Ridership Record - USA - Island Explorer Bus System Hits

Portland,ME,USA -WCSH-TV, by Erin Lewis -31 July 2006: -- The Island Explorer bus system reaches another milestone this week when its 2 millionth rider hops on board... The buses are powered by propane and operate in Acadia National Park and sorrounding communities... The bus system does not charge fares. It is funded through Acadia National Park transportation fees and contributions from the Maine and U.S. Departments of Transportation, and others...

The Big Green Bus - USA - Veggie oil-powered bus rolls through the county

Vail,CO,USA -Vail Daily News -30 July 206: -- It's a typical Friday morning college scene, expect these Dartmouth students' dorm room is really a big hunk of green metal riding on four large wheels parked at Donovan Park in West Vail. It's the Big Green Bus - a vegetable oil-powered home away from home for a dozen Dartmouth students for about six weeks this summer... (Photo: The Big Green Bus and its occupants are on a mission to increase people’s awareness about alternative fuels)

Friendly - UK - New buses for town

Three extra wheelchair-friendly buses have been introduced in Bridlington

Bridlington,England,UK -Bridlington Free Press -28 July 2006: -- Each is worth around £100,000 and two other easy-access buses have also been sent to the town, meaning all but two routes are now available to wheelchair users... East Yorkshire Motor Services chairman Peter Shipp said: "These three and the other two buses being moved to Bridlington will bring a big improvement for our passengers in the form of easier boarding and alighting, and a more comfortable ride at a time when more older people are using the buses following the recent introduction of the free-travel scheme for the over-60s."... (Picture: Bridlington drivers with the new £100,000 midi-buses)

Passengers - Bulgaria - Coast Sold out

All buses and trains are full; people travel from Sofia to the Black Sea and back

Sofia,Bulgaria -Standart News -30 July2006: -- There are no more tickets for the Bulgarian Black Sea coast... Tickets for the night trains to Varna and Burgas have been bought out... People prefer to travel during the night because thus they win an extra day for sunbathing... Buses are also booked out for two or three days in advance. The high number of car accidents during the summer months has made a lot of people seek alternative means of transport...

Bus Rapid Transport System - India - Jaipur may get high-speed modern buses

Jaipur, India -IANS/Monsters and Critics.com (Glasgow,UK) -Jul 29, 2006: -- High-speed buses may soon ply on Jaipur roads providing better public transport to citizens as the Rajasthan government plans to introduce a Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) here...

Acquisitions - Australia - Used buses on city routes

Adelaide,South Australia,Australia -Advertiser Adelaide, by Renato Castello -July 29, 2006: -- Second-hand buses have been acquired to help bolster Adelaide's straining public transport network... Torrens Transit bought two 15-year-old buses from Brisbane in a bid to meet the surge in public transport use... The news came as Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said he would not pursue $400,000 in damages from bus company Scania over problems with the supply of buses...

Waste of Space - UK - Business chiefs blast Capital bus lanes as

UK -The Scotsman/Edinburghnews, by ALAN RODEN -29 Jul 2006: -- A powerful group of business leaders today criticised Edinburgh's bus lane system and called for cars carrying passengers to be allowed to use them... The Institute of Directors Scotland, which has a membership of around 2000 leading businessmen and women, said the policy of only allowing buses, taxis and cycles a quicker run through the city is adding to congestion... (Picture: Rob McDougall - The IoD says multiple-occupancy cars should use bus lanes)

New buses - Canada - Hit Victoria's city streets

Langford,British Columbia,Can -Victoria News/Goldstream News Gazette, by Andrea Lavigne -Jul 28 2006: -- BC Transit riders may have noticed that new bus smell this week... The Victoria Regional Transit rolled out eight new buses Tuesday that boast greater accessibility and clean air technology... The NOVA buses were purchased for $475,000 each and will be used on routes throughout the Capital Region... (Photo: Victoria News, by Sharon Tiffin - Barry George, safety and training officer, checks out the interior of one of the buses in the BC Transit yard Tuesday)

Alarming Rate - Canada - Bus driver's union says violence against drivers on the rise

Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada -CKNW(AM980)Philip Till -Jul, 28 2006: -- A day after we told you about another assault on a local bus driver, the bus driver's union has released numbers showing violence against its members is escalating at an alarming rate... drivers are being verbally or physically assaulted nearly every second day and we're on track to see up to 240 incidents this year... Union spokesperson Terry Fedoruk says drivers are forced to turn the other cheek. “We're the front line staff, we're the ones that are there that they react to, and we have little or no means of defence or an ability to call somebody to have somebody on the spot"...

Smaller buses - UK - A cheaper and safer way to connect suburbs

Edgware,England,UK -Edgware Times, by Glen Uzvolk -27 July 2006: -- Alison Fryer notes in her letter last week that the 'bus service is often empty' and that big buses in residential roads have damaged vehicles... Smaller 12 to 18 seater buses should be used to connect the would-be quiet suburban roads to the main arteries of the transport system... These would cause less emissions and be cheaper. Larger buses belong on main roads and those ridiculous long windy buses that cannot turn corners should be reserved for perfectly straight routes with a crane at each end to help them turn around...

Controls - USA - Troopers Inspect School Buses for Safety

Wichita,KS,USA -KAKE News -July 27, 206: -- Wichita students go back to school next month. To make sure they get to class in one piece, every bus in the Wichita fleet is being checked for problems... On Thursday, the Kansas Highway Patrol conducted safety inspections on Wichita's bus fleet. Troopers say they can't take any chances when it comes to students...

Study - USA - Favors buses over light-rail line

Buses or Light Rail?
Charlotte,NC,USA -News 14 Carolina, by Shawn Flynn -27 July 2006: -- The Metropolitan Transit Commission will decide next month what option it wants to take with the southeast corridor... CATS, presenting the study to the Metropolitan Transit Commission, said it’s cheaper and more practical to use buses in the southeast corridor instead of building a light-rail line from uptown Charlotte to Matthews... The study says light-rail transit costs much more that bus rapid transit in terms of capital and operational costs. It would also carry fewer people...

Drivers' shortage - Canada - Desperately wanted: school-bus drivers

Alberta, Canada -CBC News -July 27, 2006: -- Southland Transportation has put out an urgent call for nearly 200 drivers. The company operates 900 school buses in southern Alberta and if vacancies aren't filled by September, bus routes could be a lot longer for children... Southland Transportation has put out an urgent call for nearly 200 school bus drivers. CBC News"It's desperate," said spokeswoman June Read...

Timing - Singapore - Of new service standards for buses not linked to fare issue

Singapore -Channel News Asia, by Asha Popatlal -26 July 2006: -- Public Transport Council Chairman Gerard Ee says the announcement of new service standards for buses was not meant as a precursor to any possible fare increases next month, and that the timing was merely coincidental... He did add, however, that operational efficiencies, which include incidents like the recent NorthEast Line stoppage, will be taken into consideration when looking at any applications for fare increases...

