Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
The Upside of Gas Prices - USA - The Bus is Getting Cool
Riding the Bus, Gus
Missoula,MT,USA -New West ABQ Santa Fe, by Emily Esterson -27 Apr 2006: -- About three years ago, I had chronic, aching problems with my famously unreliable Dodge Ram truck. At the time, it was my only vehicle and readers of my then-employer newspaper were well acquainted with old Sapphire's (the truck's name) antics. She broke down here, and there, and everywhere, but thankfully never with horse trailer attached... With the bus becoming such a cultural hotspot, it seems I'm missing out. But not for long, I can just feel that public transportation is in my future. I wonder how they'd feel about horses on board?...
Ordinance - USA - Park Ridge may ban shuttle buses on some streets
Glenview,IL,USA -Pioneer Press Online, by JENNIFER JOHNSON -27 Apr 2006: -- Complaints of shuttle buses using some Park Ridge residential streets have resulted in a proposed ordinance before the City Council to ban the buses outright... Fines for violating the ordinance would range from $100 to $2,500, and violators would have to go before the city's adjudication court... The ordinance originated based on complaints from residents of the city's 7th Ward that hotel buses from Chicago and Rosemont were using their residential streets to avoid congestion on main roads... A shuttle bus is defined as a commercial vehicle designed to carry more than 20 persons to or from a commercial establishment...
Purchases - USA - State to add hybrid buses to transportation fleet
Charlotte,NC,USA -Baltimore Business Journal, by Stephanie Wentworth- 27 Apr 2006: -- The new electric-diesel hybrid buses will start rolling through Baltimore this spring and, if they perform well, the state plans to purchase 300 more, Gov. Robert Ehrlich said... The state is getting 80 percent of its funding for the buses, which cost nearly $600,000 a piece, from the federal government. Conventional diesel buses cost $370,000, said Erin Henson, a spokeswoman for the state transportation department... If the state decides to go ahead and buy 300 more buses over the next six years, roughly half of the Maryland Transportation Authority's
bus fleet would have hybrid electric and diesel engines by 2012, Ehrlich said...
Opinion - UK - Mayhem on the buses
Wolverhampton,England,UK -expressandstar.com, letters -Apr 27, 2006: -- Bus passengers will be horrified at the prospect of children under 16 being allowed to travel free on the buses... It's a recipe for non-stop nuisance, every day of the week, but especially bad at weekends and school holidays... I just wonder if our councillors realise what mayhem they're letting us in for. It certainly won't be a vote winner for them... The scheme will allegedly cost £39 million. Does that figure include the cost of employing security guards to keep order on the buses? Or are the councillors and MPs (those who support the scheme) going to volunteer their services in this capacity?...
Police - UK - "Marshals" to keep order on late-night buses
New scheme to reduce trouble after closing time
Leeds,Yorkshire,UK -Yorkshire Post Today, by Paul Whitehouse -27 Apr 2006: -- Police will act as marshals to supervise late night buses in a Yorkshire town in a radical attempt to improve safety for revellers and reduce the potential for trouble after pubs close... The scheme is the result of a new partnership between South Yorkshire Police, the county's Transport Executive and bus company First, which will operate six buses in the Doncaster area from next month... The link was established as a result of research which showed passengers wanted a simple and safe way to get home after a night out... Police know from experience that an effective way to reduce the number of incidents at weekends is to get people away from town and city centres as quickly as possible after they leave pubs or clubs... The late buses will operate on six routes radiating, that will give police the opportunity to control...
GreenNews - USA - Blue Bird to build propane buses
FORT VALLEY,GA,USA -Macon Telegraph (Macon,GA), by Wayne Crenshaw -Apr. 26, 2006: -- Blue Bird will soon begin working on prototypes for a new full-sized propane-powered school bus to be sold in Texas... The project is a joint effort of Blue Bird, Texas clean-air advocates and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates fuel in the state... While there are smaller buses that run on propane and others fueled by natural gas, Jay McDuffie, advertising, communications and training manager, said Blue Bird would be the only builder of full-sized school buses powered by propane... "We don't know exactly the market, but with the samples we are taking, we are probably starting with 500 to 1,000 buses," McDuffie said. Work on two prototypes will begin in May, he said...
Purchasing - Brazil - Order for 64 Volvo Buses to Bus Rapid Transit
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -BUSINESS WIRE -Apr 26, 2006: -- Volvo Buses has received an order for 64 buses to the Bus Rapid Transit System in Curitiba, Brazil. Forty of the buses ordered are Volvo's 25-meter bi-articulated buses with space for 270 passengers... An increasing number of cities throughout the world are choosing to solve their transport problems with the aid of smart bus-based systems for public transport. The system is called Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT. A modern BRT system has the capacity to transport as many people as a rail-based system, but the investment cost is only 5 to 10 percent compared with a streetcar or subway system. In addition, the lead-time from decision to the initiation of services is much shorter with a bus-based system...
Strike - Italy - Buses, Trams, and Tubes stop for 8 hours
Rome,Italy -AGI S.p.A -Apr 26, 2006: -- Buses, trams and tubes will strike for 8 hours. It is the national strike of all the local transport companies' workers called by Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti unions... The strike follows the four-hours strike called on March 6. A unions' note says the strike was called to support the renovation of the economic biennium of the contract (2006-2007). The requests, due to the trend of inflation and the necessity to protect workers' incomes, ask a 6 pct revaluation of wages (around 111 euro). Employer's associations, Asstra and Anav have replied that the local transport companies have economic difficulties due to the lack of resources for that sector and said they were not ready to continue the negotiation...
Public Transport - Australia - Will benefit if wheels on more buses go round and round
Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age -Apr 26, 2006: -- Dr Alan Moran's argument that demographic developments have worked against public transport systems (Business, 30/3), recounts only one small part of the emerging story of public transport in Melbourne... The Committee for Melbourne's five-year public transport plan, released in November, recognises that a liveable Melbourne is simply not feasible without substantial investment in public transport. Traffic congestion, emission levels, the road toll and social exclusion, all associated with excessive car dependence, demand an increased emphasis on public transport investment and service upgrade... Buses are the most viable alternative for the dispersed trip patterns of such areas. More than 60 per cent of Melburnians have no train or tram service within 400 metres, only buses. But bus service levels are well below those of trains and trams. Bus services typically start later, finish earlier, run less frequently and on fewer days than train and tram services...
