected, total success of the initiative. “In the first two months of activity, we counted over six thousand passengers, Hamburg citizens and many tourists”, explains a satisfied Fred Franken. And the voice is spreading: at the moment, there’s requests for another seven amphibious buses to serve other cities.

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