BUSES PURCHASES

* USA - Hybrids Will soon roll into Manatee County
Bradenton, Fl.,USA -Tampa Bay's 10 (St. Petersburg,FL) -26 July 2006: -- Manatee County could be the first school district in Florida to invest in diesel-electric buses. The district plans to buy two hybrid buses... The 71 seat buses would look like existing buses. The difference would be the cost... 225-thousand dollars --which is two to three times more than a conventional bus... But some say it's a small price to pay for the environmentally-friendly transportation. The schoool district and hopes to put them into use by mid 2007...

* USA - Board to spend $2.5 million on new buses
Columbiana,AL,USA -Shelby County Reporter, by BRANDON GRESHAM -July 26, 2006: -- The Shelby County Board of Education voted to purchase 42 news schools buses for the coming school year at a price tag over $2.5 million... The system will purchase three 19-passenger, four 53-passenger and thirty-five 72-passenger buses before the start of the school year to help combat rising enrollment rates in the county...





* USA - Prognosis - Panel approves Sims' bus expansion plan
Seattle,Wash.,USA -Seattle Post Intelligencer -July 27, 2006: -- King County Executive Ron Sims' 10-year, $598-million Metro bus expansion plan got a thumbs-up Wednesday from the County Council's Transportation Committee, which recommended placing the measure on the November ballot... If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the measure would increase the sales tax by a tenth of 1 percent to pay for increased bus frequency, including what's described as "bus rapid transit" service in five corridors and more frequent service on 35 other routes across the county...

Safety - USA - New features on school buses

Rockmart,GA,USA -Rockmart Journal, by Agnes Hagin -26 July 2006: -- If buses could talk, there would be gossip spiced with jealous comments about the newer models now parked at Polk School District's Transportation Department... Conversation, if it could be true, would probably center on the size, comfort and safety features... (Photo: Agnes Hagin - Richi Moats, fleet manager, Polk School District's Transportation Department, views safety features on back of newer model school bus)

Purchases - USA - Hybrids Will soon roll into Manatee County

Bradenton, Fl.,USA -Tampa Bay's 10 (St. Petersburg,FL) -26 July 2006: -- Manatee County could be the first school district in Florida to invest in diesel-electric buses. The district plans to buy two hybrid buses... The 71 seat buses would look like existing buses. The difference would be the cost... 225-thousand dollars --which is two to three times more than a conventional bus... But some say it's a small price to pay for the environmentally-friendly transportation. The schoool district and hopes to put them into use by mid 2007...

Record II - USA - MAX Buses To Mark Its Millionth Passenger

KANSAS CITY, Mo.,USA -Kansas City Channel.com -July 25, 2006: -- Someone who rides a city bus Tuesday or Wednesday will get a surprise... The Kansas City Transportation Authority is gearing up to mark its millionth MAX rider. It's part of the celebration of the first anniversary of the Metro Area Express bus service... The millionth rider will be honored at a special ceremony and will win prizes...

Record - USA - Gasoline at $3, drives people onto buses, trains

NEW YORK,NY,USA -Boston Globe (Boston,Mass)/Reuters, by Carolyn Koo -July 25, 2006: -- Gasoline prices at near-record highs are fueling a big increase in the number of riders on buses and trains, prompting cities around the country to improve their public transport systems, transportation agencies said... The Energy Information Administration, the U.S. government's top energy forecasting agency, on Monday said the average U.S. retail gasoline price increased 71 cents over a year ago to $3 a gallon, the second highest pump price ever... It's estimated that U.S. riders of public transport save 855 million gallons of gasoline a year, or $2.56 billion at current average prices for a gallon of regular gasoline, according to the APTA...

Drivers' Jobs - USA - EBR looking for more bus drivers

Baton Rouge,LA,USA -News 2, by Cassandra Garnas/2theadvocate.com, by BRETT TROXLER -Jul 26, 2006: -- Officials said Tuesday there will be enough school buses to go around in East Baton Rouge Parish this fall... More than 600 drivers will be on the roads in the parish, about 30 more than were on board at he start of the 2005-2006 school year. Even with the extra drivers, Transportation Director Bill Talmadge said he'd like to hire about 35 more as the school year begins...

BUSES' PURCHASES WORLDWIDE

* USA - City approves purchase of 35 new buses
El Paso,TX,USA -El Paso Times, by David Crowder -July 25, 2006: -- The El Paso City Council, sitting as the Mass Transit Board, approved a lease purchase of 35 new 40-foot buses for $13.9 million... The buses are being brought through the Massachusetts Day Transportation Authority under a special arrangement that will result in delivery of the buses in 9 months as opposed to the normal 16 months...

* USA - Eleven states to receive new hybrid school buses
Akron,OH,USA -Waste News -July 25, 2006: -- Hybrid school buses, which can improve fuel efficiency by up to 40 percent, are going to 11 states through a purchase that will provide 19 of the vehicles... The buses, built by IC Corp., are being purchased through a buyers consortium initiated by Advanced Energy, a Raleigh, N.C.-based nonprofit group. IC recently unveiled the first-ever hybrid school bus in New York... The hybrid buses are going to New York, California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Iowa and Washington...

* USA - RCS considers budget, buses, capital projects
Richmond,IN,USA -Palladium-Item -25 July 2006: -- The Richmond Community Schools Board of School Trustees will conduct its biweekly meeting... The board's agenda includes discussing the 2007 budget, the bus replacement plan and the capital project plan... The school corporation intends to replace three school buses in 2007 at a cost of $287,181...

Budget Battle - UK - OAPs on warpath over axed buses

Christchurch,Dorset,UK -This is Dorset, by Louise Isaacs -25 July 2006: -- Campaigning pensioners in Christchurch have sent a 400-name petition to Yellow Buses, council bosses and Age Concern in protest at the bus firm's decision to axe what they describe as a lifeline route in their neighbourhood... Pensioners at Fairmile have also formed a committee as part of their ongoing battle to see the 32 route reinstated after it was cut at the beginning of the month... But borough leaders say there is not enough cash for them to fund the service themselves and have written to Yellow Buses asking it to reconsider...

Sex Offenders - USA - Judge drops ban on, living near bus stops in Georgia

Atlanta,GA,USA -Access North Georgia (Gainesville,GA)/AP -25 July 2006: -- A federal judge dropped a ban Tuesday that blocked Georgia from prohibiting sex offenders from living near school bus stops, a decision that could force many of the state's 11,000 offenders to move... U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper conceded that his order would result in more "confusion" over the law, which would prevent sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of the stops. And he said he was "deeply troubled" by the law's potential for displacing thousands of offenders... The rest of the law took effect on July 1. It prohibits offenders from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of just about anywhere children gather _ including schools, churches, parks, gyms and swimming pools. And it stiffens minimum prison sentences and requires certain offenders to wear electronic monitoring devices...

