Buses World News: March 2005

RECALLS - USA - GM Recalls 25,000 Commercial Trucks, 916 SUVs

DETROIT,MI,USA -Reuters -Mar 22 2005: -- General Motors Corp. will recall more than 25,000 commercial trucks due to electrical wiring which could wear thin and accidentally set off the airbags... GM manufactured some of its Chevrolet and GMC medium-duty commercial trucks from the 2003 to 2005 model years without protective covering for electrical wiring, located under the driver's feet... http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=7976840

RECALLS - JAPAN - Mitsubishi Fuso to recall 9,800 trucks, buses

Tokyo,Japan —Japan Today -March 24, 2005: -- Scandal-tainted Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. said Wednesday it will recall about 9,800 trucks and buses in total in connection with seven types of defects, including one associated with its steering system... http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=3&id=331742

POLITICS - USA - GM exec lays out strategy for fixing ailing North American unit

NEW YORK,USA -Detroit Free Press/AP -March 23 2005: -- General Motors Corp. plans to focus on new products and educating potential buyers about the unique aspects of its car and trucks as part of a multifaceted strategy for fixing its ailing North American business, the head of GM North America said Wednesday...

COURT ACTION - USA - Engine Manufacturers Seek to Preserve Emissions Reduction

CHICAGO,Ill,USA -BUSINESS WIRE -March 24 2005: -- ... the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) today sought court action to invalidate a recently adopted ARB regulation, this imposes additional and unauthorized requirements on manufacturers and vehicle owners and conflicts with these earlier agreements...

DEFECTS - USA - NHTSA to investigate Ford trucks, SUVs

WASHINGTON DC, USA -AP, by KEN THOMAS -March 24, 2005: -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday it would investigate more than 3.7 million Ford Motor Co. pickups and SUVs for a defect in a cruise-control switch that led to a January recall... The agency said it would examine Ford F-150 pickups from the 1995 to 1999 and 2001 to 2002 model years, and Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 1997 to 1999 and 2001 to 2002 model years...

PRODUCCION - NA - Weekly Ward's Reports Estimated

SOUTHFIELD,Mich.,USA -PRNewswire -March 24 2005: -- Vehicle production this week in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 267,476 units, down 20.2 percent from the 335,070 cars and trucks built last week, according to WardsAuto... http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050324/deth021_2.html

TAXS - INDIA - Commercial vehicles to be taxed

NEW DELHI,India -TIMES NEWS,by NIDHI SHARMA -MARCH 25 2005: -- ... the Capital will implement a passenger and goods tax on buses from other states and inter-state transport vehicles like maxicabs, tempos, trucks and taxis... passenger tax will be levied on buses of other states that enter Delhi. The bus owner will pay this tax for every passenger depending on the capacity of the bus. Similarly, transporters will pay goods tax... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1061885.cms

NEW ERA - INDIA - Get set to beam into a

NEW DELHI,INDIA -TIMES NEWS NETWORK -MARCH 24 2005: -- Transport for the city will have a whole new meaning. Synonymous with just DTC buses so far, the Budget promises to add to the transport system new features like monorail, new Metro corridors, expressways, high capacity bus corridor and a sleek DTC fleet... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1060568.cms

SALES - CHINA - ZIMBABWE Purchases buses from China

HARARE,ZIMB. -Xinhua/China -March 23 2005: -- The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) has purchased 50 buses from China worth over 2 million US dollars to ease public transport problems in the southern African country, an official said on Wednesday... http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/23/content_2735586.htm

PUBLIC TRANSPORT - AUSTRALIA - Too many buses, too little service

Australia -Australian,by Andrew West -March 24, 2005: -- AS Sydney commuters continue to experience slow and late trains -and, in frustration, turn to buses as an alternative- a federal government agency has claimed NSW has too much public transport... According to the report, NSW has 15,873 unnecessary bus stops; 1270 unnecessary buses, although the total State Transit bus fleet is only 1970 buses; 18km of excess underground track and 38km of excess standard track; and seven unnecessary railway stations...