Transponders - Canada - Ottawa testing hi-tech buses
Ontario, Canada -Ottawa Sun, by DEREK PUDDICOMBE -25 Apr 2006: -- The city has begun testing hi-tech tools for public transit buses that will help keep the traffic flowing smoothly... A few OC Transpo buses have been equipped with transponders that will allow drivers approaching specific intersections to shorten a red light or lengthen a green one. City workers are are conducting tests at Hwy. 417's Pinecrest off-ramp and at Woodroofe and Holland avenues... The technology is a welcome addition to the city's fleet said Ottawa's director of traffic and parking operations. "It gives us another tool in our tool box to further our transit priority initiative," said Mike Flainek... Public transit vehicles and traffic signal maintenance vehicles are the only vehicles allowed to install and use such devices...
Out of Game - Philippines - RJ Transit bus line suspended by LTFRB
Quezon,Philippines -ABS CBN News -25 Apr 2006: -- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Tuesday suspended the operation of RJ Transit,
the owner of the bus that fell into a ravine killing nine people Monday in Quezon... The Bicol-bound RJ Transit bus,
with plate number EVH-664, plunged into an 80-foot ravine in Sitio Sapinit, Barangay Silangan Malicboy in Pagbilao, Quezon... Seven passengers died instantly...
Purchases - USA - Miami-Dade OKs $200M for bus expansion
Fort Lauderdale,FL,USA -South Florida Business Journal -25 Apr 2006: -- The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners has approved the largest bus procurement in county history... The $200 million is to allow the county to upgrade its bus system including equipment, maintenance and routes for the county's 2 million residents, as well as bringing service to Monroe and Broward counties... The county said it ultimately could add 600 more buses, bringing its fleet to about 2,000 buses... The winning bidder, Wichita, Kan.-based Optima Bus Corp., beat out Blue-Bird Bus and Daimler-Mercedes Benz...
Why...??? - Canada - Peace Hills president questions bus decision
Kiwanis Manor,Alberta, Canada -Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser, by Nick Puhjera -Apr 24, 2006: -- At least one Kiwanis Manor resident is fuming over how residents of the Peace Hills Lodge complex will lose control of their HandiVan bus to a management committee... “We were under the impression back in 1992 we funded the bus through bingos and other fundraising,” said Peace Hills Lodge Pioneer Association president Richard Boyer. “For years the association supplied the fuel, oil changes, transmission work, any maintenance work that had to be done.”... The management committee will consist of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home, Peace Hills Lodge, the city of Wetaskiwin and Wetaskiwin county. Peace Hills’ activity bus and other buses will be run by a separate department. Each organization will have to submit a schedule and pay for bus usage...
Free bus pass ?? - UK - Anger as hundreds forced to wait months for
Scotsland,UK -The Scotsman, by ALAN RODEN -25 Apr 2006: -- Hundreds of pensioners and disabled people in the Lothians face a delay of months for a new bus pass entitling them to free travel across Scotland... Pensioner groups reacted angrily to the news today and accused transport chiefs of dragging their heels despite having ample time to make sure the process went smoothly... But fears have been raised in Edinburgh that the problem could last much longer... Councillor Phil Wheeler, the Lib Dem transport spokesman on the council, said he has been investigating the problems... A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said organisers had prepared for one million applicants and hadn't been taken by surprise...
Public transit technology - Canada - Buses test traffic light transmitters
Already used in other citiesOttawa,Ontario, Canada The Ottawa Citizen, by Graham Hughes and Alex Hutchinson -Apr 24, 2006: -- OC Transpo buses, which already have the right of way when merging into traffic, could soon have the power to alter traffic lights... Special transmitters on the buses able to shorten the duration of red lights or lengthen green lights as the buses approach an intersection are now being tested in Ottawa... The devices are permitted under provincial regulations that went into effect in February, following successful pilot projects in Toronto and York Region... (Photograph by : Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen)
An idea - USA - If I were the governor...
For buses and schools !!Fort Lauderdale,FL,USA -Sun-Sentinel -Apr 24 2006: -- If the men and women who are elected were really experienced, we would have had electrified surface buses covering Palm Beach County long ago... There would not be terror at very high gas prices at the pump. With many thousands of vehicles parked in garages or just parked, many millions of gallons of gasoline would be saved... If I were the governor, all the school buses would become passenger buses, electrified, and there would be schools for all...
Cutting rush-hour traffic - USA - Vote yes for buses
Salem,OR,USA -Salem Statesman Journal, by Marcus Berlin -Apr 24, 2006: -- Do you like driving in rush-hour traffic? I don't, so I'm voting yes for the Salem-Keizer Transit District's Measure 24-155. Studies have shown that buses reduce rush-hour gridlock... Transportation engineers design roadways for rush-hour capacity. If we support public transit we don't have to spend as much on increasing capacity of roadways... Each bus loaded with rush-hour commuters keeps dozens of cars off the roads during peak-hour traffic. This is a huge benefit to bus opponents, results in shorter commute times... So vote yes for buses and for the thousands of bus riders who rely on public transit...
Driver's Story - UK - Passenger noise a danger on buses
Lancashire,UK -Lancashire Evening Telegrap, by LET letters -24 Apr 2006: -- As a bus driver myself for the past 15 years, I have seen many changes to the way in which I am expected to do my job to a professional high standard... I am faced daily with aggressive and dangerous drivers/driving techniques. I am expected to give my full and uninterrupted attention at all times to what is in front of me etc, and also to the passengers sat behind me... The recent case of a driver dismissed for "playing a video game whilst driving" has rightly made the travelling public very concerned about their safety whilst on a bus... Driving whilst texting, using a mobile etc, is totally unacceptable and a practice that is very dangerous...
Production - Abu Dhabi - First bus factory
United Arab Emirates -AME Info/Gulf News -Apr 23 - 2006: -- The first bus manufacturing unit in the UAE has opened in Abu Dhabi, reported Gulf News... Trans-Continent Industrial has announced that their 220,000 sq ft factory will initially produce 300 buses a year, with scope to expand to 1,000 a year. The company will specialise in commercial and school vehicles...
Chaos - India - When traffic light- points are turned into bus stops
Ludhiana,India -Ludhiana Newsline, by Sharat K. Verma -23 Apr 2006: -- The aim of traffic lights is to regulate vehicles at a crossing. But here in Ludhiana, at least four major traffic light points have become a commuter’s nightmare. And all thanks to the poor road sense of bus drivers... At four major traffic light points — Bharat Nagar Chowk, Gill Chowk, Dholewal Chowk and Samrala Chowk — drivers of private and government transport buses virtually hold traffic to ransom. They stop the buses bang at the traffic light to pick up and drop passengers... On an average, a bus stops for about two to four minutes for the purpose. During this while, if the light turns green, vehicles caught behind these buses have no choice but to wait, commuters complained...