Care? - New Zealand - School Bus Company Angers Father

Havelock Nth,Hawkes Bay,New Zealand -newswire.co.nz -26 Jul 2006: -- A West Auckland man is angry at a school bus company for leaving his five-year-old daughter with a stranger because the driver wasn't sure where to drop her off... The girl was left in the care of a woman at the Piha dairy when the driver got to the end of her run and realised she still had a child on board... The girl's father, Raymond Whitworth, says he had made arrangements with the inspector at Ritchies in April... He says the company should be made accountable for putting his child at risk... But Ritchies Transport says it is not to blame because the parents hadn't made it clear where the child was to be dropped off...

Report - USA - Critical Of Tardy Muni Buses

SAN FRANCISCO,CAL,USA -FoxReno.com (Reno,NV,USA) -July 24, 2006: -- Mayor Gavin Newsom didn't have to have a new report tell him the city's municipal transit system needs an overhaul... All he had to do is try to catch a bus... A preliminary finding of a report -- expected to be completed and released in December -- has revealed that some buses drive along at the rate of only 8 miles per hour -- slower than the municipal transportation systems of most other major cities... For example, Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ranks the fastest, at nearly 18 miles per hour, and New York City’s City Transit moves at an average of 14 miles per hour...

Investment - New Zealand - Banker hops on buses to invest

Wellington,New Zealand -Stuff.co.nz, by JAMES WEIR -25 July 2006: -- Merchant banker Bancorp is jumping on the buses, grabbing 74 per cent of Wellington's Mana Coach Services for a price understood to be about $24 million... The Waddell family has sold its controlling stake. Kerry Waddell will remain managing director, though she has sold her stake... Bancorp said the purchase was a long-term investment that had become more attractive as fuel prices and parking fees rose...

Callaway buses receive excellence award in state inspection

Fulton,MO, USA -The Fulton Sun, by KIMBERLY LONG -July 23, 2006: -- Three Callaway County school districts recently received the Missouri State Highway Patrol's highest award for having well-maintained bus fleets... North Callaway R-I, South Callaway R-II and New Bloomfield R-III schools were presented with the 2006 Total Fleet Excellence Award, after successfully passing the patrol's annual school bus inspections... (Photo Fulton Sun/Colin E. Suchland - Buses at North Callaway R-I High School sit ready for the start of school, having passed a recent inspection by the Missouri State Highway Patrol)

Sticky reminders - Australia - Urge students to show respect

Australia -ABC Regional Online -July 23, 2006: -- The Western Australian Government says it wants to encourage people to show more respect when using public transport... Over the school holidays the Public Transport Authority has put stickers in buses and trains reminding students they should stand for adults when there is a shortage of seats... The Planning and Infrastructure Minister, Alannah MacTiernan, says the Government does not believe the rule should be enforced, because it is not a major problem...

Research - Australia - Rate and fuel rises hit home

Melbourne,Australia -The Melbourne Herald Sun, by Karen Collier -July 24, 2006: -- Soaring petrol prices and hefty mortgages are forming tracts of financial pain around Melbourne. Many are hurting from a double whammy, a study warns.
The double whammy comprises home loan debt and record fuel costs... Petrol prices are rocketing towards $1.50 a litre and many economists tip another interest rate rise next month... Urban researchers Jago Dodson and Neil Sipe mapped dozens of areas under threat from budget strain based on income, mortgages and reliance on cars... The report, which examined cities nationwide, calls for more public transport investment, such as: -- SUBURBAN bus upgrades, with strong links to train services. -- EXTENDED train services to new fringe housing estates. -- IMPROVED footpaths and bicycle lanes to help revitalise local shopping strips...

Gaps - USA - In bus laws are safety risk

State inspections on 'honor system'

Louisville,KY,USA -The Louisville Courier-Journal, by R. G. Dunlop and Peter Smith -July 23, 2006: -- Gaps in federal and state regulations could be putting bus passengers at risk... Although buses are required by state and federal law to undergo annual inspections, for instance, no proof of inspection is required at registration... And it was a Louisville church bus with no record of ever being inspected that was responsible for sickening half a dozen children earlier this month. Emergency workers said the children suffered symptoms consistent with carbon-monoxide poisoning...

Enterprise - USA - Pace: We're not just buses

Vans, shuttles: Company provides special transport

Joliet,IL,USA -Joliet Herald News -By Andrea Hein -22 July 2006: -- Public bus service is no longer limited to behemoth vehicles lumbering along central city streets... Today transportation provided by Pace includes vans, smaller shuttles and special vehicles earmarked for handicapped and elderly residents... Pace is the largest provider nationwide for vanpools...

Study - Australia - Fare evasion drops in Vic

Sydney,Australia -The Australian -July 23, 2006: -- More Victorians are paying their way on public transport, figures released today show... A Metlink study of more than 35,000 passengers conducted between April and June showed the amount of fare evasion on trams, trains and buses fell by two per cent... The drop follows a 3.5 per cent fall in evasion recorded in the second half of last year... Metlink is an organisation owned by the private operators of Victoria's tram and train networks. Its role includes advice on ticketing, revenue collection and customer feedback...

Jobs - USA - Des Moines Schools Seek Bus Drivers

Des Moines,IA,USA -WHO/TV -July 21, 2006: -- Des Moines schools are gearing up for the new year by making sure they have enough bus drivers. Every year, Des Moines loses drivers to retirement or career changes. So the district uses job fairs and ads to try and find potential drivers... Most of the metro cities are looking for drivers for the upcoming school year...

Cuts - Australia - Labor slashes nearly 400 bus services in one month

Australia -Australasian Bus & Coach -20 July 2006: -- Bus commuters have had nearly 400 weekly bus services dropped during the past month, according to Shadow Minister for Transport Barry O’Farrell says... "Now is the time to be encouraging people to get onto public transport, not ripping nearly 400 weekly services from the bus network,"... O’Farrell sited the following examples of the cuts: More than 140 weekly services to and from Clovelly beach on the 339 bus route were cut on June 18. From this week a total of 238 weekly bus services on routes 200, 308, 374 and 376* were also axed. The 200 service from Bondi Junction to Chatswood has had more than 20 percent of its services cut. The frequency of some services has been cut from every 60 minutes to every 80 minutes...

Roles - Australia - The Commonwealth’s in passenger transport future

At the July 2006 Australian Rail Summit

Sydney,Australia -Australasian Bus & Coach -21 July 2006: -- NSW Transport Minister John Watkins called for federal funding to help deliver "clean, safe and attractive public transport". In reply, a spokeswoman for Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss has categorically ruled out any federal funding participation in public transport suggesting the states have billions of dollars in GST revenue for public transport... The Bus Industry Confederation and the International Association of Public Transport agree that the federal government should not provide funding for public transport services; this is a state government responsibility... There is a need however, to make public transport part of a broader national passenger transport strategy, a viable alternative to the motor car to promote sustainability, economic growth, liveable cities, regional connectivity, environmental, health and safety benefits by all levels of Government and the community... The current problems of congestion, pollution and declining health in Australian cities are exacerbated by excessive car use. Increased patronage of public transport systems is one of the key solutions to these problems...