SAFETY - USA - Anti-Whiplash System is contained within head restraint

New York,NY,USA -Industrial News Room -March 2005: -- Designed to reduce impact of whiplash injury in rear-end collisions, anti-whiplash system addresses IIHS concerns by aligning head with cervical spine. It uses electromagnetic actuator to release pre-stressed springs that simultaneously pivot headrest while pushing it forward. Independent of seatback frame, headrest houses 2 coil springs, plastic headrest housing, electromagnetically-activated plate, and wiring... http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/458753/3287

PRODUCTS - USA - Vehicle Navigation Systems include traffic message channel

New York,NY,USA -Industrial News Room -Jan 21 2005: -- VDO Dayton Navigation System, with Traffic Message Channel technology, can route drivers around traffic delays before traffic incident has been reached. Receiving real-time traffic information through FM band via RDS technology, system alerts driver of situation with verbal and visual input and gives driver option to go around delay while calculating best alternate route. TMC broadcast information is provided on subscription basis... http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/459388/3287

TECHNOLOGY - USA - Surf and ride on Cerritos buses

Vehicles to become wireless hot spots.
CERRITOS,Long Beach,CA,USA -Long Beach Press-Telegram,by Jenny Marder -22 March,2005: -- Surfing the Web, catching up on e-mails, scanning news headlines online it's become part of so many people's daily routine. But on the bus?... Cerritos residents will soon have access to what the city's service provider says will be the first Internet service on a public bus route, when a pilot program is launched March 31...

TECHNECOLOGY - USA - LA Airport Purchase Alternative-Fuel Airfield Buses

Los Angeles,CA,USA -PrimeZone -March 21, 2005: -- The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today awarded a $4.2-million contract to North American Bus Industries, Inc., for the purchase of six airfield buses with capacity of up to 140 passengers that operate on compressed natural gas (CNG) for use at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)... http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/?d=74903

ECOLOGY - USA - Groups Call for End to Emissions Suit

USA -Forbes/Associated Press -03.21.2005: -- A group of national environmental organizations, nine German environmental groups, on Monday urged German automakers: BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Porsche and Volkswagen, to pull out of a California lawsuit against the U.S. state's proposed stricter clean air regulations, accusing them of double standards... urged the companies to make more environmentally friendly cars, instead of fighting laws that would force them to do so... "It is hypocrisy that the German automobile industry portrays itself as environmentally friendly on the one hand and on the other hand, legally challenges a decisive environmental regulation,"...

ENVIROMENTAL ACTIVISM - USA - Union of Concerned Scientists

Fiction vs. Fact: The Auto Alliance's ad is deceptive
USA -UCS/National Journal Congress Daily - March 2005: --
- Q: What is it exactly that makes the Auto Alliance’s Ad “deceptive?” - A: The claim that “Autos manufactured today are virtually emission-free” is simply untrue... They pretend that harmful heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from new autos do not exist. It is a fact that there are more CO2 emissions coming from today’s autos than there were 20 years ago...
- Q: But what about that “99 percent cleaner than you think” line? - A: If you think cars and light trucks are still a significant part of the pollution problem, then you are right and the automakers’ ad is misleading...
- Q: What other emissions are coming from today’s autos? - A: There are a wide variety of toxics linked to cancer such as formaldehyde, 1-3 butadiene and benzene. If you look at these emissions from a cancer-risk standpoint, there will still be some 350,000 tons of benzene-equivalent emissions from autos as far away as 2020 when the new, Tier 2-compliant cars account for the majority of the vehicle fleet...
- Q: Okay, their ad had some serious misrepresentations, but why did you choose a child holding a cigarette? - A: The Auto Alliance deceptive ad implies their products are clean and healthy for our children. Automakers have not lived up to their responsibility to clean up their products and reduce risks for our children’s health and environment... ** For a full analysis of the advertisement, including sourced footnotes detailing the the analytical process behind each of the above statistics, please go to our fact sheet. http://www.ucsusa.org/general/special_features/page.cfm?pageID=1667

ENVIROMENTAL ACTIVISM - USA - distorted message from Union of Concerned Scientists?

Clearing the Air about Cars and Trucks
Richfield,OH,USA -Tech Central Station,by Robert Balling -21 March 2005: -- The environmental activist group Union of Concerned Scientists has launched an attack on the auto industry blaming it for contributing to smog and "global warming pollution"... IT'S CORRECT: * in noting that a major portion of smog-forming chemicals comes from burning gasoline in our fleet of vehicles...
* that burning fossil fuels in vehicles produces carbon dioxide and indeed, carbon dioxide traps heat and contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming...
* that carbon dioxide emitted from American vehicles is contributing to global warming...
Scientists throughout the world concede that even if the Kyoto Protocol magically stabilized global emissions to 1990 levels, we would never be able to detect its climate impact. Similarly, the American fleet could totally vanish, and its climate impact would never be detectable... These facts fly in the face of the latest distorted message coming from the Union of Concerned Scientists... http://www.techcentralstation.com/032105F.html