Bus Signs -USA - Chapel Hill Transit to install digital ones
Chapel Hill,NC,USA -Durham Herald Sun(Durham,NC), by Emily Coakley and Jennifer Ferris -Apr 22, 2006: -- At the bus stop, when you're not sure how far away the next bus is, even waiting a few minutes can feel like hours... But soon, Chapel Hill Transit riders at some stops around the community will get real-time information on how far away their next bus is...
Purchases ? - USA - More tax for more buses
Tacoma,WA,USA-Federal Way Mirror -Apr 22 2006: -- The Mirror More Metro Transit buses throughout King County and more people riding them are the plan behind a higher sales tax proposed this week by County Executive Ron Sims. If it's placed on the ballot in this November's general election and voters approve it, the increase of one-tenth of 1 percent –– about a penny on every $10 of purchases –– would raise an estimated $50 million per year to expand and maintain bus service that keeps up with potential demand, particularly in suburban areas, according to Sims. The way Sims and supporters of the plan see it, about 200 additional buses would be purchased and in service by 2015, and Metro service would increase and improve enough to boost the average daily ridership by an estimated 60,000...
Results - Canada - More people riding buses, but STC still losing money
Saskatchewan,Canada -CBC News -Apr 21 2006: -- For the first time in 16 years, more people were riding Saskatchewan Transportation Co.'s buses in 2005... However, the company continues to lose money... According to the company's 2005 annual report, STC lost about $5.4 million, an increase of about $700,000 from the previous year... It said increased fuel and salary costs were largely responsible...
Measures - Thailand - Buses to get diesel subsidy
Bangkok,Thailand -Bangkok Post -22 Apr 2006: -- Diesel fuel prices for passenger buses operating in the capital and up-country will be cut by one baht a litre starting on May 1 to help the operators deal with sharp increases in oil prices, according to Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal... He said the group proposed short- and long-term measures to assist the private operators, who were granted concessions by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the Transport Co Ltd in reducing soaring operating costs after a significant jump in oil prices...
Hybrid-Powered - USA - GM Buses Delivered to Montgomery County, MD
ROCKVILLE, Md,USA -Autochannel -22 Apr 2006: -- Ride On, the Montgomery County Division of Transit, today announced the addition of five buses powered by General Motors' diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system to its mass transit fleet... Montgomery County is the 36th community to invest in transit buses powered by General Motors' hybrid technology, which offers greater fuel economy and significantly reduced emissions compared with conventional diesel buses... Since 2004, more than 440 GM hybrid-powered buses have been delivered to communities in the U.S. and Canada... The estimated annual combined fuel savings for the 440 GM hybrid-powered buses is 650,000 gallons... By the end of the year, another 236 GM hybrid-powered buses are expected to be delivered to several cities...
Purchases - Canada - New buses okayed, Gateway debate looms, ridership up
Maple Ridge,BC, Canada -Maple Ridge News -Apr 22 2006: -- TransLink is going on another bus-buying binge.This time the board has approved spending $78 million to buy nearly 190 new vehicles that would hit the road by late in 2007... The new purchases planned include:... TransLink hasn’t yet decided which fuel will power the newly approved buses... It hopes to have more data soon from road tests of buses with several fuel types... Hundreds more buses will be needed over the next several years as TransLink replaces and expands its fleet... (Photo: Maple Ridge, B.C., slighly further east)
MORE JOBS - USA - Optima Bus prepares for big Florida order
Miame,FL,USA -The Wichita Eagle, by DAN VOORHIS/Kansas.com (KS,USA) -Apr. 22, 2006: -- Optima Bus Corp. expects to hire at least 70 employees over six months if it is awarded a large bus contract Tuesday... The Miami-Dade County (Fla.) Commissioners will meet Tuesday to vote on the $178 million contract... The company is confident enough that it will be awarded the contract that is has scheduled a news conference Wednesday with local and federal officials... The contract with Miami-Dade County, if approved, calls for Optima to build 300 of its 30-foot Opus buses over five years. The contract has an option for 300 more buses... This is the largest 30-foot bus contract ever, said Michael Monteferrante, chief executive of Optima...
Bus Cameras - USA - Making a Comeback
In Response to Rider Safety Fears
Madison,Wis,USA -Madison Ccommons, by Sara Richards -22 AQpr 2006: -- Maybe this time it will work. Earlier this year Madison’s Common Council authorized a resolution to put cameras in 15 city buses. This was in response to reports of unruly behavior and violence on some bus routes. In at least one case, a driver was attacked by a passenger. There will be four cameras in each of the 15 buses. The buses equipped with cameras will be rotated on various routes as needs are identified by drivers and by passengers... Cameras may deter crime. There is little hard evidence of this. Cameras definitely can help convict those caught in a crime...
Disabled - UK - Dad not allowed on buses
Robert Dawson is threatening to start a blockade BR2219-04London,UK -This is Local London, by Sara Nelson -21 Apr 2006: -- A DISABLED dad is threatening to blockade a bus route after drivers repeatedly refused to allow him on board... Robert Dawson, who operates a motorised scooter, found himself abandoned at various bus stops across the borough four times on the 208 route between November and December last year. The 61-year-old says he has since received a letter from Transport for London (TfL) confirming his scooter is allowed on board... A spokesman of Stagecoach, said: "We advise Mr Dawson to make a complaint and provide a full description of the driver so we can investigate the incident."...
Renewal tax - USA - Protects regional transit from imploding
SMART needs millage to keep buses rolling
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News -21 Apr 2006: -- The millage for the SMART bus system expires this year and it's not too soon for local officials to get behind promoting renewal of the tax. Wayne County takes up the issue Monday to decide whether to put the matter on the ballot. If any county needs mass transit, it's Wayne... The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation could be the core of a broader mass transit system. Letting the system wither would not make economic sense... Wayne County should follow Oakland and Macomb counties in putting the SMART millage on the ballot. Then officials from all three counties should get behind passing the measure for the Aug. 8 primary. Under the renewal, a typical homeowner would pay about $60 a year... For that money, crippling SMART would be shortsighted... (Photo: Robin Buckson / The Detroit News - SMART wants communities to renew its 0.59-mill property tax for four years. It finances about half the suburban bus system's budget)
NO BUSES TODAY! - India
Court declares BEST strike illegalBombay,India -Mid-Day Mumbai -Apr 21, 2006: -- Around 50 lakh commuters traveling by BEST buses in the city are being inconvenienced today as employees of the Undertaking have gone on an indefinite strike after talks between their union and the BEST committee failed yesterday.... The union is protesting against the management’s decision to block the Dearness Allowance and stop interim relief recommended by the pay revision committee... A.S. Tamboli, BEST’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed this morning that the strike is total. “During the early hours a total of 257 buses from the fleet of 3,400 buses are pressed into service. We can say that today no buses will ply, but it is difficult to say if the strike will be indefinite,” he said...
