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Buses World News

In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry

29.11.07

No-fare Bus Service * USA - Aims to revive route

Want to get a free ride to all your holiday shopping in the Williamsburg area? Now's your chance

Williamsburg,VA,USA -The Daily Press (Newport News,VA), by SETH FREEDLAND -November 26, 2007: -- Riding the brand-new Surry-Williamsburg bus service won't cost you a cent in December, thanks to Williamsburg Area Transport officials, who are hoping to jump-start their latest addition... Through next month, no fare will be charged to Surry Connection bus travelers. Transfers to buses on other WAT routes will remain 25 cents... Since WAT opened the Surry route Oct. 10, ridership has been slow, with some buses carrying no passengers. Officials recently said they would work to advertise more and add flexibility to the routes. The connection to Surry was added with the knowledge that residents in the rural county — who have never before had public transportation available to them — shop and work in the Williamsburg area...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:32 PM  0 Comments

SAFETY * Canada - Transpo watch

City moves to spend $250,000 on cameras in buses to monitor drivers

Ottawa,ONT,Canada -The Ottawa Citizen, by Jake Rupert -November 26, 2007: -- Weeks after OC Transpo enlisted spies to monitor its drivers, the transit company is poised to spend $250,000 to equip 265 of its buses with cameras that will watch over them - and passengers - in a bid to improve safety and boost ridership... If the six-month pilot project is a success, OC Transpo will spend $750,000 more to equip all buses with cameras by next year... (Photograph by Mike Carroccetto/The Ottawa Citizen: Dennis Mayhew, a veteran and a regular on route 14)

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posted by Unknown @ 4:17 PM  0 Comments

BUSES' PURCHASE PROSPECT * Dubai - RTA announces world's record bus purchase of 1616 buses

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), unveiled the world's biggest bus purchase transaction; whereby RTA will buy 1616 buses of various sizes and models manufactured at the highest security and safety standards

Khaleej,Dubai,United Arab Emirates -The Khaleej Times -November 25 2007: -- The buses are equipped with the latest technologies such as voice announcement of the next stop, passengers counting system, bus-positioning system linked with the RTA Control Center, and internal and external display monitors. Following this deal, the number of buses operated by the RTA will jump in 2009 to 2500 buses, providing public transport services covering all areas of Dubai, and providing feeder service to Dubai Metro Stations; a matter which will raise person trips percentage made by public transport modes... (Picture from www.dubaitourism.ae: New buses for public transport)

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Passengers' Service * Dubai - Travelling in buses to become hassle-free

Dubai,United Arab Emirates -Gulf News, by Ashfaq Ahmed -November 26, 2007: -- Travelling in public buses will be hassle-free in the near future as a new computerised passenger information system and journey planner will be launched, which will help in planning a trip... Khalid Hashim, Director of Planning and Business Development at the Public Transport Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said that the new computerised information system would provide real time information to passengers about bus timings at bus stops and inside buses... (Picture: Commuters will be able to plan a trip by using the Real Time Information System for public transport buses)

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* New Zealand - City to take control of buses by mid 2009?

Hamilton,Waikato,New Zealand -The Waikato Times, by Warwick Rasmussen -26 November 2007: -- Hamilton City Council could take over control of the city's buses from Environment Waikato by July 2009, according to transport committee chairman Dave Macpherson... But EW councillor Paula Southgate said setting a date for any switch was premature because the new regional council hadn't even officially talked about the matter... At this week's city council transport committee meeting, Cr Macpherson, who has long advocated the city council taking over from Environment Waikato, felt the political climate since last month's election was right for change...

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES * Germany - PSI Awarded Contract in Transportation Sector by EW Bus GmbH Leinefelde

Control system improves attractiveness of public transportation in Eichsfeld County in Thuringia

Berlin,Germany -openPR (press release)/PSI AG -22 November 2007 : -- The Thuringian EW Bus GmbH Leinefelde has awarded the contract for the introduction of a computer-supported operations control system PSItraffic/ITCS to the PSI subsidiary PSI Transcom GmbH. The contract also includes equipping 85 busses with on-board computers from Krauth Apparatebau GmbH... The EW Bus GmbH, a company in the Eichsfeldwerke Group, is licensed to handle 38 regional bus lines and three city bus lines for the public transportation network in the county of Eichsfeld in Thuringia.