BLARING MUSIC - FIJI - Authority helpless against blaring music from buses

Fiji -Fiji Times -March 19 2005: -- THE Land Transport Authority does not have the power to prosecute bus drivers who play loud music while driving... "They do not listen and lower the volume in their bus so I send them home with no excuse." said Junior Lee, manager of the Nasese Bus Company... http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=18089

DISORDER - PANAMA - Total disorder in Panama City buses

El Dorado,Panama -Bulletin Panama -2005 Mar 18: -- There is a municipal ordinance to eliminate unnecessary noise, but the public transport service raise the volume of its on-board music,... the bus drivers raise their music to such high volumes that passenger must shout for their stops. The disorder does not end there... http://www.bulletinpa.com/index.php?id=110

SAFETY - USA - Tracking units set to go into TPS buses

Toledo,OH,USA -Toledo Blade -March 17 2005: -- Toledo Public Schools officials hope global positioning satellite systems, cameras, and new radios could be installed beginning this summer on the school district's 185 yellow buses and other vehicles... "this as effective management of a large organization's fleet."... Global positioning systems, commonly known as...

NEED BUSES - CHINA - Busy schoolrun

Beijing,China -China Daily -2005-03-17: -- Thousands of parents are stressed out about their children's transportation problems going back and forth to school in Beijing... A survey showed that 97.5 per cent of them could make use of an official school bus... Beijing has about 1.7 million primary and middle school students, with 20 per cent of them being frequent bus users - 340,000 children... http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/17/content_425781.htm

BIKE RACKS - CANADA - TTC looks at bike racks for buses

TORONTO,Canada –CBC News -Mar 17 2005: -- The Toronto Transit Commission is considering bicycle racks for its buses, mounted on the front of the buses, in an attempt to attract more cyclists as customers... they would boost ticket sales by allowing cyclists who want a one-way ride – due to a change in the weather... http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=to-ttc20050317

PROTECTION - USA - Metro To Arm More Buses With Cameras

Washington,DC,USA -WJLA/AP -March 17 2005: -- Metro has a warning for teens throwing snowballs and other objects a buses - they plan to catch them on video tape... approve adding video cameras to 125 more Metro buses this year. About 100 of the 1,400 buses currently have cameras... http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0305/214160.html

EXPO - INDIA - Don't miss the bus!

Ernakulam,Kerala,India -India News/New Kerala -March 16 2005: -- Over 52 bus manufacturing and allied companies will gather here Saturday to showcase buses at Busworld India 2005, an international trade show for the coach sector ... http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=86538

BUDGET - UK - Confederation of Passenger Transport buses and coaches welcome budget

LONDON,UK -PRNewswire/ITNews/Roma,Italy -16-03-2005: -- The Confederation of Passenger Transport has welcomed the Chancellor's Budget announcement that duty on diesel is to be frozen at the current level; and that free bus travel for all pensioners and disabled people is now in sight... http://www.itnews.it/risorse/EuroNews,Zj0xMTg5MTgz

DEFICIT - USA - Big Plans for Detroit Buses

Detroit,MI,USA -WXYZ,by Michael Rosenfield -March 15 2005: -- Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced some big changes for city bus service that could affect thousands of people every day. The city is cutting back service ... but the mayor says that despite all the changes, service will be preserved for 99% of the 110,000 people who ride the buses every day...

SOUTH AFRICA - MURDER & Not more culpable homicide

Booze buses to help create awareness
Johanesburg,South Africa -The Mercury/Independent Online,by Carvin Goldstone -March 16 2005: -- Charges of murder could be brought against drunken drivers who kill people in accidents -instead of the lesser charge of culpable homicide- if Bheki Cele has his way... http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20050316065241630C787382

ECOLOGY - USA - Legislation establish Renewable Fuels Standard

ST. LOUIS,Miss,USA - PRNewswire -March 11 2005: -- The National Corn Growers Association applauded introduction of legislation that establishes a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) requiring 6 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into the nation's fuel supply annually by 2012. The measure would significantly increase the contribution of ethanol and biodiesel to the U.S. fuel supply... http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-7699.html

REPLACE - UK - Buses to replace under-used trains

UK -Telegraph.co.uk,by David Millward -10/03/2005: -- Railway stations will be closed and passengers moved on to buses if they do not attract enough travellers, Alastair Darling, the Transport Secretary, said yesterday...