Purchases - Australia - Province kicks in $500,000 towards new CBU buses
Cape Breton,Sydney,Australia -ChronicleHerald.ca (Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada), by TERA CAMUS -21 Apr 2006: -- Come September there’ll be more buses running more often on the Sydney-Glace Bay highway... The province announced Thursday it will put $500,000 toward a three-party, $900,000 deal to buy two buses and build a bus station at Cape Breton University... Energy Minister Bill Dooks said he likes the idea of having less traffic on the busy highway, which moves 25,000-30,000 vehicles daily, according to Cape Breton Regional Police...
TechnoNews - Ireland - Satellite tracking on Dublin buses
Dublin Bus is considering satellite tracking for its fleetBelfast,Ireland -UTV -21 Apr 2006: -- The proposed system would be able to pinpoint where buses are at any given time and in conjunction with electronic displays at bus stops, could indicate to passengers how long they had to wait... Dublin Bus hopes to roll it out within two years... Tenders are being sought for the system, which is likely to cost between €10m - €12m...
City goes green - Canada - With new hybrid buses
Orion offers lower emissions, costs - Passengers should expect quieter ride
Toronto,Ontario, Canada -Toronto Star, by KEVIN MCGRAN -Apr. 20, 2006: -- The first of the TTC's new "hybrid" buses arrive this week, marking the beginning of the first "environmentally friendly" bus fleet in Canada... The TTC will show off its new purchase — an Orion VII low-floor bus — today at city hall. It's the first of 150 new hybrid buses, although the routes they'll operate on are not yet known... The hybrid buses cost about 50 per cent more than regular diesel-powered buses. The bill for these 150 comes to $112 million, paid for by the City of Toronto, the Province and Ottawa... But the long-term benefits should save the city money since the buses are powered through a combination of diesel fuel and electricity, making them more fuel efficient, much quieter on city streets and cheaper to maintain...
Security Cameras - USA - Installed On Madison Metro Buses
15 Of 197 Buses To Get Cameras
MADISON, Wis,USA -WISC -April 20, 2006: -- Amid continuing complaints and reports of violence, security cameras are starting to be installed this week on some Madison Metro buses... The cameras are being installed on 15 Madison Metro's 197 buses. The buses will get four cameras each, and if an incident occurs on the bus, the driver will be able to mark the digital image by pressing a button. Those that will get the cameras will be on select routes starting next week, officials said... The price tag for the camera system is about $50,000...
Security - UK - Bobbies on the buses
Police are getting on the buses to stop a terrifying teenage trend
Colchester,Essex,UK -V Festival, by James Burrows -20 Apr 2006: -- Yobs are scaring the life out of passengers and drivers by throwing missiles at them... Officers are using Colchester public transport to reassure users and catch the culprits... The problem came to a head in Stanway after youths were reported throwing stones at buses... It then spread with nuisance youths hurling objects at buses and homes in High Woods... (Picture: by STEVE BRADING - Yob watch Sgt Lou Middleton and PC Steve Walsom on patrol on a High Woods bus.)
Discontinue transportation - USA - No more school buses to Kennywood
Pittsburgh,PA,USA -Pittsburgh Post Gazette, by Madeline Izzo April 20, 2006: -- Students won't be able to take a bus to Kennywood this year from the Seneca Valley School District... The school board voted unanimously last week to discontinue transportation to the park due to safety concerns and to the declining number attending the annual trip after school lets out... According to Terry Henry, director of operations, 13 buses took 650 students in 1994. Last year, only five buses were required to take 151 students who signed up. Of greater concern, he said, was that after waiting an hour beyond the designated departure time, only 50 students had showed up to take the bus home...
Discontinue transportation - USA - No more school buses to Kennywood
Pittsburgh,PA,USA -Pittsburgh Post Gazette, by Madeline Izzo April 20, 2006: -- Students won't be able to take a bus to Kennywood this year from the Seneca Valley School District... The school board voted unanimously last week to discontinue transportation to the park due to safety concerns and to the declining number attending the annual trip after school lets out... According to Terry Henry, director of operations, 13 buses took 650 students in 1994. Last year, only five buses were required to take 151 students who signed up. Of greater concern, he said, was that after waiting an hour beyond the designated departure time, only 50 students had showed up to take the bus home...
Fuel Technology - China - Clean energy for use by buses
Shanghai,China -Shanghai Daily news, by Wendy Zhang -19 Apr 2006: -- The Shanghai Coking & Chemical Corporation (SCCC) yesterday announced the successful production of clean energy dimethyl ether (DME) to replace the diesel used in the city's 15,000 buses, which will also lead to annual savings of over 300 million yuan (US$37.5 million) on fuel... DME, extracted from coal, natural gas or even household waste, does not pollute the environment when burnt. For China, with a lack of oil and gas resources but plenty of coal, DME is a good substitute...
Emission/Reduction - USA - University, Clean Air roll out cleaner buses
MINNEAPOLIS,ST. PAUL,Minn,USA -UMN News -19 Apr 2006: -- Several campus shuttle buses have been upgraded or retrofitted with emission-reduction technology geared toward reducing pollution, University of Minnesota Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) announced today... The targeted campus shuttle buses will be equipped with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC). This it's a device that uses a chemical reaction to mitigate harmful pollutants in diesel exhaust. A DOC improves the quality of air inside a bus and reduces emissions of particulate matter by at least 20 percent. The devices cut carbon monoxide emissions by 40 percent and hydrocarbons by 50 percent...
Students' art - USA - Will be displayed on buses
Salem,OR,USA -Salem Statesman Journal -Apr 18, 2006: -- Three local students will see their artwork displayed on the sides of Cherriots buses this month after they won a poster contest for Car Free Day... The contest, sponsored by Salem-Keizer Transit, asked middle-school students to create posters reflecting a theme of how their travel choices affect their health, the community and the environment... Jasmine Pate of Stephens Middle School won first place...
Purchase - Georgia -Tbilisi City Hall To Import 70 New Buses
Tbilisi,Georgia -Prime-News Agency -April 18, 2006: -- 70 new buses will be delivered in Tbilisi and added to the bus routs in the summer, Gigi Ugulava, Tbilisi City Mayor said at the session of the local government on Tuesday... As Prime-News was told by Zurab Chikviladze, Head of the Transport Department of the City Hall, busses will be delivered either from Holland or the Ukraine, but sum for it has not been allocated yet...