Document - Belgium - The European Bus of the Future unveiled in

It is a means for buses to catch up with users expectations and to be better positioned as a valuable and attractive option for public transport

Brussels,Belgium -Australasian Bus & Coach (Australia) -21 July 2006: -- This methodical, practical and comprehensive document is the sum of a five-year in-depth reflection on bus functionalities led by a European think tank composed of eight major operators and organising authorities from five European countries... Ninety bus functionalities have been identified and analysed thanks to a value assessment method... They can help to describe the ideal bus of tomorrow. In a second phase, a design contest organised last year brought a wealth of innovative ideas and nourished the reflection of the group...

Controls - USA - State orders repairs made before church buses are used

Louisville,KY,USA -The Louisville Courier/Journal -July 21, 2006: -- State inspectors are requiring a Louisville church to fix five buses before allowing them on the road again, a Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement... Officer Jack Pleasant said he and another inspector issued the orders after examining the buses Wednesday at Evangel World Prayer Center's Minors Lane site... He said the buses, seven overdue for required annual inspections, had problems "serious enough to place them out (of service) right there"... Problems included bad tires and broken springs, he said...

Disabled Passengers - UK - The lowdown on the latest buses

Centrebus new arrivals are better for

Woodston,Peterborough,UK -Luton Today -21 July 2006: -- A fleet of four new disabled access low floor buses costing £500,000 has been launched in Luton town centre... Councillor Sid Rutstein, who has special responsibility for public transport services at the Town Hall, was at the unveiling of local bus company Centrebus's new vehicles... Not seen before in this part of England, the new buses for local service 10, offer wide step-free entrance, space for wheelchairs or buggies, kneeling suspension, destination display and a spacious interior... (Photo: The new buses offer disabled passengers a better deal)

Investors - Australia - Plunge into medi-buses

Australia -Australasian Bus and Coach -21 July 2006: -- As Australia's Macquarie bank tip toes into the accessible taxi market with its Lime taxis in Sydney, an american investment bank has set up a fund to invest in medi-buses... Medi-buses are the US term for public transport vehicles that cover a range of transport from accessible taxies to special student transport to bus services servicing hospitals and medical facilities - and even transport of prisoners to hospitals... As well as government accessible transit contracts, they see major growth opportunities in signing up aged peoples' homes and care facilities to provide bus transport...

Mums - UK - Say buses and trains 'too hard to use'

Glasgow,Scotland,UK -Glasgow Evening Times, by Graeme Murray -20 July 2006: -- Mothers are put off using public transport by inconsiderate passengers, poor access and a lack of facilities, a survey revealed today. Hostile and unhelpful transport staff, who make mothers feel they are "a nuisance" also topped the list of complaints, with 60% of mums saying bus drivers were the worst offenders... The survey, by Mother & Baby magazine and Transport 2000... The new research showed 72% of mothers thought public transport was difficult to use with babies in tow and 69% said they were made to feel their child's crying annoyed other passengers. It also said only 16% of mothers were offered a seat on public transport while they were pregnant... (Picture: Mark Gibson - ANN OSWALD couldn't get on the No 75 bus with her children Rebecca and Hannah because there were steps)

Loan - USA - Dade gets hybrid buses on

Miami,FL,USA -The Miami Herald, by LARRY LEBOWITZ -Jul. 20, 2006: -- Miami-Dade Transit today will temporarily introduce two diesel-electric hybrid buses to its fleet as the agency prepares to join the growing number of public transit agencies turning toward more fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly technologies... The buses, a 60-foot articulated model on loan from North American Bus Industries Inc. and a 42-foot New Flyer model on loan from the GM/Allison hybrid engine manufacturer, will be appear over the next 30 days on the South Miami-Dade Busway... Transit plans to purchase 39 of the 60-foot hybrids by 2008 and 180 of the 42-foot models between 2009 and 2012 as part of its routine fleet replacement program, said Harpal Kapoor, transit's deputy director of operations...

Purchases - Canada - New Flyer receives orders for 465 buses totalling US $181.8 million

WINNIPEG,Canada -CNW-July 20, 2006: -- New Flyer Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit vehicles in Canada and the United States, has been awarded orders for 465 buses, of which 381 are firm orders and 84 are options, representing a total of approximately US $181.8 million in revenue... Summary of orders: ...

'Green' Buses - USA - Westchester Puts Firsts In Service

White Plains, NY,USA -Westchester.com (Westchester,NY) -20 July 2006: -- Westchester now has four new hybrid electric buses... The cutting-edge buses were formally put into service Monday making Westchester the second community in New York to acquire these fuel-efficient and clean vehicles... There are only 750 other hybrid buses in use in transit systems throughout the country...

All aboard - USA - Religious group in psychedelic buses captures city’s curiosity

Newburyport, Mass.,USA — Newburyport Daily News,by Nick Pinto -July 19, 2006: -- Three buses from the Merrymakers Caravan piqued interest in downtown Newburyport yesterday... The Christian-based group, a members of the Twelve Tribes, a religious group with residential communities across North America and Europe, stopped in town to dance and invite others to learn about their mission... (Photo: John Macone - Newburyport Daily News)

Shuttle Program - USA - City may expand buses despite funding loss

Annapolis,MD,USA -Annapolis Capital, by NICOLE YOUNG -20 July 2006: -- As Annapolis braces for a loss of nearly $1 million in transportation funding, it's looking to cope by expanding its free downtown shuttle program citywide... Despite escalating fuel and maintenance costs - the price of gas alone has increased 69 percent since last year - the shuttle between the parking lots at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the Historic District and state government buildings is the only Annapolis Transit route that's self sustaining... Mayor Ellen O. Moyer said the city wouldn't have to put much money into expanding it citywide as a supplement for federally funded bus routes, instead relying on its share of parking fees at the stadium...

Lane - UK - It's the end of the road for

London,England,UK -Bexley Times -20 July 2006: -- Street furniture on the Welling bus lane was removed this week, as traders claimed back the controversial stretch of road... On Monday, councillors took to the lane in Welling High Street to remove road markings and signs after the council decided to remove the lane on an experimental basis... The red tarmac will remain and new signs are being erected. Bexley council will also install pay-and-display bays and yellow lines... During this time, officers will carry out traffic surveys to see what effect the bus lane's closure has, before making any permanent changes...

Delays - Australia - Wait a bit longer before you rage against

Stop complaining. It's not as late as you think...

Sydney,New South Wales,Australia -Sydney Morning Herald, by Jordan Baker -July 21, 2006: -- People feel they wait longer for public transport than they actually do, especially when there is nothing to tell them when the bus or train will arrive, a study has found... Passengers who walk to the bus stop are even more likely to exaggerate their wait. And most travellers resent the time they spend waiting for the bus more than the time they spend on it... The study, published in the Journal of Public Transportation, found Ohio bus users overestimated the wait by 15 per cent. Those who thought they waited 6.6 minutes had actually only waited 5.8... (Photo: Bob Pearce - Time travel … Thea and Joe Slade at Wynyard)

Fumes - Australia - Toowong bus factory to close

Brisbane,Aust -ABC Online -July 20, 2006: -- Brisbane's Lord Mayor is calling on the Labor majority of councillors to back his plan to shut down a bus building factory in the city's west... Residents complained earlier this year about fumes from the Toowong depot, where council buses are spray-painted... The facility will be moved during the next three years, although the depot will remain...