WARNING - INDIA - Most DTC buses leaking CNG

New Delhi,India -India Times,by NIDHI SHARMA -MARCH 08 2005: -- If you travel on DTC buses, you may be in danger. A recent inspection of DTC buses has revealed that almost 70% of the vehicles checked had CNG gas leaks and potentially, could explode at any time... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1044128.cms

FUTURE - USA - Will Be Cheaper, Greener For Trucks, Buses and Other Heavy-Duty Vehicles

CAMBRIDGE,Mass,USA -BUSINESS WIRE -March 7 2005: -- New study predicts significant increase in cleaner engines, hybrid technology and self-shifting transmission by 2020... released a study predicting vast changes in the powertrains of trucks, buses, and other large vehicles by 2020. The research indicates that new developments will result in engines that are...

PRODUCTS - INDIA - TATA new stable buses

Calcutta,India -Calcutta Telegraph -March 7 2005: -- Mumbai: Tata Motors Ltd today unveiled a range of state-of-the-art fully-built buses and coaches. The company aims at generating $1 billion revenues by exporting bus chassis and fully-built coaches...

TECHNOLOGY - NEW ZEALAND - e-Ticket system for buses

New Zealand -Stuff.co.nz,by TOM PULLAR -07 March 2005: -- Commuters in Wellington and Auckland could soon be paying for bus and train travel using a single smartcard that they can top up over the Internet... http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3208446a28,00.html

ECOLOGY - INDIA - Supreme Court Extends CNG Order from Delhi to Surrounding Region

USA - Grenn Car Congress/Times of India -March 12 2005: -- The Supreme Court of India has ordered the extension of mandated CNG use in heavy vehicles from Delhi to the National Capital Region (NCR) surrounding the capital city... directed the neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to open an adequate number of CNG outlets in the NCR to support the switchover of heavy duty commercial and transport vehicles from diesel to CNG...

TECHNECOLOGY - CHINA - Chinese Engine Manufacturer Develops Euro III Heavy-Duty Diesel

USA -Green Car Congress/Asia Pulse -March 14, 2005: -- Weichai Power, one of China’s largest diesel engine manufacturers, announced it has independently invented and produced the country’s first 10– and 12–liter diesel engines meeting Euro III emission standards... The engine is targeted for application in heavy-duty vehicles, coaches...

ECOLOGY - USA - Pennsylvania’s CATA Completes Bus Fleet Conversion to CNG

USA - Green Car Congress/ March 14, 2005: -- Pennsylvania’s Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) recently completed the conversion of its 54-bus fleet to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), making it the first all-CNG transit agency on the East Coast... CATA will also be involved in testing of buses burning a Hydrogen-CNG blend (HCNG)...

TECHNECOLOGY - INDIA - Begins First Biodiesel Bus Service

USA -Green Car Congress/The Business Standard -March 14 2005: -- Gujarat, is the first State in India to run commercial buses using biodiesel fuel... Initially, four buses using a B5 (5% biodiesel) blend will service a route between Gandhinagar (the capital city of the State) and Ahmedabad (India’s worst-polluted city—earlier post)...

IDLING - JAPAN - Government to Promote Manual "Idling Stop"

USA -Green Car Congress/Kyodo News -March 14 2005: -- Tokyo,JAPAN ... the Japanese government is planning to take its “idling stop” campaign from buses and taxis and other commercial vehicles in an effort to save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions... The proposed campaign is the low-tech version of a hybrid stop-start system: manually turning off the engine when the vehicle is stopped for more than a very short time in traffic or at an intersection...

SALES - INDIA - Bombay Suburb Buys 25 CNG Buses

USA -Green Car Congress -March 05 2005: -- Mumbay,India: ... The Thane (India) Municipal Transport (TMT) is ordering 25 CNG buses from Ashok Leyland to replace older diesel buses in its fleet. Thane is a municipality in the Greater Mubai (Bombay) region... The TMT has also entered into an agreement with the Mahanagar Gas Company to set up a CNG station at the TMT’s Wagle Estate depot...