Clean Buses - USA - Campbell County Schools to receive $341,000 for
Campbell,Kentucky,USA -PressZoom (Amsterdam,Netherlands) -18 Apr 2006: -- As part of EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program, EPA will present a grant for $341,000 to the Kentucky’s Campbell County School Board to retrofit 55 buses. The grant is one of four being awarded in the Southeast this year, totaling $1.2 million...
KSRTC, BMTC to increase Volvo bus fleet
State government proposes to effect 5-7 per cent hike in bus faresBangalore,Karnataka,India - Business Standard -Apr 19, 2006: -- The Karnataka government is set to become the owner of the largest fleet of Volvo buses in the country with the Karnataka State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) planning to acquire more of these hi-tech buses by August... Announcing this Karnataka's transport minister C Cheluvarayaswamy said KSRTC already owned 111 Volvo buses... “Another 39 buses will be acquired in three months to increase the fleet strength to 150. Similarly, BMTC has placed orders for 43 Volvo intra-city coaches to enhance its fleet capacity to 50 from the existing seven,” he added.
Purchase - USA - Utah Transit Authority buys 10 Optima buses
Wichita,KS,USA -Wichita Business Journal, by Ken Vandruff -17 Apr 2006: -- The Utah Transit Authority is adding 10 of Optima Bus Corp.'s 30-foot Opus Low-floor buses to its fleet... The deal is worth $2.6 million to Optima. The buses are used on the Transit Authority's downtown Salt Lake City routes...
Students Develop - USA - Tech-Savvy Ways To Ride The Bus
Harrisonburg,VA,USA -Rocktown Weekly, by Brad Jenkins -17 Apr 2006: -- So, what do you do if you’re waiting at the bus stop and the white and blue monster doesn’t show up on time?... Maybe you wait, figuring it can’t be that late. Or maybe you start to wonder if you missed it: Could the bus have gotten here early? Maybe you just throw off the high-heel pumps and start hoofing it to your destination... James Madison Univeristy students Zac Hittie and Danika Schmitt have ridden enough buses to know the situation... Like many in their tech-savvy generation, they think the solution is with the Web... The students’ hope: by using a home computer (or better yet, a Web browser on a cell phone or PDA while standing at a bus stop), riders can find out where their bus is...
Purchase - UK/Turkey - ...Big yellow bus contract
Yorkshire,UK-Yorkshire Evening Post, by Peter Lazenby -April 16, 2006: --
A fleet of yellow buses to serve schools in Leeds will be built in Turkey - despite a bid for the work from a Leeds manufacturer which is facing redundancies... The contract for the buses, believed to be worth at least GBP7m and involving 140 to 150 buses, was placed by Leeds Metro, the administrative arm of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority for Leeds... They will be built in Turkey, although 40 per cent of the parts will be made in Britain...
A Hit - Mexico - 'Tijuana Taxi' bus service
The horn plays "La Cucaracha"
Tijuana, Mex -The Allentown Morning Call(ALLENTOWN, Pa.,USA), by JEANNE BONNER -Apr. 16, 2006: -- And that sets the scene for a ride in the Tijuana Taxi, a converted school bus with a South-of-the-Border motif that ferries students to proms and sports fans to Phillies and Eagles games... The bright pink vehicle decorated with a faux cactus on the side made its debut two years ago when Tom Muller Sr., who owns LimoVan Express of Orefield, saw a need for a larger vehicle that could cater to fun outings... (Photo: NELVIN CEPEDA / Union-Tribune)
Weekend Service - UK - Cash grant keeps buses on road
Shropshire Star - Telford,England,UK -15 Apr 2006: -- A weekend bus service which offers tourists the chance to see the south Shropshire countryside returned today for its 10th year thanks to a grant of more than £40,000... Defra’s Rural Enterprise Scheme has awarded The Shropshire Hills Shuttles £41,000 to help meet the running costs of the service throughout the summer... The service is managed by Transport for Everyone in South Shropshire. More than 3,000 passengers made use it last year and it is hoped that numbers will continue to increase...
Bio/Fuel - Ireland - Trial scheme will see city’s tour buses run on
Cork,IrelandIrish ExaminerBy Eoin English -15 Apr 2006: -- Buses in Cork are to be run on environmentally-friendly bio-fuel as part of a pilot project announced yesterday... Soaring fuel costs and the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions prompted the move, Bus Éireann said... The company’s 160-vehicle Cork fleet is run entirely on diesel. It now plans to use bio-diesel - a blend of standard diesel with 5% bio-fuel produced from recovered vegetable oil - to run vehicles in its Cork City Tours fleet... The bio-fuel will be extended to other vehicles if the pilot project proves successful and viable in the long term, a company spokesperson said...
Union Leader Detained - Iran - Tehran bus workers step up protests
Tehran,Iran -Workers' Liberty (London,UK) -15 Apr 2006: -- Bus workers step up protests as more strikers are confirmed sacked; Hayat Gheibi released following a hunger strike... Mansoor Hayat Gheibi, member of the executive board of Tehran bus workers' union, was released on 10 April following several days of hunger strike. Although out of prison once on 19 March, along with a number of other colleagues, Hayat Gheibi was re-arrested shortly afterwards. Last week he began a hunger strike in protest at his continued detention... However, union leader Mansoor Ossanlou continues to be detained since 22 December 2005 without any charges or access to a lawyer. He is suffering from a number of medical conditions, including a newly contracted skin disease... A 'disciplinary committee' is reportedly working its way through a long list of workers to be fired for their part in the strike of 28 January. The strike had been called to press for the release of Mansoor Ossanlou, recognition of the bus workers' union and collective bargaining... (Photo: Tehran Bus Company Workers Brutally Attacked )
Improving - India - Delhi to get ultra-modern bus shelters
NDMC signs a 15-year contract with European company
New Delhi,Chennai,India -The Hindu -15 Apr 2006: -- To improve the conditions at bus shelters in its area, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), signed a 15-year contract with Europe's leading outdoor advertising company JCDecaux... The company will give an ultra-modern look to over 200 bus shelters in Lutyens' Delhi that will be equipped with modern signs, telephone booths and fluorescent tubes on the roof to illuminate the surrounding area...