Transport Alternatives - Bermudas - Premier to take Number 8 bus to work today

Bermuda -Royal Gazette, by Scott Neil -July 20, 2006: -- Premier Alex Scott is due to catch a bus to work this morning to draw the public's attention to the need to find sustainable alternatives in everyday life... Mr. Scott had chosen today to opt for public transport to get from Paget to Hamilton, rather than use his chauffeur-driven car, as it coincides with the launch of the second round of public consultation on the draft Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan... He intends to board the Number 8 bus in a gesture he hopes will encourage other residents to find alternative ways of getting to work, at least one day a month, rather than using their car or bike...

TTC - Canada - Fewer buses lead to delays

Transit better way for daily commute -- TTC should increase number of streetcars and buses on all routes as first step to improve service
Toronto,Ont., Canada -The Toronto Star -Jul. 17, 2006: -- I agree that public transit is the better way for all the reasons outlined in your editorial. But I disagree that dedicated streetcar lines such as St. Clair are always the way to improve service... In 2002 Steve Munroe and The Rocket Riders prepared a paper that described, in part, the impact of TTC service cuts: "Overcrowding, lengthening waits, bypasses (whereby a too-full vehicles literally passes by waiting riders) show that the TTC is leaving passengers out in the cold. Poor service is the direct result of having fewer vehicles on the road. Bus and streetcar service have dropped 10 and 20 per cent respectively since 1990. This translates into more crowded vehicles, longer waits and riders abandoning transit for private vehicles"...

GreenNews - UK - The lighter route to cleaner air

London is spearheading the drive to cut pollution by investing heavily in hydrogen-powered buses. But is there a better way?

London,UK -The Guardian, by Sean Dodson -July 20, 2006: -- London has long been known for its poor air quality... Three-quarters of all air pollutants in London come from the roads; so the promise of a new generation of vehicle that leaves no pollution should prove as welcome as an open window on a sweltering day... The first stop on the road to a hydrogen-based economy is being made by the red London bus... a hydro-bus looks exactly like a regular single-decker. But listen carefully: it is barely louder than a milk float. Look closely and you'll notice its only emission is a plume of steam... Soon, up to a dozen buses will be added as London spends tens of millions on its experimental fleet of "hydro-vehicles"... If the test proves successful, London's bus fleet could switch to hydrogen sometime in the next decade... The London mayor, Ken Livingstone, holds high hopes that hydrogen could help create cleaner air and dilute the city's dependence on fossil fuels. If hydrogen can be made and distributed cheaply enough - and in volume - it could, he argues, help make fossil fuels history... (Picture: Hydrogen fuel cell powered London bus -CUTE Program)

Public Transport - India - Cities keen on Delhi Metro model

NEW DELHI,India -The Gulf Times (Doha,Qatar) -22 July, 2006: -- Spurred by the success of Delhi Metro and in a bid to ease nightmarish traffic congestions, major cities across the country have asked the Delhi Metro Corp (DMRC) to put in place a similar transport system for them... DMRC chief E Sreedharan, said his organisation has been approached by Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi for metro networks, he said. Kolkata, the first Indian city to have a metro line, has asked DMRC to draw up plans for new lines. It is already working on the Bangalore and Mumbai projects... (Photo: A train of the Delhi Metro transport system)

Hybrid Buses - USA - Coming for Rochester

Rochester,NY,USA -WXXI, by Walt Gabalski -19 July 2006: -- Public transportation authorities in New York are increasingly turning to hybrid diesel-electric buses to cut costs amidst rising fuel prices... The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority expects to launch 19 hybrid diesel-electric buses next May. The buses were ordered from Gillig Corporation of San Francisco, California this spring... They use stored elecricity to reduce the need for diesel fuel... In addition to using less fuel, the buses run cleaner. They generate and store electrical energy every time the gas pedal is released to slow and stop the vehicle... The purchase price of hybrid buses is 50-percent higher than traditional diesel buses, but fuel savings with the new buses is expected to be 30 to 60-percent... If the RGRTA realizes the kind of savings it anticipates from the hybrid buses, Aesch predicts a gradual conversion of the overall fleet...

Exploitation - Ireland - South Africans 'paid €2.80 an hour' on bus contract

Cork,Ireland -Irish Examiner -19 July 2006: -- Another alleged incident of migrant worker exploitation is emerging today following reports that a group of South Africans fitting seatbelts on school buses are being paid less than half the minimum wage... Reports this morning say the 19 workers were being paid just €2.80 an hour, have not been receiving payslips and have not yet been paid for overtime... The men are employed by a South African company that has been hired by an Irish firm fitting seatbelts in all Bus Éireann school buses as part of a government contract... This morning's reports say a number of Polish people directly employed by the Irish firm are being paid €10 an hour for doing the same work...

Congestion Solutions - UK - Bus drivers' anger at Newbury

Newbury,UK -Newbury News,by Neil Welch -19 July 2006: -- Changes intended to alleviate congestion in Newbury have been described as “an insult” by some bus drivers... West Berkshire Council met representatives of Newbury Buses Tuesday, after a protest by bus and taxi drivers on Monday, and agreed to make changes to the current arrangements... (Photo: Some drivers feel the council has made only token gestures after Monday's protest)

Smart - Australia - Tcard may add passengers, eventually

Sydney,New South Wales,Australia -Sydney Morning Herald --July 20, 2006: -- A Travel smartcard could add as many as 10 million trips a year to Sydney's public transport system... Travel smartcards - such as Sydney's long-awaited Tcard - prompt a surge in the number of people willing to use public transport, said the head of Melbourne's transport system, Bernie Carolan...

Dropped - Australia - Moving air no fix for bus woes

Sydney,New South Wales,Australia -Sydney Morning Herald, by Jordan Baker -July 20, 2006: -- State Transit has defended its off-peak service cuts amid public fury, saying there were better uses of taxpayers' money than ferrying air around the eastern suburbs... Angry bus users and the union attacked cuts to midday and evening runs across Sydney, saying services should not be dumped while demand for public transport was going up... But the chief of State Transit, John Lee, said resources would be directed to the places they were most needed rather than to runs that no longer had passengers to support them... (Photo: Lisa Wiltse - Rush hour in Castlereagh Street … bus runs have been dropped in some parts of Sydney)

Public System - USA - Money Woes May Stop Bus Service

Medford,OR,USA -KOBI 5 -19 July 2006: -- Public transit service in Jackson County may soon close its doors unless another source of revenue is found... Officials of the Rogue Valley Transit District appeared this morning, to give an invitation and warning to Jackson County Commissioners. The district did not ask for any money from the county... They made it clear they were asking for suggestions and expert help on how to make the public bus system more viable...

