Buses World News

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

7.6.11

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * Pakistan - 40 percent minibuses converted to CNG

Islamabad,Pakistan -Pakistan Financial Daily, by N H ZUBERI -May 25, 2011: -- Around 40 percent of all pubic transport minibuses operating in the city have been converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). There are more than 20,810 registered buses and minibuses operating in the city. Recently, some companies have introduced a new technology to convert diesel vehicles to CNG in the city... After the introduction of this technology and frequent increase in diesel prices conversion of public transport buses to CNG have started on massive scale and gaining momentum with the passage of time to save fuel expenses and enjoy additional income from recent increase in buses and minibuses fare... The owners of minibuses and their association are not prepared to pass on some portion of double benefit they get due to difference in CNG and diesel price and recent increase in bus fare by Rs 2 to the commuters... (Picture from vmartgallery.org, by Karen Trist : minibus decoration in Karachi)

* Pakistan: Buses Public Service in

Karachi,Pakistan -Pakistan Financial Daily, by N H ZUBERI -May 25, 2011: ... The minibus owners also mint money by allowing passengers to sit on rooftops. These transporters enjoy huge profit margins at the cost of poor commuters... It is said that old and unfit vehicles are allowed to ply on Karachi roads. Some years ago ticketing system was reintroduced in busses and minibuses but it failed with the connivance of rules implementing agencies like police... The bus never stops for passengers on the stop as the driver only slow down the bus for dropping the passengers. The passengers have to actually jump out of the bus. As soon as their feet are off on the bus the conductor taps the gate and the bus picks up the speed once again... Women are 52 percent of Pakistan's population but only four seats are allocated to them in the public buses including one over the engine. In spite of the less number of seats and space available for females, male passengers sometimes occupy women compartment as well. Moreover, those people who daily depend on public buses for transportation are fortunate enough if they reach home safely without facing any mishap. According to an official of the ministry, there are 12,000 old buses and coaches currently plying on the city roads... (Picture from newsimg.bbc (UK): Karachi commuters)

Labels: alternative fuels

6.6.11

BUS SALES * Russia - MAN delivers 46 buses to Moscow's public transport company

Moscow,Russia -Transport Weekly -6 June 2011: -- The Moscow public transport company (Mostransavto) will now be relying on 46 new MAN Lion’s Regio C. The 13.01-metre buses with up to 59 seats each provide a high level of comfort and maximum safety at an attractive price and design. The buses are powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine delivering 228 kW (310 hp) and their exhaust gas is cleaned with the aid of the MAN PM catalytic converter... Mostransavto's local public transport operation serves an area and population comparable with that of Bavaria, running approximately 6,000 buses with lengths of 12 meters and up... MAN Truck & Bus has been the market leader among importers in Russia for the past three years in the segment for buses over 12 meters. Last year, MAN supplied Russia with a total of 152 coaches and intercity buses... (Photo from wikimedia.org/wikipedia: MAN Lion's Regio bus)

Labels: buses sales

3.6.11

Study * Sweden - Prove The Obvious: Commuting Is Bad For You

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but science has proven that commuting buys misery...

(Photo: A Traffic Jam)

Umea,Sweden -The Car Connection -1 June 2011: -- This just in: the longer your daily commute, the less likely you are to be happy, healthy and even married for any length of time... A new study by researchers at Umea University in Sweden proved that commuters who drive more than 45 minutes each way are 40 percent likelier to divorce than those with shorter commutes. The study failed to identify reasons for this, but those of us who’ve experienced commutes from hell know the reasons all too well: commuting leaves you drained, stressed and robbed of time to do things that matter, like exercise, interact with loved ones and even focus on life at home... Long commutes are often the byproduct of real estate prices. Jobs are usually located in urban centers, and urban real estate is expensive; hence, for the price of a studio apartment downtown, you can often buy a three bedroom house in a distant suburb. For some, it’s about the quality of suburban or rural life versus urban life, where things like cars and motorcycles are liabilities and not assets. Surely there has to be a break-even point between commuting distance and income, right? ... There’s a study on that as well, and its conclusion isn’t good news for those with long commutes. To justify an extra hour of commuting time, your salary would need to rise by 40 percent just to break even. Factor that in the next time you get a job offer that pushes the limit of what you’d consider a reasonable commute...

Labels: studies

Bus-tracking technology * USA - Comes to L.A. County

Metro riders can call or go online to see exactly when their bus will arrive at a particular stop

(Picture by Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times / June 26, 2008: Bus riders wait at Wilshire and Western)

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Los Angeles Times, by Ari Bloomekatz -May 30, 2011: -- If Dora Chavez knew exactly when her bus would arrive she could hustle to make it on time, stroll easily to the stop, or call work to say she would be late... With a new Metro program, Chavez will be able to do just that by using her phone or computer to get real-time information on when a bus will arrive at any of Los Angeles County's more than 15,000 Metro stops... Dubbed NexTrip, the online service uses GPS and other technologies to track buses on their routes... Wondering when a bus will arrive — and waiting impatiently — is a common experience for many bus riders...

Labels: techno buses