Charter bus - USA - Company to cease several upstate operations
CLINTON, N.Y.,USA -WCAX - (Burlington,VT)/AP -14 Apr 2006: -- Charter bus company Coach U-S-A announced today that it will lay off 100 people in their upstate New York operations... The company tells that their Clinton facility -- in Oneida County -- will be shut down, leaving 35 people jobless. June 30th will be the last day of service... Operations in Elmira, Syracuse and Rochester are also being shut down. Company officials site the cost of fuel and insurance rate increases as reasons for the closings... New Jersey-based Coach U-S-A -- along with Coach Canada -- is comprised of more than 20 independent charter bus operations throughout the U-S and Canada. Both divisions are owned by the Stagecoach Group, a Scottish global transportation company... (Photo)
"Big Brother" - USA - Should watch and listen on school buses
Chester,PA,USA -Chester Daily Local Online -14 Apr 2006: -- We monitor what our children do on school buses in Chester County, and we should. Thanks to the video cameras that at least some local school districts have on their buses, misbehaving kids are less likely to misbehave... If something happens even with the cameras, as least we can look at the tape and find out if Billy really did punch Bobby... It’s time to take this idea a step further. It’s time for Chester County school districts to think about not only recording what students do on buses but also what they say. It’s time for school districts to think about unwrapping the sound buttons on their video cameras... (Photo)
Price fuels - New Zealand - Big increase in public transport use
Wellington,New Zealand -Stuff.co.nz, by ADAM RAY15 -Apr 2006: -- Public transport operators in Wellington are struggling to cope with soaring passenger numbers, as rising fuel prices force commuters to ditch their cars for buses and trains... Petrol prices have gone up 24 cents a litre, and diesel by 30 cents a litre, this year... Tranz Metro passenger numbers had grown by 7 per cent since last year, partly because of increased fuel costs... The growth meant hundreds of extra passengers were catching commuter trains every morning, pushing already busy Tranz Metro services toward their capacity... (Photo)
Buses coming - USA - In May, Kings residents told
Vicksburg,MS,USA -Vicksburg Post, by Danny Barrett Jr. -14 Apr 2006: -- Kings residents were told Thursday that several stops have been identified for the public transportation system due to make its debut here in May... Evelyn Bumpers, the director of what has been dubbed the NRoute system, was among presenters at a discussion session called by North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield at Kings Community Center... Bumpers, hired from Meridian, is director of the system being funded largely through grants...(Photo: Matt Lantrip • The Vicksburg Post - Evelyn Bumpers, director of Vicksburg Transportation, holds up a picture of the new buses)
Move back - USA - D.C. bus driver fired over anti-gay poster
Message links homosexuality to murderWashington,DC,USA -Washington Blade, by LOU CHIBBARO JR. -Apr 14, 2006: -- A bus driver for one of the city’s new Circulator tourist buses was fired last month for telling a passenger to move to the back of the bus after the passenger complained about a message hanging behind the driver’s seat that equated homosexuality with murder... The brightly colored buses move tourists and visitors from the city’s historic sites and monuments to the downtown business district...
Purchases - USA - Schuylkill may buy 4 buses for $227,800
The small vehicles would be added to county's public fleet
Allentown,PA,USA -The Allentown Morning Call, by Chris Parker -Apr 13, 2006: -- Schuylkill County residents will have new wheels to take them shopping, to work or doctor appointments at a cost of at least $227,800, bids opened Wednesday show... County commissioners plan to choose May 10 from among four companies that submitted prices to sell four small buses... Bus Service Inc. of Pickerington, Ohio, submitted the apparent low bid of $227,800 and $ 231,108 bid from Shepard Brothers Inc. of Canandaigua, N.Y... Leibensperger Transportation Sales Inc. of Macungie bid $234,148, and Rohrer Bus Service of Duncannon, Perry County, $240,824... The new buses will join the fleet operated by the Schuylkill Transportation System... (Photo: Schuylkill Transportation System maintenance and administrative facility)
GreenNews - USA - Many school buses to gulp biodiesel soon
Vegetable oil fuel mix is part of a systemwide plan to cut emissionsCharlotte,NC,USA -The Charlotte Observer, by GAIL SMITH-ARRANTS -Apr. 13, 2006: -- The french fries you munch today -- actually, the oil they're fried in -- may help to fuel Cabarrus County school buses tomorrow... The county school system is getting $69,000 in state money and also is seeking federal grants for cleaner school buses and biodiesel fuel... Biodiesel is a mixture that includes diesel and refined vegetable oil, mostly recycled from restaurants... A $23,000 state grant will go toward developing the capability to use biodiesel in buses that carry children in the Cabarrus and Kannapolis school systems...
Firsts - USA - JETS Buses Almost Ready to Roll
Jonesboro,AR,USA -KAIT, by Heather Flanigan -Apr 12, 2006: -- The first buses for the Jonesboro Economical Transit System are getting ready to go. It will be the first public transportation system in Jonesboro and as the final touches are being made, Region 8 is gearing up... It's not something that you see on most public transportation, but the new JETS buses feature seatbelts. Equipped to hold between 16 and 20 riders, the new buses have all the bells and whistles...
"Love Bus" - USA - Catching the No. 66 bus could be a fare to remember
Chicago,Ill,USA -The Chicago Tribune, by Ray Quintanilla -Apr 15, 2006: -- A young property lease coordinator wants to start a conversation with a man seated next to her on a Chicago Transit Authority bus one morning... "Nice day out," Sara Hall says, turning to the stranger. "It might be one of the nicest days of the year, don't you think?"... He peeks over his newspaper, flashes a smile and so begins another friendly conversation... As the No. 66 Chicago bus inches along this morning, it is different things to different people: a noisy reading room, a place to catch a quick nap, a mass transit jalopy that rattles between home and work... But for at least some students and young professionals, it has become a kind of rolling velvet room, albeit with plastic and crushed polyester decor. It's a place for people-watching, friendly conversation and maybe, just maybe, a place to find love...
Bus Routes - USA - Residents fight for
The danger of losing bus services is worrying citizens of YpsilantiYpsilanti,MI,USA -Ypsilanti Courier, by Dan Duchene -Apr 13, 2006: -- Laura Bien is the organizer of Keep Ypsi Rollin', a grass-roots campaign dedicated to preserving the bus service to Ypsilanti... She said loosing bus service "would cripple an already struggling city"... The city is considering cutting its purchase-of-service agreement with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, which operates the bus system in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, by $80,000 in October 2006. To do this, the city proposed to cut Ypsilanti routes three and five... (Photo: Downtown Ann Arbor)
Policy - Australia - Smartens up bus services
Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age, by Stephen Moynihan -Apr 13, 2006: -- Buses are expected to run more often and for longer each day on Melbourne's network under the State Government's new transport policy... Uniform operating hours — or what is being referred to as a minimum level of service — across all bus routes will be created to shorten waiting times and offer more services... The biggest push will be to improve bus operations on Sundays, with services to start at 8am and run hourly until 6pm. Buses are the only available public transport for about two-thirds of Melburnians, yet only a third of routes run on Sundays...