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New Buses * USA - PART orders five buses from DaimlerChrysler

Greensboro,NC,USA -The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area/Bizjournals.com (Charlotte,NC) -23 Nov 2007: -- The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation has ordered five Orion VII Next Generation clean-diesel transit buses from DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America... The buses will be used as part of PART's Express Bus service... (Photo from: commons.wikimedia.org - Bus Orion 7 Next)

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posted by Unknown @ 3:06 PM  0 Comments

New Bus Fleet * South Africa - Moves the people of eThekwini

Garden View,Durban,South Africa -Engineering News (press release), by Sylvester Haskins -23 Nov 07: -- The official launch of a bus transport initiative known by the eThekwini municipality as People Mover has obtained a total of ten buses from MAN Truck & Bus in a deal worth over R10-mil- lion, reports the vehicle manufacturer... The Durban People Mover project is the pilot phase of the city’s ultimate inner city circulation system, and will include three main routes... (Picture by REDCUBE - GET ON THE BUS: The eThekhwini municipality purchases ten buses with over R10-million to streamline the city's transport system)

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NEW BUSES * Sharjah,UAE - Kuwait company to operate bus service on 19 routes in

Sharjah,UAE -GulfNews (Dubai,United Arab Emirates), by Mariam M. Al Serkal -November 22, 2007: -- Sharjah Transport has awarded an eight-year franchise to Kuwait-based KGL Passenger Transport Services to operate public bus service on 19 routes that officials expect will help ease the city's traffic congestion... More than 140 buses will operate on 19 service routes, and nine bus stations will be introduced by the end of March, and they are expected to operate 18 hours a day. The buses will be able to handle 38 seated and 25 standing passengers... (Photo by Asghar Khan/Gulf News - Sharjah traffic is at a standstill during the evening rush hour. More than 140 buses will cover 19 service routes, and nine bus stations will be introduced at the end of March)

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REPORT * UK - Boost in bid to get us back on the buses

The route to increased bus use in Tyne and Wear was mapped out today

South Tyneside,UK -The Shields Gazette, by Paul Myles-Kelly -22 November 2007: -- A report from the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) says improvements to bus services in the area could boost usage by 12 per cent, cut congestion and improve the environment... The report, unveiled at Newcastle's Centre for Life today, claims there is "overwhelming evidence" improvements can be achieved through a partnership. It reveals that increasing the frequency of buses, decreasing journey times through reduced congestion, improving service punctuality and reliability and improving passenger waiting areas will increase passenger numbers by 12 per cent... (Picture from www.pteg.net: Tyne & Wear bus service)

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posted by Unknown @ 2:20 PM  0 Comments

REPLACLEMENT * India - Tata to replace defective buses

Pune,India -Times of India -22 Nov 2007: -- While the issue of replacement of buses purchased from Tata Motors by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) in 2004, rocked the Pune Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting on Tuesday, Tata Motors officials have said that they were discussing the matter with the public transport body... Tata Motors corporate, they have not mentioned anything regarding replacement of the buses. Meanwhile, Subrao Patil, managing director, PMPML, said they have received a written assurance from the auto major for replacing the 15 defective buses and giving them three additional buses in exchange...

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posted by Unknown @ 2:13 PM  0 Comments

NEW BUSES * Turkmenistan - Receives first shipment of intercity buses Iran Khodro

Ashgabat,Turkmenistan -IRNA/Turkmenistan.ru - 22 Nov 2007: -- Seid Ali Mir Damadiyan, head of the Turkmen office of automaker Iran Khodro, said, Turkmenistan will receive nine more buses in a due time... The cost of the contract is US $ 42 million... Iran is to ship 300 city buses and 10 intercity buses with spare parts to Turkmenistan as part of this agreement. Turkmenistan has so far received 216 intercity buses... (Photo: Bus Iran Khodro Diesel CNG)

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posted by Unknown @ 2:01 PM  0 Comments

23.11.07

AND HERE AND NOW ... THE ROAD SHOW !!!

THANKS TO Brian Weatherley's Biglorryblog (UK) & to Rod S for the pictures... ¡¡

Fancy going down this in a fully-laden 44-tonner...? Mmm, I thought not and neither do I unless it's got a retarder, a decent engine brake, downhill speed control...oh yes, and an ejector seat.,,


Meanwhile, see what this road looks like in the day ... and the night... You know it doesn't get any better does it. ..? Can anyone tell me where this freaky freeway is? (London,UK -23 Nov 2007)

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CLEAN AIR PURPOSES * UK - Thousands not yet compliant with London LEZ

London,UK -Road Transport -23 November 2007: -- Transport for London (TfL) believes operators will comply with the London Low Emission Zone which comes into force in February, despite a recent survey that found 80,000 vehicles are still non-compliant... Manufacturers have raised concerns that builders merchants and glaziers which are not hauliers but still run CVs will slip through the net, but TfL says it is "very pleased" with the level of awareness of the scheme, which is designed to improve the Capital's air quality... TfL's own survey of vehicles entering the zone between 4 August and 14 September found 79,400 registered owners of non-compliant vehicles, which includes all CVs over 3.5 tonnes, as well as PCVs... (Photo from www.biggreenjewish.org: London's Air pollution ...)

