It’s not every day that a coach receives the blessing of a bishop. But a Mercedes-Benz Travego was recently honoured in this way by the Bishop of Regensburg, Dr Gerhard Ludwig Müller. This was on the occasion of the official hand-over of the vehicle to the coach operator Dechant-Reisen. Fritz Dechant, owner of Dechant-Reisen, received the symbolic key from Konstantinos Tsiknas, Head of Sales for the Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach unit in Germany, in front of Regensburg Cathedral, with the Bishop and the "Regensburger Domspatzen". The luxury coach will henceforth be taking the Regensburger Domspatzen, one of the oldest and most famous choirs in the world, on their concert tours.

The choir’s new vehicle is characterised by perfect elegance and a particularly extensive range of appointments. The sporty and dynamic "Fashion" equipment line is in perfect harmony with the passenger seats which have "Memory" upholstery. The leather head sections, side section piping and the curtains are in the contrasting colour "curry". The Travel Star Xtra (TSX) new generation of seating is worthy of mention. It is a trendsetter in the sector with regard to safety and comfort. The design of the new seats combines both form and function: attractive-looking, high-quality and lightweight aluminium is used for the side fascias, for example. A large, adjustable rocker function, with clear instructions for use and with a transverse adjustment function for the aisle seats and backrest adjustment function that are equally easy to operate, are integral features. The design of the armrest is elegant, it is ergonomically shaped and has a swivel mechanism to make it easy to fold down at the sides.

Safety is a top priority for the Dechant fleet. Over and above the standard fittings, which are in themselves exemplary and which include the ABS anti-lock braking system, Brake Assist, the ASR distance control function and the ESP Electronic Stability Program, there is both a fire detection system
in the engine compartment and a smoke alarm system in the luggage compartment on board the Travego M. Further contributions to the exemplary levels of security are made by the other equipment fitted.<br /><br />A Mercedes-Benz OM 457 LA BlueTec® EEV engine, which has an output of 315 kW (428 hp) is at work at th rear of the 13.0 metre-long Travego M. EEV stands for Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle and is the sign of a particularly environmentally responsible vehicle. Mercedes-Benz has fulfilled this extremely strict emissions standard without the additional need for a particulate filter. The Mercedes-Benz six-speed manual transmission system is responsible for the power transmission.

The history of the Regensburger Domspatzen ("Regensburg Cathedral Sparrows") goes back over a thousand years, long before motor cars and buses and coaches ruled the roads. The Regensburg Cathedral Choir, whose choristers are boys and young men, is thus one of the oldest existing choirs. As the choir goes off on many concert tours, the Domspatzen are also called "the city’s singing ambassadors". The choir travels by coach to some 50 concert dates a year. The transport operator Dechant has, as the Domspatzen’s partner, been providing them with a coach and driver since 2006. With the Travego, the choir will be travelling in a Mercedes-Benz luxury coach for the first time.

Dechant, a family-owned company, was founded in 1951 as a haulage company for transporting all types of goods. The company first decided to start offering longer and short-distance transport services in 1969. The company bought its first coach in 1971. In addition to short breaks, study and culture trips and excursions to musicals, the company also offers long-distance coach tours and operates its own bus routes in and around Regensburg.
The coach operation, based in Regenstauf in Bavaria, has had a cooperation agreement with the Regensburger Domspatzen since 2006. Fritz Dechant, a devoted fan of the Domspatzen himself, ordered the luxuriously appointed Travego as a new coach for the choir on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the company. The travel company also often works for the bishopric of Regensburg. Dechant drove its biggest ever travel group in 2010: the coach operator drove some 4000 faithful on a ministrants’ pilgrimage to Rome. The travel services provided for the bishopric of Regensburg have played a special role in the history of this family-run company: the Domspatzen sang especially for the guests invited to the company’s 60-year jubilee celebrations at the company’s depot in Regenstauf.
Today the family-run company employs 20 people, amongst them 4 generations of the family. Of the 20 vehicles in the company’s fleet - of which 16 bear the three-pointed star - the Travego luxury touring coach is the flagship.