Cleaner Air - USA - Caterpillar to retrofit 16 Asheville buses for
Asheville,NC,USA -Asheville Citizen-Times, by Dale Neal -Apr 12, 2006: -- The air promises to be a little lighter around Asheville and Buncombe County in years to come - 26.1 tons lighter, to be exact... That’s the amount of emissions and particles belched out by diesel engines for 16 buses for the Asheville Transit Authority as well as two large tractors at the Buncombe County landfill, which will be retrofitted for free by Caterpillar Inc... The technology donations came Wednesday during a Clean Diesel, Clean Air forum at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel, sponsored by the Diesel Technology Forum, an industry group promoting the new federal standards that go into effect next year for much cleaner diesel engines...
Delivery - India - Hispano begins shipment of urban buses to Casablanca
Mumbai,India -Hindustan Times Press -Apr 11, 2006: -- Hispano Maghreb, the fully-owned subsidiary of Hispano Carrocera, has begun delivery of urban buses to Casablanca's transport operator, M'Dina Bus... The company had bagged its largest-ever single contract to supply 800 urban buses to M'Dina Bus in July 2005, Tata Motors said in a release on Tuesday... Tata Motors Ltd has a 21 per cent stake in Hispano Carrocera...
Aging -Canada - Western school buses even older than in east
Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island,Canada -CBC NewsPrince Edward Island -Apr 11 2006: -- An auditor general report outlining problems with aging buses in the Eastern School District has been followed by news that buses in the western district are even older... Two weeks ago the provincial auditor general, Colin Younker, raised concerns about the age of school buses in Eastern P.E.I... He found 30 per cent of buses in the east were more than 12 years old, too old to be in service in many other provinces... But the problem is even worse in the Western School District. There almost half the buses exceed the 12-year limit put in place by other provinces. Three of them are 20 years old...
Disabled buses - India - Stops on the way
New Delhi, India -The Delhi News on Line, by Aiman Mustafa -11 Apr 2006: -- AS Part of the government’s plan to make the entire Capital accessible for the disabled, before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has decided to make 70 bus stops on the entire stretch of route 620 disabled friendly... For the purpose, it has sanctioned a grant of over Rs 1 crore to the Delhi Transport Corporation... As per the plan, the bus stops will be overhauled and special buses introduced. The base level of the bus stops will now be reconstructed to match with the ground clearance — minimum height above ground level — of the bus, i.e. 380 mm...
Market - India - Volvo rolls out its 1,000th bus in the country
It is the 111th bus for the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation
Karnataka,Bangalore,India - The Hindu -11 Apr 2006: -- Volvo rolled out its 1,000th bus in the Indian market, which is the 111th for the KSRTC. The bus was flagged off from Volvo's Hoskote plant by Minister for Transport N. Cheluvarayaswamy in the presence of Jan Vandooren, head and vice-president (Volvo Buses), South Asia... These 1,000 buses connect over 100 key destinations across the country, and in each case they redefined the bus travel experience in terms of comfort, safety and efficiency... The first lot of vehicles was going strong even after clocking 1,000,000 kms...
Women-only buses - Iran - To launch they
Tehran,Iran -Iran Focus/daily Kayhan -Apr. 10, 2006: -- Iran is set to launch a sex-segregated bus service in Tehran in the coming months, a semi-official daily reported on Monday... The hard-line daily Kayhan wrote that special 11-seater minibuses will be set up “in the near future” to transport women only... The report quoted the head of the Tehran Bus Company, Mohammad Ahmadi-Bafandeh as saying that the minibuses owned by private companies would be driven by women...
Purchases - India - Admin rolls out plan for 50 AC buses
Chandigarh,India -Chandigarh Newsline, by Rohit Mullick -Apr 10, 2006: -- Get ready to say goodbye to rickety old Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses. This summer, the UT Administration plans to offer a cool ride to your destination... The Administration proposes to add 50 air-conditioned mini-buses to its existing fleet of low-floor buses. Senior UT officials recently inspected prototype of these buses and final clearance for purchase is expected soon...
Purchases - India - Admin rolls out plan for 50 AC buses
Chandigarh,India -Chandigarh Newsline, by Rohit Mullick -Apr 10, 2006: -- Get ready to say goodbye to rickety old Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses. This summer, the UT Administration plans to offer a cool ride to your destination... The Administration proposes to add 50 air-conditioned mini-buses to its existing fleet of low-floor buses. Senior UT officials recently inspected prototype of these buses and final clearance for purchase is expected soon...
Artists ? - UK - Buses targeted by graffiti
Lothian,England,UK -ic WestLothian.co.uk -10 Apr 2006: -- Police are hunting a gang of graffiti artists who defaced more than 30 buses in a one-night painting spree... A fleet of single-decker buses were targeted when vandals broke into the Arriva yard in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, some time between Thursday night and Friday morning...
New Riders - China - 3-year-old boy rides buses for fun
Nanjing,China -China Daily -11 Apr 2006: -- A 3-year-old boy spent four hours riding buses alone and travelling around Nanjing last week... The child was left in front of a supermarket where his mother works, but when she checked on him during her afternoon break he had disappeared. Four hours later, police found the child and took him home... He said he wanted to take a bus trip for fun and thought he'd go for a stroll along the street until he was picked up by police at 10 pm...
Mom Sprays Bus Aid With Pepper Spray
Buffalo,NY,USA -WGRZ/TV, by Aga Dembinska -8 Apr 2006: -- A Buffalo mother was arrested Friday after a wild fight on a school bus. Police tell 2 On Your Side that a child on the bus used her cell phone, calling her mother to complain about the bus aid. Officials say the mom showed up at the bus stop and attacked the aid. The mother then followed her onto the bus... Police say the mom then sprayed the bus aid in the eyes with pepper spray, hitting some of the kids in the process...
“Listening Sessions” - USA - South Side Reaction Mixed To City's Proposed Bus Changes
Madison,WI,USA -Madison Commons, by Benjamin Weiss -7 Apr 2006: -- Madison Metro Transit recently unveiled a proposal that would alter bus service throughout the city to a packed room of South Madison residents, one in a series of presentations by the department... The “Listening Sessions,” scheduled on a near-daily basis, have sought to answer questions about proposed service modifications throughout the city...
Market - China - From the Great Wall to city buses
Contactless is finding a home in China
Reston,VA,USA -SecureIDNews, by Andy Williams -Apr 7 2006: -- ... Coupled with ongoing demands that occur as the world’s most populous country rapidly modernizes – has the worldwide smart card industry scrambling to grab a piece of this potentially huge market opportunity... Frost & Sullivan, a research company that provides growth consulting and corporate training solutions, has estimated the Asian and Pacific contactless smart card market to grow from 57.6 million units in 2003 to 453 million units in 2009 for a compounded annual growth rate of 41%...