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TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Germany - New Mercedes-Benz heavy trucks due in 2010

Franckfurt,Germany -Automotive World (UK), by Alan Bunting/emercedesbenz.com -22 November, 2007: -- An all-new Mercedes-Benz truck range, code named SFTP, is due to be unveiled at the IAA show in Hanover in September 2010. Replacing today's Actros and Axor ranges, it will also mark the first appearance in Europe... THE CONCEPT: Identical parts for multiple applications reduce unit costs - For the first time, Fuso and Mercedes-Benz have jointly developed a vehicle platform for a new product family of trucks — “SFTP,” which is to include a number of identical parts suitable for cross-brand applications. Higher production volumes mean lower unit costs. That’s why the aim is to use economies of scale to achieve very high efficiency in the production of components like the instrument cluster that Osamu, Beth and Kurt must adapt to the requirements of their respective brands... (Image: The “round table” calls for all partners jointly developing a shared component to reach a consensus when formulating the part’s specification.)



* Belgium - Volvo might be in for long wait with Dongfeng JV
Brussels,Belgium -Reuters -Nov 22, 2007: -- Swedish industrial group Volvo AB could have to wait years before it can begin manufacturing heavy trucks in China together with potential joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd... When asked when the joint venture could be finalized, Volvo Deputy Chief Executive Jorma Halonen said it could take anywhere between 2 to 15 years... "It physically takes time because there are so many authorities involved," he explained...

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CLEAN AIR * USA & Canada - West coast ports plan to mirror truck emission rules

A trio of northwestern shipping ports are planning to follow through with similar truck emission rules recently passed at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach

Seattle,Wash,USA -The Seattle Post Intelligencer/Today's Trucking -22 Nov 2007: -- ... The Seattle seaport, along with the ports of Tacoma and Vancouver, B.C., has drafted a program similar to one in the Golden State in which trucks built before 1989 could be banned from entering the port as of October 2008... Trucks are just one part of a larger strategy that asks port business reduce air emissions produced by container ships, cargo handling equipment and railroads...

(Picture: In January, the VPA will follow suit and ban trucks older than 1989)

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posted by Unknown @ 3:18 PM  0 Comments

22.11.07

HYDROGEN BUSES * China - Fuel-cell buses to serve on routes to World Expo. venues

Shanghai,China -Xinhua/chinaview.cn -Nov. 16, 2007: -- A hydrogen refueling station for hybrid cell vehicles has been built in Anting area of Shanghai, ready to provide clean energy during the 2010 World Expo to be held in the city... A fleet of hybrid, clean energy fuel-cell buses can be expected to be operating by 2009 in Shanghai, said the fuel cell bus commercialization organizers... The bus station is capable of refueling three fuel buses or 20 fuel cell cars at a time...

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Hybrid * USA - States test-drive school buses

The big yellow school bus is going green

Raleigh,NC,USA -USA TODAY, by Ron Barnett -16 Nov 2007: -- With an eye on reducing emissions — and the cost of diesel fuel topping $3.50 per gallon — eight states are testing 11 hybrid buses, and more are on the way... Managing the project is Ewan Pritchard of Raleigh, N.C.-based Advanced Energy, a non-profit corporation overseen by the governor of North Carolina and member utilities... (Photo by Brett Flashnick for USA TODAY: Students at Round Top Elementary, in Blythewood, S.C., load onto the hybrid bus after school on Nov. 8. The Hybrid Bus is being tested in Blythewood and in seven other states)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:37 AM  0 Comments

NEW BUSES * USA

* Metro Transit Introduces New Line of Hybrid-Electric Buses

Minneapolis,MIN,USA -FOX 9 News -15 Nov 2007: -- Metro Transit has unveiled its new line of hybrid electric buses Thursday. Over a dozen of the new environmentally-friendly buses cruised down Nicollet Mall Thursday at noon in a parade that included a short presentation... The new buses are a preview of what Metro Transit hopes to accomplish by 2012. Metro Transit has pledged to have a cavalry of 150 hybrid buses by then. The buses cut down on noise, get 22 percent better gas mileage, and cut down on pollutants by over 90 percent, compared to traditional diesel buses... (Photo: Metro Transit Green Buses)

* S.F. to test double-decker bus
San Francisco,CAL,USA -The San Francisco Chronicle, by Rachel Gordon -November 15, 2007: -- City officials revealed today that they are looking at adding double-decker buses to San Francisco's public transit fleet, and will press one into service later this month for a short-term experiment... Double-decker buses, an iconic transportation option in London, "have a lot of advantages," Muni chief Nathaniel Ford told The Chronicle. Among them: They can hold a lot of people without taking up too much room on the congested streets and will be easier to maneuver through traffic and around corners than the long articulated buses...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:32 AM  0 Comments

