More than 400 new ISRI driver's seats for GVB
In 2020, Amsterdam (The Netherlands) transport company GVB awarded EBLO Seating the tender for the supply, installation, and maintenance of driver seats for trams. EBLO, based in Zwijndrecht, has been a trusted ISRI importer in the Benelux and the United Kingdom for several years, with extensive experience in public transport seats for buses, trains, and trams. This was one of the reasons why they were awarded this project. In addition to being an official importer, EBLO is also the owner of ISRI.eu. EBLO has delivered and installed more than 400 new ISRI driver seats for trams. In addition, they have developed an advanced online tool to monitor the condition of all GVB seats.
It is essential that GVB's seats comply with all legal requirements, including the requirement for fire-resistant upholstery in accordance with the EN45545 standard. EBLO had the fire resistant upholstery custom made especially for this project and upholstered all the seats themselves. Ultimately, EBLO did an excellent job of professionally installing more than 400 seats in accordance with the customer's wishes and specifications.
The seats were installed in GVB's large depot, where the trams are stored and, if necessary, maintained. Installing all the seats was an enormous task, which was carried out with great care and to everyone's satisfaction. All seats are equipped with a control card, which allows the driver to adjust the seat precisely before starting the service.
In addition, each driver's seat has a label with a QR code. This means that every seat is digitally registered in the online tool. If periodic preventive maintenance is required, this is automatically indicated in the tool. This provides insight into upcoming maintenance and ensures that a tram will not suddenly come to a standstill due to a sudden seat defect. It is a priority for GVB to guarantee the availability of all seats in its trams.
Edwin van Zetten, Tram Projects Manager at GVB, aptly noted: "A major advantage over the old seats is preventive inspection and maintenance. Previously, we only repaired a seat when we received a report that something was defective. By then it was already too late and the tram was out of service for several hours. Now we carry out preventive maintenance and cushions and other parts are replaced as standard after a certain period of time. This means that our staff always travel in comfortable seats, which helps prevent health problems such as back pain."
The old driver's seats from the trams have been transferred to the EBLO workshop. Here, all the old seats will be dismantled and the parts will be reused as much as possible.
After installing all ISRI seats in the trams, our consultant Marcel Kool provided various GVB ergonomic coaches with instructions on the correct sitting posture. He also explained how to adjust the seat correctly. EBLO offers technical support to GVB mechanics to ensure that all GVB tram drivers can sit in an ergonomically responsible manner.
A word:
“GVB's starting point was to provide preventive maintenance for the new tram seats. This was done in order to guarantee the quality of the seats for longer. As a result, the trams will not come to an unexpected standstill due to a broken seat. In addition, tram drivers will be less likely to experience physical complaints, because the seats will remain in good condition for longer.”
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