TechnoNews - Japan - Hydrogen powered bus takes to the road

My other car's a Toyota Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle

Nagoya, Japan -vnunet.com, by Simon Burns -19 July 2006: -- The world's first bus service using a regular hydrogen fuel cell will begin on Saturday at a Japanese airport... A 65-seat bus, manufactured by Toyota and Hino, will transport passengers to and from the Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) near the city of Nagoya in southern Japan, according to sources at Toyota... The automaker claims that its pure hydrogen technology is on the verge of surpassing gasoline engines in power density... But: Story is wrong: Comment posted by: mel, 20 Jul 2006: -- This is not the world's first Hydrogen Fuel Cell bus. Three have been running in London since December 2003, and are used on Route RV1. They are part of a European-wide project to test this technology which saw 30 of the buses (built by Mercedes Benz) operating in 10 cities across the EU...

Report - Australia - Buses too successful

Brisbane,VA,Australia -Australasian Bus and Coach -18 July 2006: -- Bus travel had become so successful in Brisbane that pasengers were being left behind at an average 240 stops a day, according to consultant Peter Forster... His report on the Brisbane City Council's Brisbane Transprot found that its 680 bus fleet was at least 50 buses short of what was required for the growing patroange... The council simply did not have enough buses to meet peak demand, which lead to saevere overcrowding, late running, service cancellations and 'bus stop rage'...

GreenNews - USA - Azure Dynamics signs MOU to make hybrid shuttle buses for US' StarTrans

London,USA -Forbes/AFX -18 July 2006: -- Azure Dynamics Corp it has signed a memorandum of understanding for the production of hybrid shuttle buses with North American commercial bus maker StarTrans, a division of Supreme Corp... The Toronto and AIM-listed developer of hybrid electric and electric powertrains said it will provide hybrid cab-chassis on which StarTrans will assemble its shuttle bus body at its manufacturing facilities in Goshen, Ind...

GreenNews - USA - Ford to sell buses that will run on hydrogen

Boston,Mass,USA -The Boston Globe/Bloomberg News -July 18, 2006: -- Ford Motor Co., the second-largest US automaker, is beginning production of hydrogen-powered internal-combustion engines that won't emit pollution for use in shuttle buses... The 6.8-liter, V-10 engines will be installed in E-450 shuttle buses that will be leased to commercial customers, Ford said. The engines produce "near zero emissions of regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases "...

GreenNews - Germany - Berlin wants 250 hydrogen buses

BERLIN,Germany -Berliner Zeitung newspaper/UPI (USA) -July 18, 2006: -- Every fifth bus in Berlin will be powered by hydrogen by 2009, according to officials from the city's mass transit company... The state-owned BVG, which runs Berlin's bus and subway systems, will order some 250 hydrogen-powered buses... A bus with a hydrogen motor costs roughly $450,000, or four times as much as a bus that runs on diesel fuel. The European Union will subsidize the additional costs, the newspaper said...

Security - Australia - Buses, trains harder to protect

Albury,New South Wales,Australia -Border Mail -18 July 2006: -- Australia's train and bus systems will always be more vulnerable to terrorist attack than the nation’s airports, Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss says... But he said significant advances in security in the land transport system and major train stations meant Australia was well-placed to protect itself from security threats... An Australian analyst at the Rand Corporation in the US, Dr Peter Chalk, found the design of many trains could amplify the destructive impact of explosive devices and warned that station security remains “questionable”...

Climate change - USA - Clinton sees connection between pollution, wild weather

Valhalla,N.Y.,USA Newsday/Associated Press, by JIM FITZGERALD -July 17, 2006: -- As she helped launch four hybrid diesel-electric buses Monday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said there may be a link between pollution and some of New York's recent wild weather... The hybrid buses, which cost $592,000 each compared to $400,000 for an all-diesel bus, are going into service on Westchester County's Bee-Line fleet... County Executive Andrew Spano said they will be part of an experiment in which they will be compared to other new buses, some running on natural gas and some on low-sulphur diesel fuel... "We will purchase the rest of our buses based on the experience with these three types of fuel," Spano said...

Safety - Australia - Watkins mulls CCTV in buses

New South Wales ,Australia -ABC Online -July 16, 2006: -- The New South Wales Government is considering installing closed-circuit television cameras in buses... The move to improve driver and passenger safety is expected to cost about $30 million... Transport Minister John Watkins says the cameras could also be used to catch motorists breaking the law by using the bus lanes...

Bus Riderships - USA - Rises along with gasoline prices

MILWAUKEE,MN,USA -Duluth News Tribune (Duluth,MN), by JOHN HARTZELL/Associated Press -16 July 2006: -- Judy Gatlin has joined a growing number of state residents who ride the bus more often because of the spike in gasoline prices... The 45-year-old single mother employed as an administrative support worker at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire figures she saves $40 to $50 a month because of it...

How's my driving? - USA - Agency holds forums to improve bus and jitney service

Hoboken,NJ,USA -Hudson Reporter, by Jessica Rosero -16 July 2006: -- With an average of over 12,000 people per square mile, Hudson County is New Jersey's most densely populated county. And with the heavy reliance on public transportation, in 2005 the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Inc. (NJTPA) gave Hudson County a grant of $160,000 to conduct a study of the transportation system of the county... The Hudson County Regional Bus Circulation and Infrastructure Study, which officially began last March, will focus on the circulation patterns of the buses and private jitneys throughout the county, as well as plans to improve the current system and infrastructure...

Fuel costs - USA - Increase riders on city buses

Pueblo,CO,USA -Pueblo Chieftain, by KAREN VIGIL -14 July 2006: -- Rising fuel prices are causing more Puebloans to travel around town by bus... In turn, more people are asking for expanded bus services from Pueblo Transit, which also is dealing with ballooning fuel costs...

Purchase - USA - School board to purchase buses

Dayton,OH,USA - Times Community Newspapers of Greater Dayton, by Doug Skinner -14 July 2006: -- The Beavercreek Board of Education recently agreed to purchase 10 school buses at a total cost of $610,710... "(The) price increase will be $5,000 to $6,000 per bus more if we purchase any buses that are built after Jan. 1, 2007. (The) 2006 models are ... priced at $59,640, thee are from last year's bid. (The) 2007 models are $60,640 and are on this year's bid. We also need one special needs bus and there is one 2007 left."... That bus is priced at $67,950, said...

Public Transportation - USA - Osceola County OKs $1 million increase for

Osceola County,FL,USA -The Orlando Business Journal -July 14, 2006: -- Leaders in Osceola County have approved a $1 million increase in the fiscal budget for Lynx, Central Florida's regional transportation authority... The raise brings Osceola's total budget for public transportation to $4.6 million... Lynx was scheduled to meet with the county Thursday to pitch the budget proposal, but county leaders canceled the meeting and awarded the increase... Currently, Lynx has 238 buses in its fleet. The new buses are expected to help push on-time performance to more than 90 percent...