"GREEN" NEWS * USA - Texas Gives Rebates for Clean Running School Buses

Austin,TX,USA -Enviromental News Service -November 12, 2007: -- The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is reimbursing school districts for the cost of reducing diesel exhaust emissions from their school buses... The commission began accepting applications on November 10 from Texas school districts who would like to get back the $800 to $7,500 they have spent on each pollution control device used on a school bus to limit toxic exhaust gases...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:16 AM  0 Comments

TECHNONEWS * Philippines - MMDA to put microchips on buses to improve traffic flow

Manila,Philippines -Agence France-Presse -13 Nov 2007: -- The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will begin installing microchips on buses in an effort to improve the city's chronic traffic congestion, an official said Tuesday... The microchips will allow the MMDA to monitor the movement of the capital's estimated 3,000 buses and dispatch them to areas where there is a large concentration of passengers, the agency’s general manager Robert Nacianceno said...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:13 AM  0 Comments

BUSES SALES * WORLDWIDE

* UK - London buys hydrogen-fuelled red buses

London,UK -Reuters -Nov 13, 2007: -- London's mayor said on Tuesday he had signed a 10 million-pound ($20.7 million) deal for ten hydrogen-powered buses to help reduce pollution and CO2 emissions in the UK capital... Five of the traditional red buses, to be built by U.S. manufacturer ISE Corp, will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and five will burn hydrogen in conventional internal combustion engines...



* Czech Republic - Brand New Buses In Brno. For How Long?
Brno,Czech Rep -Czech Daily.wordpress.com -13 Nov 2007: -- The Brno Public Transportation Authority recently bought five Citelis buses. Wheelchair-accessible, great design, enough room for standing passengers. There are even two LCD screens that display information about delays, detours etc... It has become a tradition in Brno that new public transportation vehicles do not stay undamaged for very long. There are gangs of punks who use glass-cutting diamonds and other sharp objects to carve their tags on windows. From what I have recently heard more than 70 percent of trams are damaged in this way. Don’t know about buses, though...

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BUSMAKERS' * WORLDWIDE

* China - Yuchai International readies hybrid engine for buses

China -Autobloggreen (USA), by Xavier Navarro -Nov 13th 2007: -- For the first time for a Chinese company, China Yuchai has introduced a hybrid engine for urban buses. The system is based on single-axle parallel ISG technology. The complete system is made with an electrically-controlled diesel engine, 4 quadrant motor and control system, power source management system, high-power safety system, powertrain control system and a vehicle communication system. According to Yuchai, the 4-cylinder engine has the same performance as a regular 6-cylinder but reduced fuel consumption (20 percent less)...



* South Korea - Daewoo Int’l Delivers 200 Buses to Azerbaijan


Seoul,South Korea -The Korea Times, by Ryu Jin -13 Nov 2007: -- Daewoo International has delivered 200 city buses, which included BS106 and BS090 models made by Daewoo Bus, to Azerbaijan in the first shipment of buses it will provide to the Caspian Sea country... Daewoo International signed a contract with the Azerbaijani government in February to provide 1,000 buses worth $60 million (roughly 54.8 billion won) to the Ministry of Transport, which is trying to reform the country’s transportation system.. .(Photo Courtesy of Daewoo International: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev poses in the driver’s seat while test-driving one of the 200 Daewoo buses delivered by Daewoo International in Baku, the capital city of the Caspian country, Monday)

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16.11.07

Bus Stop Shelters * Abu Dhabi/UAE -Will introduces 550 air-conditioned ones in the Emirate

Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates -AME Info (press release) -November 13 2007: -- The Department of Transport (DOT) in Abu Dhabi invited investors to bid for the design, construction and maintenance of 550 air-conditioned bus stop shelters throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 2008 under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) contract... The provision of 550 new bus stop shelters by the Department of Transport intends to give the users of the public transit system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, a convenient service, through an air-conditioned environment in most of the upcoming shelters, an iconic design, comfortable seats, good ventilation, ample reading light, wheel-chair access and an approach towards utilizing solar power, one of the cleanest and most environment-friendly sources of energy... (Imasge from ameinfo.com/images: Trueform Group, UK's Solar powered bus shelter)

