Stertil Koni has provided a 25-tonne steam-cleaning lift to cope with the introduction of the ftrmetro by First Cymru. The 14.5 metre galvanised Skylift has been installed into the bus operator's washbay to deal with the new ftrmetro, as well as other vehicles in the company's fleet.

First Cymru officially launched its ftrmetro bendibus in Swansea in September 2009. At 18.6 metres long, the ftrmetro is considerably bigger than any other vehicle in the First Cymru fleet. Stertil Koni was tasked with providing a washbay lift that could cope with this type of articulated vehicle, but would also be able to service the existing fleet. Stertil proposed a surface-mounted, galvanised Skylift complete with lights and an anti-slip finish on the platforms, making it the first 14.5 metre Skylift to be installed in a UK washbay environment.

The 25-tonne Skylift is the ultimate heavy-duty lift in terms of efficiency, versatility and safety. The Skylift features four metre long modular run-up ramps to simplify the positioning of larger vehicles plus a half-scissor lifting mechanism which gives greater access to the underside of raised vehicles than a standard scissor lift.

With no base frame, no crossbeams and only a lifting leg at each end of the platform required, the Skylift provides unobstructed access from all sides at its maximum lifting height of 1.75 metres.

The Skylift is easily installed and relocated if necessary and only requires a narrow bay width, enabling workshop space to be used to the maximum.

As with all Stertil Koni products, safety is paramount. The Skylift has an independent mechanical locking system that is always active, from when the lift is at its lowest level to when it reaches maximum height. Each leg also has its own individual measuring device, ensuring smooth and level synchronisation to within 15mm.

"We're thrilled to have launched the ftrmetro service in Swansea and are delighted with how popular it has become," says Paul Davies of First Cymru. "As with any new service, the infrastructure must be in place to support it and, in this case, that included having the right vehicle lift to enable us to properly clean and maintain the new vehicles. Stertil Koni has supplied us with a heavy-duty, high performance, reliable lift that gives us just the back-up we need."

First Cymru runs over 200 bus services in South Wales and Swansea became the third city, after York and Leeds, in the UK to develop the ftrmetro service. The cross-city service uses ten Wrightbus StreetCars and cost around 14 million pounds to provide.