Hybrid - USA - Baltimore County would weigh cost against benefits

Baltimore County,MD,USA -The Examiner, by Earle Eldridge -Jul 15, 2006: -- A school bus manufacturer unveiled the first hybrid diesel/electric-powered school bus this week, but a Baltimore County school official said the district must carefully weigh the higher price tag against promised fuel savings before deciding to buy a hybrid bus... IC Corp., the nation’s largest school bus manufacturer, showed its hybrid bus to school official at a pupil transportation conference... IC’s hybrid bus gets about 40 percent better fuel economy than the 8.9 miles per gallon average of most conventional school buses, Dane Roth, a spokesman for the bus company said...

Posters - UK - Town's buses carry Asbo mugshot

Middlesbrough,UK -BBC News -14 July 2006: -- Posters of a persistent troublemaker are being displayed on the backs of buses to encourage members of the public to keep an eye on him... The mugshot of Adam Rooney, 20, from Middlesbrough, are accompanied by the conditions of his Asbo, which prohibit him from certain parts of the town... (Photo: People are urged to contact police if Adam Rooney breaks his Asbo)

Replacing - India - 2300 new buses for TN

Tiruchi,India -News Today -July 14, 2006: -- Union Minister for Environment and Forests A Raja flagging off new bus routes in Tiruchi today... Transport Minister K N Nehru today said as many as 2,300 new buses would be launched replacing the ageing vehicles... Participating at the inauguration of six new buses routes here, the Minister said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had allotted a sum of Rs 100 crore and in the first phase, the State would get 2300 new buses. This is done with the view of replacing around 9,000 damaged buses in the State, he said...

EcoNews - USA - Shen to try hybrid buses

COLONIE,NY,USA -Community News Weekly (Clifton Park,NY), by ROBERT CRISTO -14 July 2006: -- Beginning this fall, students in the Shenendehowa School District will be the first in the nation to ride the fuel efficient hybrid bus wave of the future... The new yellow bus was unveiled Monday at the Marriott Hotel on Wolf Road as part of a pilot program the district has worked out with Enova Systems (the developers of the hybrid engine technologies) and the IC Corporation (the nation's largest school bus manufacturer)...

UK - Removing buses from suburbs would deprive many of service

Edgware,England,UK -Edgware Times, by Brian Cooke, chairman, London TravelWatch formerly London Transport Users' Committee -14 July 2006: -- It is very disappointing that Councillor Brian Coleman is suggesting buses shouldn't serve residential roads' because such roads were not designed to take buses' (It's madness to send buses down residential roads', July 6). Is he suggesting we restrict roads to the use for which many were designed the horse and cart?.. Residential or otherwise, the primary purpose of roads is to serve as public highways. Parking on them is a privilege, not a right, and must not be allowed to obstruct moving traffic... A road which is too crowded for buses to use will also be inaccessible to delivery vehicles and emergency services surely not a situation which any responsible councillor could condone?...

Attakcs - Brazil - Police patrolling Sao Paulo buses

Sao Paulo,Brazil -BBC News (UK) -14 July 2006: -- Police posing as passengers are riding buses in Sao Paulo in a bid to deter the criminals behind a fresh wave of attacks in the Brazilian city... Since Tuesday night 68 buses have reportedly been torched, along with dozens of other attacks on security forces, public buildings and banks... At least six people have died in the latest violence, blamed on Sao Paulo's largest criminal gang, the PCC... (Photo: Torched buses are becoming a familiar sight in Sao Paulo)

Jobs - USA - New school buses need drivers

Departures leave district in a pinch
Des Moines,IA,USA -DesMoinesRegister.com, by LISA LAVIA RYAN -July 13, 2006: -- Johnston school officials will accept delivery of three new buses before the next academic year begins. Now district transportation director Dave Kramer just needs to find people to drive them... Kramer told the school district's board of education Monday that although he hired several drivers over the last school year, one retired and four resigned in the spring. That leaves the district with about 60 drivers - some substitutes, some part time and some full time - a handful fewer than Kramer would like to have on staff by August...

Purchases - Canada - Volvo subsidiary Nova Bus wins $300M order from province of Quebec

STOCKHOLM,Sweden -Canadian Press/AP -Jul 17, 2006: -- Bus and truck maker AB Volvo said Monday its Canadian subsidiary Nova Bus of Quebec has received an order for 731 buses from the province of Quebec worth $300 million... The order for the buses was placed by ATUQ, a purchasing group consisting of nine of Quebec's transit authorities. The buses will be delivered between 2008 and 2012, and the order will be booked in the second quarter, Volvo said...

Purchases - India - 1,000 more Volvo buses may hit roads soon

Karnataka,Bangalore,India -The Hindu (Chennai,India), by Anil Kumar Sastry -12 July 2006: -- Committee to take up pilot study on adopting the buses to Indian conditions - BMTC wants the horsepower of buses reduced and transmission changed to manual - Government urged to offer the buses under a special grant - Plea to provide dedicated lanes to run the high capacity buses... Bangalore may see the advent of at least 1,000 new no-frills Volvo buses in coming months... A joint committee of Volvo Bus Corporation and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will study the feasibility of such a deployment with reduced costs of buses...

Purchases - USA - Board votes for new buses

Huntington,WV,USA -Huntington Herald Dispatch, by Antwon Pinkston -July 12, 2006: -- The Cabell County Board of Education voted to purchase six new 77-passenger buses and two new 84-passenger buses at its Tuesday meeting... The total purchase of the new buses is $570,382. It is a state bid, and the funds are provided to Cabell County by the state...

TechnoNews - UK - Passengers get time check on the buses

Leeds,Yorkshire,UK -Yorkshire Post Today, by Paul Whitehouse -12 July 2006: -- A sophisticated new satellite system is being introduced in South Yorkshire which will allow passengers to monitor the progress of buses... Satellite system collects information on times which can be relayed to mobile phones... (Photo - Launching service: Coun Jan Wilson, leader of Sheffield Council and vice chair of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive with Coun Terry Fox, Sheffield Council Cabinet member for transport. Picture Chris Lawton)

Purchases - USA - WBOY-TV - Clarksburg,WV,USA

Clarksburg,WV,USA -WBOY-TV, by Wendy Barnes -11 July 2006: -- Two hot button issues at the Cabell county board of education meeting tonight... The consolidation of Enslow and Beverly Hills middle schools was not on the agenda, but several area residents came to tonight's meeting to express their concerns over the proposed location of the new school... What was on the agenda was the purchase of eight new school buses for the county...

Tourism - China - City may promote sightseeing buses

Shanghai,China -Shanghai Morning Post /Shanghai Daily, by Winny Wang -12 July 2006: -- Tourist may have more ways to explore Shanghai as a company is planning to open a double-decker bus sightseeing route for visitors around Huaihai Road and the Bund, reported today... The buses will have an open upper deck with no roof and shallow sides and the bottom level will be air-conditioned... Each bus will cost approximately 1 million yuan (US$125,000), as its chassis and engine are imported from overseas countries, the insider said...