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13.11.07

DANGEROUS DRIVER * South Africa - Liquor a factor in bus deaths

Piketberg,South Africa -News24, by Marius Louw, Die Burger -12 Nov 2007: -- The driver of the bus that left the road and rolled down the mountain at Versfeld Pass, killing 10 contract farmworkers on Friday, is expected to appear in the local magistrate's court on Monday on a charge of drunk driving... A police inquiry has already determined that the brakes of the bus were not functioning properly... Speaking during a visit by Cobus Dowry and Marius Fransman, respectively the Western Cape ministers of agriculture and of transport, Captain Dennis Vollenhoven of Piketberg police station said the bus driver was currently in custody... (Picture from news.bbc.co.uk: South Africa bus crash kills 19)

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Bus service * USA - Eyes Corridor commuter run

Solon,IA,USA -The Gazette On Line, by Steve Gravelle -November 11. 2007: -- Mike Barnhart, director of Cedar Rapids' Neighborhood Transportation Service, wants to give Corridor commuters the chance this winter to leave the driving to a professional... More than 10,000 people make the I-380 commute each workday — 5,500 Johnson County residents go to and from Linn County, according to the 2000 census, with just more than 4,400 making the opposite run — a number that doubled over the previous decade... Along with rising fuel costs and traffic congestion, those numbers have fueled periodic interest on both ends of the Corridor in alternative transport... (Photo by Cliff Jette/The Gazette: Mike Johnson of Cedar Rapids rides a Neighborhood Transportation Service bus in June 2004. Bus service Director Mike Barnhart is seeking public input on his idea to offer rides between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City)

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posted by Unknown @ 2:38 PM  0 Comments

DISCUSSION * Sri Lanka - Fillip for inter-provincial bus transport

Ceylon,Sri Lanka -The Ceylon Daily News -13 Nov 2007: -- The National Transport Commission has decided to take specific steps to gradually improve the quality of the transport provided to passengers on inter-provincial buses regulated by the Commission... A meeting to discuss the proposed changes to Permit Conditions with representatives of the Bus Operators Associations was held on Friday, November 9 chaired by Prof. Amal S. Kumarage, Chairman of the Commission... The associations that participated at the discussion were the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association, the All Ceylon Private Omnibus Owners Federation and the Southern Province Private Bus Owners Federation... (Picture by Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps from blumenauer.house.gov: "Families in Sri Lanka")

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posted by Unknown @ 12:45 PM  0 Comments

PASSENGERS' TRANSPORT SYSTEMS * Africa - The Joys of Public Transport in

On this African adventure my companions and I have vowed to use public transport almost entirely; buses (long distance and local), minibuses, ferry boats and trucks

Africa -Zulu Jazz/Amberinsa (Pennsylvania,USA) -12 Nov 2007: -- ... The advantages of public transport are of course the cheap price but also the experience of rubbing elbows with locals (although this can be both enjoyable and unpleasant...) Some of the disadvantages of pub trans include long waiting periods, infrequent bathroom stops and losing all of the feeling in your ass... The Bus... the travel times here, they are roughly:

Jo-burg (SA) - Gaborone (Bots) : 5 hrs
Gabs - Palapye : 3 hrs
Palapye - Maun : 4 hrs
Maun - Nata : 3 hrs
Livingstone (Zam) - Lusaka : 6 hrs
Lusaka (Zam) - Lilongwe (Malawi) : 14 hrs
Lilongwe - Mzuzu : 6 hrs (it was supposed to be 4 but the bus got a flat tire)
Mbeya (Tanzania) - Dar es Salaam : 12 hrs
That’s alot of time on a bus... Mostly bus rides aren’t that interesting, but once in a while something notable will happen. In Malawi a volunteer typically leads the passengers in prayer before setting off. I don’t know if this occurs because of the devout religious faith of Malawians or because of their fear that the bus won’t reach its destination… In Botswana if you arrive late or get on the bus when its already full you’re left standing in the aisle until a seat opens up - if a seat opens up... The only bus ride so far that has featured live animals was in Tanzania (unless you consider cockaroaches to be live animals, in which case we also encountered some on a Zambian bus), and it was what I believe to be a single chicken discreetly concealed in a small cardboard box. I wouldn’t have even noticed it except for the box’s makeshift airholes and the soft clucking noise that emanated from within, which definitely indicated the presence of a fowl. Also in Tanzania we saw two goats tied to the top of a tanker truck...

