Mana Coach Services Move Forward with Tait TM8000

Exclusive Tait dealer Tait Mobile Radio Wellington has just completed an extensive installation of 130 Tait mobile radios for New Zealand urban and charter bus company Mana Coach Services.

Full MPT 1327 trunking, fast switching dual trunked and conventional modes, open channels and group conversations, emergency channels, cross-group communications with partnering organisations, and future flexibility for GPS tracking: these are the tools needed to operate one of New Zealand’s major urban and charter bus companies, Mana Coaches – and it’s all supported by Tait’s TM8235 and TM8255 mobiles.

In just two weeks, Tait Mobile Radio installed 130 Tait TM8235 and TM8255 mobiles across the fleet’s greater Wellington operation. Mana Coaches required a new communications system that could meet a set of clearly defined needs. Trunking was at the top of their list, with its efficient use of channels ensuring that the fleet’s dispatchers can avoid channel congestion. Trunking also provides flexible voice communications with group or individual calls – the ability to contact either an individual or group of drivers is a key benefit for a company that needs to co-ordinate 130 buses.

As well as efficient communications, driver safety is also a key priority for Mana Coaches. Both the TM8235 and TM8255 mobiles have programmable function keys that can be dedicated to make an emergency call with a single button press. Should a situation arise where a driver requires immediate support, the emergency key links the driver directly to the dispatch team.

It was important for any new installation to have future flexibility, in particular the ability to communicate via both conventional and trunked networks, and the ability to provide GPS vehicle tracking. Tait’s TM8235 and TM8255 dual mode mobiles can provide solutions for both of these needs. The radios provide fast switching between trunked and conventional modes, which means that Mana Coaches can easily communicate with other bus organisations operating on conventional networks. Both mobiles also support a standard polling vehicle location format and have a direct connect port for an external GPS receiver, ensuring a smooth transition for GPS integration plans in the future.

It was these benefits combined with Tait Mobile Radio’s ongoing customer support that made the decision to upgrade to Tait an easy choice for Mana Coaches.