SECURITY - BRAZIL - Buses to get metal detectors

New Zealand -TVNZ -Mar 5 2005: --Rio Janeiro,BRAZIL: ...Airports have them; government buildings have them. Now buses in Brazil's crime-hit Rio de Janeiro state may get metal detectors to ward off gun-toting criminals... More than 1,600 bus robberies occurred in the state last year. The route between the city of Rio, the neighboring town of Niteroi is considered to be one of the most dangerous... http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/477648%3fformat=html

PROFITS - UK - Arriva forges ahead on the buses

London,England,UK -This is London/Evening Standard,by James Rossiter -4 March 2005: -- RAIL and bus operator Arriva delivered forecast-busting annual profits, with its London operation at the heart of a bumper year for its UK buses division...

REVAMPS - UK - Fares could rise in changes on buses

Telford,England,UK -Shropshire Star -Mar 03 2005: -- A revamp of public transport in the Oswestry and Ellesmere area could see better bus services and more links with trains, but also a 10 per cent increase in bus fares... http://www.shropshirestar.com/show_article.php?aID=30291

SALES - SWEDEN - SCANIA Bus boom in Sweden, 283 buses sold in two months

SODERTALJE, Sweden -PRIMEZONE -March 2 2005: -- Scania has been highly successful on the Swedish bus market, selling 283 urban and interurban buses worth around SEK 600 million since the beginning of 2005. The biggest single order is for 123 ethanol-fuelled suburban buses to Stockholm... The deal is to run its public transport system without fossil fuels... http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/?d=73663

BIODIESEL - USA - Denver school buses switch to biodiesel

Denver,CO,USA -Denver Business Journal -March 1 2005: -- The Denver Public School district, with the largest school bus fleet in Colorado, will use biodiesel fuel made by a Fort Collins company in 50 of its 450 school buses, said Blue Sun Biodiesel on Tuesday...

DOUBLE BUSES - UK - The bendy-bus, Edinburgh's flexible friend?

Edinburgh,Scotland,UK -Edinburgh Evening News -28 Feb 2005: --Lothian Buses are trialling one bendy-bus in the city, with plans to buy 20 if the scheme is voted a hit by passengers... But, despite boasting almost double the capacity of conventional vehicles, so-called "bendy-buses" have failed to make any lasting impression in the UK... http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=223112005

PRIVATES - UK - Battle of the buses

Leeds,UK -Leeds Today,by Paul Robinson -28,Feb,2005: -- ... a Commons demand for a bus industry shake-up, he believes would be just the ticket for long-suffering passengers everywhere... changes are long overdue to rules that allow private sector operators to choose when and where they run their services and also set their own fares... That system, he claims, gives the operators free rein to concentrate on the most lucrative routes... http://www.leedstoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=39&ArticleID=958166

QUALITY OF LIFE - UK - Double decker buses driving locals to despair

UK -Waltham Forest Guardian -26,Feb,2005: -- TRANSPORT chiefs were put on the spot by Walthamstow residents who say that double decker buses are ruining their quality of life... they say the double decker buses using the route are too noisy, and cause increased pollution, congestion and damage to parked cars...

TECHNECOLOGY - USA - Pollution-free buses aren't blowing smoke

San Mateo,CA,USA -San Mateo County Times -26.Feb,2005: -- When several new high-tech buses hit the streets, the emissions that spew from their tailpipes will be clean enough to pour ... to explore the feasibility of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, a technology that may ultimately replace gasoline-powered cars and buses...

TECHNOLOGY - USA - RTD to begin 90-day screen test

Denver,CO,USA -Denver Post -Feb,27,2005: -- By late April, RTD plans to begin a 90-day test of "transit television" on eight buses and two light-rail cars. Regional Transportation District...

SALES - USA - Ford's Feb. US Sales Fall; Chrysler, Toyota Rise

USA -Bloomberg -March,1,2005: -- Ford's sales declined 2.9 percent, including an increase of 7.5 percent for cars and a drop of 8 percent for trucks... DaimlerChrysler's sales, including Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz vehicles, rose 5.5 percent. Toyota's sales rose 12 percent, and Nissan's increased 10 percent... http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=aU25ZvZDt66s&refer=home

COMPARISONS - USA - Frugality for the long haul

Pontiac,MI,USA -Oakland Press -March 6, 2005: -- ... A diesel will outlast a gas engine four times over, with proper maintenance. A million miles on a diesel cargo truck is not a big deal. In this new era of trying to save a few bucks on fuel... Battery-powered vehicles that ... Gas and electric (hybrids) are getting ... to be desired if you actually enjoy the experience of driving...

Buses World News

25.3.05