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Cashless road * Australia - For freeway buses

Melbourne's Eastern Freeway express bus services will go cashless in a trial aimed at improving travel times and reducing passenger delays

Melbourne,Australia - The Age, by Stephen Moynihan -November 12, 2007: -- ... Doncaster, Templestowe and Donvale do not have train or tram services and the area has one of the lowest rates of public transport use in Melbourne... The Eastern Freeway routes have recorded a 14 per cent jump in patronage over the past 12 months. Some services are overcrowded and others leave passengers stranded at stops... The managing director of Ventura/National Bus Company, Andrew Cornwall, said the cashless trial would determine if delays could be reduced by encouraging commuters to buy tickets before boarding... Sydney, which has a larger bus network, began trialling cashless services in 2004. It found a marked reduction in passenger boarding times from 50 to 36 seconds... (Picture from content.answers.com: "Buses in Adelaide, ready for peak hour on Grenfell Street")

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posted by Unknown @ 12:12 PM  0 Comments

COMPLAINS * Australia - Parked cars turning buses into snails

Tens of thousands of commuters are enduring slow bus trips through the city centre despite a decade-long campaign to remove kerbside parking and allow mass transit-style bus lanes

Sydney,New South Wales,Australia -The Sydney Morning Herald -12 Nov 2007: -- ... The State Government, transport planners and the bus drivers' union all say faster bus trips would be possible along major arteries such as Clarence, York and Elizabeth streets if not for street parking... They blame the City of Sydney council's reluctance to remove parking as one of the stumbling blocks to reconfiguring city streets for swifter bus services... In the past four years, the council has collected more than $99 million from parking meters and enforcement fines... On Elizabeth Street, State Transit says parking causes obstacles to 167 buses every day, delaying the journeys of 4600 people... (Picture: BigLorryBlog - Oct/07)

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posted by Unknown @ 11:57 AM  0 Comments

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM * Dubai - RTA master plan for better bus services

Khaleej,Dubai,UAE -The Khaleej Times, by Joy Sengupta -11 November 2007: -- The Public Transport Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is working on a ‘Bus Master Plan’ in a bid to ensure better services to the commuters... Senior RTA officials pointed out that the recommendations thrown up by the ongoing studies would be adopted in the development of bus services... The officials confirmed that at least six new bus depots would come up in Jebel Ali, Al Quoz, Motor City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Jebel Ali Airport and Al Qusais for accommodating the buses... Essa Al Dossari, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, said the master plan would aim at providing rapid and secure mobility services... Al Dossari added that 45 new and sophisticated buses were introduced in the inter-city service in May this year and 125 buses will be added early next year. The buses are equipped with advanced customer services comparable to those provided in flights... (Photo by Christian Kraut: Dubai bus model: 2002 L94)

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posted by Unknown @ 11:42 AM  0 Comments

NEW BUSES * Pakistan - Commuters await re-introduction of CNG buses

Commuters of the twin cities are anxiously awaiting the re-introduction of CNG passenger buses that will solve their transportation problems.

Islamabad,Pakistan -The Daily Times (Lahore,Pakistan) -12 Nov 2007: -- A surge in population of the twin cities, which has increased the movement of commuters between the twin cities, has compounded the problem. Many schemes, introduced in the past, were abandoned due to resistance by van owners in Rawalpindi... It is generally observed that as jobs and services have become more dispersed, the need to travel has become greater and society has become highly reliant on the private transport to meet this need, he added... With this reliance on the private transport, comes its associated problems, he said, adding that private transport companies could play an important role in developing better transport and reducing the impact of transport by taking steps towards more sustainable transport... (Picture from www.stutzfamily.com: A row of buses waits at the Rawalpindi bus station)

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posted by Unknown @ 11:29 AM  0 Comments

BUSES' TROUBLES * Australia - Cracks appear in NSW gas bus fleet

Sydney,Australia -The Australasian Bus and Coach -12 November 2007: -- State Transit acting chief executive Peter Rowley is in public relations overdrive at the moment as he assures the public that the 0405NH gas buses in the State Transit fleet are safe to operate without restriction... Cracks were first identified on one of the gas buses during routine maintenance and this has led to a further inspection of other gas buses in the fleet... I want to assure all our commuters that there is no way the buses would continue to operate if we had any safety concerns... State Transit has informed the Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator and the Ministry of Transport about the repair program... The bus chassis’ and frames were designed at the DaimlerChrysler factory in Germany and shipped to Australia as driveable units... Ninety buses were inspected and 75 of them were found to have some cracking. Once the assessment is complete and ITSRR is satisfied, the RTA will be asked to sign off on the repair scheme... "State Transit has contracted to purchase 255 new gas buses for its fleet. The bus frames will be built in Australia. The new design has been subjected to detailed analysis, and they will not be rolled out across the fleet until we are assured of their design integrity," Rowley says...



* Regs to manage engine brake noise approved by ministers

Sydney,Australia -The Australasian Bus and Coach -13 November 2007: -- An in-service standard to manage engine brake noise has been approved unanimously by state and federal transport ministers... The regulations will for the first time monitor and identify heavy vehicles with worn, defective or inferior mufflers... National Transport Commission (NTC) General Manager Safety & Environment, Tim Eaton, says the development of a national regulation and enforcement technology has been a collaborative effort involving government and industry... New South Wales developed technology to pick out the characteristic ‘bark’ of an engine brake from the traffic stream and measure it. South Australia led development of ‘noise camera’ technology to enforce the regulation, while Victoria has also been involved in trialing the technology...