Prognosis - USA - Negative for buses
Vallejo,CA,USA -Vallejo Times-Herald, by CHRIS G. DENINA -6 Apr 2006: -- Vallejo buses with seating for as many as 57 roll through town with a few passengers or - worse yet - none aboard... "We've all seen them. They're out there," interim City Manager John Thompson said of the empty buses during a transportation report to the City Council on Tuesday... The remedy could include revamping bus routes, cutting under-used stops and as a last resort, hiking fares, transit officials said... (Photo: J.L. Sousa/Times-Herald - Herbert Archila of Vallejo waits for a bus to take him to the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station on Wednesday afternoon)
Faulty Buses - Malawi - MPC gets 12 for project
Malawi -Malawi's Daily Times, by DANIEL NYIRENDA -6 Apr 2006: -- Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) is reluctant to register a fleet of 12 buses with the Road Traffic Directorate because the vehicles, purchased with World Bank funds, have several shortfalls and are unusable... According to a letter in our possession from Transport Manager Robert Cheleuka, the buses have several shortfalls related to non-compliance to specifications... The contract to supply the buses was won by Leyland Exports of United Kingdom at a value of US$263,748 but the supplied buses were manufactured in Mainland China...
Smaller buses - Canada - Offer significant savings
Manitoba, Canada -Brandon Sun, by Ian Hitchen -Apr 6th, 2006: -- Brandon Transit rolled into the future yesterday, as the city officially introduced smaller, cheaper and more comfortable buses to its fleet... Mayor Dave Burgess said the city will save about $160,000 per year using the five fuel-efficient 2006 El Dorado Aerotechs, which are set to hit the streets within a week... (Photo by Bruce Bumstead/The Brandon Sun - Jeff Roziere, director of transportation and sanitation services (right), explains the cost-saving benefits of the new, smaller city buses during an unveiling with Mayor Dave Burgess at the Civic Complex on Wednesday)
Purchases - USA - KU to receive five new wheelchair-accessible buses
Lawrence,KS,USA -University Daily Kansan -Apr 6, 2006: -- Lawrence City Commission passed a proposal Wednesday night which gave the OK for the University of Kansas to receive five new Optima wheelchair-accessible buses... The buses have lower floors than regular buses and have a powered ramp that extends to three inches above the pavement. This allows the wheelchair to enter the bus and, because there are no stairs in the entrance, wheelchair-users are able to ride safely from place to place...
Troubles - Turkey - Istanbul to deploy police on public buses
The Istanbul police called on parents to prevent their children being used as tools in violent protestsIstanbul, Turkey -STANBUL -NTV-MSNBC -5 Apr 2006: -- Responding to a fire bomb attack against a public bus in Istanbul on the weekend, the city’s police chief Tuesday announced police officers will be deployed on some of Istanbul’s public transport... Police chief Celalettin Cerrah announced a series of measures to boost security in Istanbul in the wake of the weekend bombing, which left three dead, including placing police officers in public buses in Istanbul...
Sorry Condition - Sri Lanka - City buses stand in
Colombo,Sri Lanka -Colombo Page -5 Apr 2006: -- The Chief Minister of the Western Province Reginald Cooray said that he feels sorry about the condition of the main bus stands in the Colombo the capital city of Sri Lanka... The Chief Minister said that the bus stands create a wrong impression in the minds of tourists and all the others about the city... He said that steps will be taken to repair these bus stations immediately...
Story - USA - Wheelchair users say buses are passing them by
Denver,CO,USA -Rocky Mountain News, By Myung Oak Kim -Apr 5, 2006: -- Valerie Yohe, of Aurora, and her granddaughter, Brittany Ironwing, 11, of Englewood, give up waiting for the No. 15 bus Monday at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Broadway... Four No. 15 buses had passed up Yohe, who uses a wheelchair and depends on public transportation with the aid of the chairlift equipment on the buses... Advocates for the disabled say those drivers violated procedures outlined in a 2001 consent decree designed to ensure that RTD follows the Americans with Disabilities Act... (Photo: Maria J. Ávila © News)
Report - USA - Calls School Buses Hazardous to Kids` Health
Beaumont,TX,USA -KBTV4.tv -5 Apr 2006: -- An environmental group`s report released today warns that Texas school children could be inhaling hazardous emissions from many of the area`s diesel-powered school buses... The report entitled "A Breath Of Fresh Air: Reducing Diesel Pollution Inside Texas School Buses" was issued by Austin-based Environmental Defense... It recommends installing filters and other equipment on some of the state`s 35-thousand buses that have been in service more than six to ten years...
Hospitality Net - USA - TTPC Welcomes Two New Members To Its Board Of Directors
The Travel Partnership Corporation
WASHINGTON, D.C.,USA -Hospitality Net/Industry News -4 Apr 2006: -- Internationally recognized world tourism leaders Marcio Favilla, executive secretary of the Ministry of Tourism of Brazil, and Paul Laeremans, president of the International Road Transport Union and managing director of the Federation Belge des exploitants d'Autocars et d'Autobus et des organisateurs de voyages (FBAA), have been elected to the board of directors for The Travel Partnership Corporation (TTPC), a consortium of travel industry organizations representing all key segments of the industry, which affords the travel industry its own dedicated top-level domain on the Internet: .travel...
Government rules - Australia - Out rowdy kids on the school bus
Australia - Northernstar.com.au, by NERIDA BLOK -5 Apr 2006: -- STUDENTS misbehaving on school buses could soon lose their right to free travel under a new code of conduct being introduced next month... The State government initiative involving bus companys aims to reduce disrespectful and anti-social behaviour on public transport... The new code follows a number of reported incidences of poor student behaviour on North Coast school buses recently, with some schools taking to employing their own bus monitors... Under the new code to start after the Easter school break, mis- behaving students could face transport penalty bans of up to one year... (Picture by WARREN: - UNDER CONTROL: Evans River K-12 School principal Rob Walker with bus monitor Mischarna Gordon at Evans Head)
Security - Turkey - Civil officers to ride city buses in Istanbul
Istanbul,Turkey -Hürriyet -5 Apr 2006: -- As Istanbul reacts to the deaths resulting from a PKK backed attack on a city bus near the central Taksim area, the Chief of Police for Istanbul, Celalettin Cerrah, has said that officers dressed in civilian clothing would be placed on Istanbul city buses in an effort to increase security in coming days. .. In a meeting with Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas, Cerrah promised that officers in civilian clothing would be riding the Istanbul buses soon, this in response to Topbas' voiced concern over protection levels currently available for IETT buses...