Popularity Growing - New Zealand - Bus and train trip

Auckland,New Zealand -New Zealand Herald, by Maggie McNaughton -July 13, 2006: -- The number of people using buses and trains to travel into central Auckland continues to increase, according to figures released yesterday... Bus patronage was up by 2.2 per cent from 21,776 last year to 22,251 this year. The Auckland Regional Council said the growth was primarily from the new $290 million Northern Busway on the Northern Motorway...

Free Bus - USA - Will serve Downtown Albuquerque

Albuquerque,NM,USA -New Mexico Business Weekly -12 July 2006: -- Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and Greg Payne, director of ABQ Ride, unveiled a new free Downtown bus service today... Called the Downtown Get Around, or D-Ride, the bus will circulate around the city's central business district, stopping at places such as the courthouses, City Hall, Civic Plaza, the Galeria, the Federal Building and the Convention Center. There will be no fee for the service, which will run Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m...

Warm - USA - Triple Digit Heat Hampers Bus Riders

El Paso,TX,USA -KFOXtv.com -12 July 2006: -- After a short break, 100 degree weather is back in the sun city. Bus riders tried to deal with the heat by trying to find shade and staying hydrated... Riders are complaining of a lack of air conditioners on buses, a wait of up to 2 hours and overcrowding...

Colors - UK - Pink buses meet green targets

"Raspberry, pink, purple or blue, now all Reading's buses are really green"...

Reading,England,UK -icBerkshire, by JOLENE HILL -July 11, 2006: -- The raspberry and pink buses of Reading have turned green, say transport chiefs - because they are so environmentally-friendly... Reading Buses chairman Tony Jones says the new buses are already emitting 62% less carbon dioxide than their predecessors... And all the company's vehicles, including Newbury Buses and Goldline coaches, now run on a 5% blend of biodiesel, a low-polluting fuel containing vegetable oil...

GreenNews - R. Dominicana - Public transport buses to use natural gas

Santo Domingo,Rep.Dominicana -July 11, 2006: -- Transport units under the National Autobus Administration (OMSA) will begin using natural gas as fuel, starting next August... 80 old Mercedes Benz buses will be adapted to use gas, as authorities seek to lower operational costs... The 80 units to be converted to natural gas will also be afforded air conditioning...

Sex Offenders - USA - Another Look at the Bus Stop Law

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Post -11 July 2006: -- A federal judge in Georgia today will hear from lawyers who are fighting over a new law that would prevent registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of any and every bus stop in the state... State officials say the law is necessary to protect children... Civil rights attorneys say that since there are so many bus stops in the state-- 270,000, by one estimate-- that the new law drastically limits the areas where the approximately 11,000 registered offenders may live...

Fleet - Australia - More buses for Regional school students

Queensland,Australia -Australasian Bus and Coach -10 July 2006: -- Minister for Transport, Paul Lucas, has announced regional and rural areas will receive forty school buses under a roll-out by the Beattie Government... Regional and rural bus operators will receive their new buses this financial year with the first few rolled out as early as this month... Lucas says the forty new school buses would bring the total number of buses funded by the Beattie Government over five years to 232... The vehicles will offer the latest technology and safety features in line with Queensland's excellent school bus safety standards... Statistics show that Queensland children travelling on buses to and from school are safer than those walking, riding or even being driven to school...

Safety - UK - Calls to make school buses safer

London,England,UK -CBBC newsround - July 10 2006: -- Experts are calling for an improvement in the safety of school buses after an investigation found more than one in four buses were not safe to travel in... Safety checks revealed that 140 of the 600 buses looked at by police and inspectors were faulty... And 36 of those buses were considered so dangerous they were immediately taken off the road...

Purchases - USA - School district on list for new buses

Camden, SC,USA -Camden Chronicle Independent, by TERRI HYDER -July 10, 2006: -- As the 2006-07 school year rolls in, the Kershaw County School District will welcome several new buses to its current fleet... The district's new buses are part of an order signed by State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum recently. The state will receive 630 new school buses -- its first major school bus purchase in more than 10 years, according to the State Department of Education -- who said the purchase was "made possible by a $36 million appropriation from the General Assembly"...

Sales - USA - Cabell BOE to vote on new buses Tuesday

Huntington,WV,USA -Huntington Herald Dispatch, by Sarah Zopfi -July, 10, 2006: -- The Cabell County Board of Education is scheduled to meet in a regular board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the central office... At the meeting, the board will vote on several agenda issues, including whether or not to purchase six new 77-passenger buses and two new 84-passenger buses...

Biodiesel - Canada - Toronto Transit runs buses on Suncor's one

Toronto,ONT,CAN --Biodiesel Magazine (Grand Forks,ND,USA) -11 July 2006: -- Suncor Energy Inc. has signed a contract to supply the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) fleet of 1,491 buses with biodiesel through the end of 2007 to meet a clean air initiative in the city of Toronto... Biodiesel use is the next step in providing sustainable energy solutions in Ontario, according to a Suncor Energy press release...

Carbon Monoxide - USA - Church members stricken by, during bus trip

TAYLORSVILLE, Ind.,USA -ABC7Chicago -July 10, 2006: -- Children from a Kentucky church became ill last night along an Indiana highway after their bus filled with what authorities suspect was carbon monoxide... State Fire Marshal Roger Johnson says up to eight children from the Evangel World Prayer Center were taken to local hospitals after they became sick during a bus ride from Merrillville to Louisville, Kentucky...

GreenNews - USA - Nation's First Hybrid School Bus

Unveiled in New York by Leading School Bus Manufacturer, IC Corporation

ALBANY, N.Y.,USA -Business Wire -July 10, 2006: -- While high fuel prices have strained operating expenses for school bus customers, there is now a solution for better fuel economy in school buses... IC Corporation, North America's largest school bus manufacturer, unveiled the nation's first hybrid school bus today at the New York Association of Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) Show. The company, a subsidiary of Navistar International Corporation, has partnered with Enova Systems Inc., to develop the bus that can attain an approximate 40 percent increase in fuel economy... (Photo: Business Wire - Nation's First Hybrid School Bus Unveiled in New York by Leading School Bus Manufacturer, IC Corporation )

Changes - USA - Cape's first bus since 1969 starts Monday

Cape Girardeau,MO,USA -Southeast Missourian, by RUDI KELLER -July 9, 2006: -- The transit authority hopes riders aren't discouraged by any difficulties on the first day... With gas prices near record highs, now should be the best possible time to begin offering a bus service as a low-price alternative... And Monday morning, the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority will discover whether that is true locally with the first public bus to run on city streets since 1969...

Prognosis - USA - Milwaukee officials seeking transit money moved to buses

Milwaukee,MN,USA -Duluth News Tribune (Duluth,MN)/Associated Press -July 08, 2006: -- Some Milwaukee officials are asking the federal government to move $91.5 million reserved for an electric bus system project into the cash-strapped Milwaukee County Transit System... Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and County Board Chairman Lee Holloway called for the money to be moved, but it faced questions of whether it would gain support of other officials needed before the request can be approved, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Gov. Jim Doyle...