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12.11.07

* New Zealand - Buses under fire

New Zealand -The New Zealand Herald, by Jared Savage - November 11, 2007: -- Dangerous driving, assaults on motorists and ordering children off a schoolbus are among complaints laid against bus drivers - yet a recent report found buses were the safest way to travel in New Zealand... More than half of complaints about bus drivers were laid about unsafe driving or speeding, according to Land Transport New Zealand figures, and drivers who were sacked for rude behaviour towards passengers... But complaints about speeding or dangerous driving were dealt with by warnings or "advice" from LTNZ... Complaints made directly to bus companies about poor service were kept secret from the public... That could change under new legislation, tabled in Parliament last month. It is designed to give local councils more power over commercial bus operators to make them meet quality and performance criteria - and make public transport safer...

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posted by Unknown @ 8:05 PM  0 Comments

DANGEROUS * Australia - Buses cracking up

NSW,Australia -Courier Mail -November 10, 2007: -- The NSW Government's fleet of gas-powered buses need urgent structural repairs after testing uncovered cracking in almost 70 per cent of the vehicle frames... Despite Government claims there is no threat to safety, engineers say there is a risk the 300 buses could rollover or collapse... The gas-powered buses, most of which are only three years old, will have to be removed from service to be fixed, creating more congestion on busy bus routes... The cracking of the window pillars was discovered on a gas-powered bus during routine maintenance, prompting a wide-scale inspection by STA engineers... In total, 90 of the 300 buses were tested, with 75 showing signs of cracking... It is understood the one-tonne natural gas pod on top of the bus roof is contributing to the cracking...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:59 PM  0 Comments

INFRASTRUCTURES * India - Poor roads a threat to low-floor buses

New Delhi,India -The Hindu, by Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar -11 Nov 2007: -- BJP president Harsh Vardhan on Saturday urged Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to improve the condition of the roads in the Capital to ensure that the new low-floor buses that are being inducted do not end up breaking down on the roads... Pointing out that the Chief Minister had flagged off a dozen such buses recently, Dr. Vardhan said more such buses would be plying soon...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:54 PM  0 Comments

Stop Buses * New Zealand - Country schools protest proposals to

Waikato,New Zealand -The Waikato Times, by REBECCA HARPER-10 Nov 2007: -- Rural schools and their communities in the Port Waikato and Franklin areas are worried about getting their children to school safely, with many bus runs in the area facing cuts... On Thursday afternoon a tiny classroom at Maramarua School was packed with worried parents and members of the community, including the local emergency services... Principal Caroline Jacobs said the school was told by the Education Ministry it would lose one of its two bus runs in the new year because only 20 students were eligible to take the bus... The 63-student school would fight to save its bus run. "They say it's a proposal, but there's a full stop after it"... (Photo: BUS CUTS: Maramarua students catch the school bus home. In the new year, many will be ineligible to catch the bus)

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posted by Unknown @ 7:45 PM  0 Comments

WOMEN DRIVERS * India - DTC to recruit they, and conductors too

New Delhi,India -Times of India, by chetanw -10 Nov 2007: -- Taking a cue from southern states where women are employed as conductors and drivers in government-operated bus fleets, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Tuesday that women will be soon recruited in the DTC... “When women can reach to moon then why can’t they take the driving seats of buses. With the arrival of new DTC buses in the next two years, over 18,000 posts for bus and conductors would be created. Seats would be reserved for women,” Dikshit said at a function here to flag off the first lot of a dozen low-floor buses here...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:39 PM  0 Comments

NEW BUSES * UK - Routes 129 and 360 Get New Hybrid Buses

London,UK -MayorWatch -8 November 2007: -- Transport for London has confirmed that six new single deck hybrid buses will be added to the existing fleet, entering service on Monday 19 November 2007 on routes 129 and 360... According to TFL the new hybrid buses, built by The Wright Group, are cleaner, quieter and use less fuel than a standard diesel bus, which means they emit considerably less carbon dioxide...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:34 PM  0 Comments

TRANSPORT SYSTEMS * Japanese Buses

If you travel to japan no doubt you will be using the bus services provided

Tokyio,Japan -Traded Name, by Uradox (Australia) -9 Nov 2007: -- They are not ‘quite’ as generic as I am used to in some western places. For instance, travelling around Nagoya ill cost you 200yen each way unless you get a bus pass (for weekend use) for 600yen. In Kyoto it depends how far you travel and the 500yen bus pass has limited use... Also, in Nagoya you pay upfront where as in Kyoto you pay as you get off. Imagin the fun when the whole bus wants to get off at the train station... Notice the box next to the drive, you drop all your coins to the sum of your fair in there and the machine counts it. Quite smart, also quite old in Japan. No need to insert your coins one by one. These buses also accept notes as you can see down the bottom, 1000yen ones anyway. In Australia I have never seen a bus yet where you can use notes and fare interaction always involved the bus driver...
When you are driving around on the bus you can pay attention to how much your fee is going to cost when you get off. Interestingly, the driver trusts your honesty... Some buses are city run while others are privately run. You will notice that often the driver will announce each stop, pays to brush up on how to say your destination in Japanese...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:04 PM  0 Comments

BUSES' PURCHASE PROSPECTS * India - Maharashtra to hire 240 A-C buses

Mumbai,Pune -The Business Standard, by Kaustubh Kulkarni -November 09, 2007: -- The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is planning to acquire 240 air-conditioned buses on lease that will connect prominent cities in the state with major destinations in the neighbouring states including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore and Goa... The move, apart from an attempt to address the rising demand for air-conditioned buses within the state, is aimed at getting back the passenger traffic from private busses that is cutting into its revenues...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:58 PM  0 Comments

COMPLAINS * Australia - Commuters up but no new buses

Sydney,NSW,Australia -LIVE NEWS, by Edwina Bartholomew -10 Nov 2007: -- Not one extra bus has been added to the State Transit fleet in the past three years, despite multi-million dollar promises from the NSW State Government... 106 new buses were purchased but they replaced older vehicles no longer roadworthy... Shadow Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says John Watkins needs to come clean on where the money is being spent. “The minister for transport needs to explain why, contrary to the many statements he’s made on the public record regarding the buses and the need for new buses … they haven’t actually materialised,” she said...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:52 PM  0 Comments

Cleanest Ethanol Buses * Sweden - World Première in Stockholm Traffic

Scania’s Latest Ones

Stockholm,Sweden -BUSINESS WIRE -November 08, 2007: -- Scania is now delivering the first 10 buses featuring its third generation ethanol engines to Busslink, which is responsible for bus traffic in central Stockholm on behalf of Stockholm Transport (SL). Compared to a city bus run on diesel fuel, an ethanol bus reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 per cent... The transport company Busslink has more than 15 years’ experience of ethanol buses and today has a fleet of 330 ethanol buses in operation... (Photo wikipedia.org: Pedestrian crossing with a Stockholm's Busslink public transport bus at Sergels torg, Stockholm, Sweden. The Hötorgsskraporna buildings are in the background)

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posted by Unknown @ 5:41 PM  0 Comments

Free WiFi on Buses * Singapore - ... Courtesy of Nokia

Singapore -Mobile Magazine (USA) -10 Nov 2007: -- The next time you happen to be cruising through Singapore -- and I know this has to be like all the time for most of you -- you just may be able to latch onto some free WiFi love aboard the country's buses... You see, Nokia has set up an arrangement wherein they will outfit 12 buses with a WiFi connection, effectively letting commuters check their email and watch goofy YouTube clips without dropping a dime... These Nokia-fueled WiFi buses are a first in Singapore. In fact, they're a first in the entire Asia Pacific, and Nokia is saying that it is part of their initiative to "enable consumers to gain access to a high speed internet connection on the go"... There are probably some restrictions in place, of course, but you certainly can't complain about the price. There's also no mention on how the infrastructure works...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:31 PM  0 Comments

9.11.07

CONTROLS * Greece - Dodgy buses to be recalled

Athens,Greece -grhomeboy.wordpress -November 8, 2007: -- The Athens Public Bus Company (ETHEL) is to withdraw from circulation at least 10 vehicles whose roadworthiness is in question and which are expected to fail additional technical inspections that have been ordered by the Transport Ministry... The move follows a series of tests ordered after 10 ETHEL buses burst into flames while transporting passengers... The Ministry and ETHEL have intensified inspections over the past few days, conducting tests on dozens of buses that serve the capital. Around 40 were found to have problems and at least 10 have been deemed to be beyond repair. Most of the defective vehicles displayed fuel leaks, according to experts, who said it was lucky they had been running on diesel rather than gasoline, as the latter is more flammable... An ETHEL bus that burst into flames last Monday was the 10th to combust in this way since the company took delivery of the vehicles in 2000. An external technician has been recruited to inspect ETHEL’s fleet and the company has hired another 250 technical staff as well as 350 drivers... (Photo from www.athens-greece.us: A typical Athens' bus)

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posted by Unknown @ 1:07 PM  0 Comments