Buses World News

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

23.2.12

BUSMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Geneve Motor Show - Ford Tourneo Concept previews new Transit

Cologne,Germany -Ford's PR -Feb. 22, 2012: -- The dynamic new Ford Tourneo Custom Concept will make its global debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, bringing a new level of energy and style to the European personal use vehicle segment... Previewing the introduction of a completely new range of people movers, with commercial vehicles to follow, the Tourneo Custom Concept showcases a dramatic new look that will appeal to customers seeking style, functionality and space... Among the smart, innovative features included on the concept are:

* ECOnetic Technologies – Ford’s advanced low-CO2 features including Auto-Start-Stop and Smart Regenerative Charging

* SYNC voice-activated, in-car connectivity system – enables mobile phones and music players to be connected to the vehicle, and controlled using voice control

* Emergency Assistance – enabled by SYNC, this new feature is designed to assist occupants to contact the Emergency Services in the event of an accident, providing vehicle location information

* Advanced restraint system – including driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags

* Rear-view camera – integrated into the rear view mirror

* Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert – latest driver assistance features to alert the driver if the system detects the vehicle is inadvertently drifting out of the lane, or the driver is becoming tired behind the wheel

* Germany - Daimler Boosts Mobility: Bus Chassis of New Assembly Facility for Colombia

(Photo: Mercedes Benz Atego 1016, ensamblado en Bogota)

Stuttgart,Germany / Bogota,Colombia -Daimler (PR) -Feb 22, 2012: -- On February 16, the Daimler subsidiary, Daimler Colombia S.A., officially opened a new bus chassis assembly in Bogota so that it can continue to meet the demand for buses from Daimler, especially for efficient passenger transportation in densely populated cities... Daimler to have an initial output of 500 chassis in 2012 to prepare for growing demand for buses and efficient bus transport systems in major Colombian cities. Four-digit production capacity in the medium term... The facility will assemble bus chassis based on the Mercedes-Benz 1016 and the Thomas EF 1723, and will initially assemble a batch of 500 units this year... The models’ design is unique, since they were specifically developed for the Colombian market and are being exclusively assembled in Bogota. As completely knocked down kits (CKD), the Mercedes-Benz 1016 chassis are delivered from the plant in Wörth, Germany, and the Thomas EF 1723 chassis are conveyed from the Thomas Built Buses facility in High Point, North Carolina, and are finally assembled in Bogota...

Labels: busmakers news worldwide

20.2.12

BUSMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* UK - New London doubledecker bus mixes old and new

(Photo: A new doubledecker bus of London)

London,EN,UK -Busworld (Belgium) -16 Feb 2012: -- Transport for London now introduces a new bus to replace the unpopular Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated bus. TfL wanted the bendy bus’s replacement to pay homage to its predecessor, the Routemaster, whose distinguishing feature was an open platform at the rear allowing passengers to hop on and off... But this new double-decker has a very low emission, just exhausting 640g per km and 3.96g per km respectively, thus beating the EU Euro 5 rules. This was achieved through engineering and low-weight construction for fuel- efficiency by the bus manufacturer Wrightbus. The interior and exterior aesthetic design was provided by London agency Heatherwick Studio... The hybrid engine and running gear were specially configured with software tailored for a London bus that is on the road for up to 22 hours a day, travelling on average 6mph and stopping and starting every 100 metres. While Wrightbus’s buses are typically made of bolted aluminium frames and sheet panels, the rear of the new bus instead comprises lightweight fibre-reinforced composite. The new London doubledecker is 11.3m long but 100kg lighter than a standard Wrightbus doubledecker, which has a length of 10.6m long...

* Japan - Mitsubishi Aero Star Bus fitted with Allison Transmission

(Photo: The Mitsubishi Bus 2012)

Hakone,Japan -Busworld (Belgium) -14 Feb 2012: -- The Hakone area outside Tokyo, Japan, has long has been known as a dangerous area for road travel due to steep mountain roads and sharp curves that are the most precipitous in the country. Drivers encounter these treacherous roads and curves at short intervals over long stretches, making driving a difficult task... Even the roads that pass through the historical section of town are narrow, and for buses that must travel these roads, steering is a challenge. To make driving in areas such as these a little easier, operator Hakone Tozan Bus is acquiring Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star buses equipped with the T310 model fully automatic from Allison Transmission... The new Aero Stars operated by Hakone Tozan Bus are able to stop safely at the many bus stops located on hilly roads and also minimize the sudden jolting that usually occurs when manual vehicles begin accelerating from a stop...

* India - AMW launches Magnus Coach

(Photo: An AMW's Magnus)

Mumbai,Maharashtra,India -Busworld (Belgium) -20 Feb 2012: -- Indian truck manufaturer Asia Motor Works has entered the coach market with the launching of the Magnus luxury coach, presented during the New Delhi Auto Show, where this coach was one of the highlights of the AMW pavilion... The 14.3 metre long, 57-seat, inter-city bus is at this moment the longest in the country and will offer a host of comfort features to ensure a stress-free journey. The company ís strategy is to offer global products at an affordable price, and with this product the company is confident of competing with established players at the very top of the bus market in India...

* Thailand - Dongfeng minitruck starts production in

(Photo: A Dongfeng's Yu'an)

Bangkok,Thailand -Xinhua -February 17,2012: -- Dongfeng Xiao Kang, a well-known minitruck model of China, has been put into mass production in Thailand to address rising local demand, the company announced on Thursday... The factory, located in Gateway Industrial Estate in Cha Choeng Sao province, is estimated to produce 5,000 units of minitrucks per year... The factory aims to enhance productivity and meet rising market demand, estimating that the sales of Dongfeng minitruck this year would reach 3000 units, a rise of 90 percent from 2011...

Labels: busmakers news worldwide

BUSES SALES * WORLDWIDE

* Sweden - 25 Volvo hybrid buses for Göterborg

(Photo: A Volvo Hybrid, Goteborg)

Goteborg,Sweden -Busworld (Belgium) -10 Feb 2012: -- Volvo has now sold a total of 100 buses powered by hybrid technology in the Nordic countries. The latest order to be received by Volvo Buses is for 25 hybrid buses for Göteborgs Spårvägar (Gothenburg Tramways), which operates public transport services on behalf of Västtrafik... More and more transport authorities and operators are now discovering the benefits of hybrid technology, with Nobina, Nettbuss and, most recently, Göteborgs Spårvägar, as the biggest customers in the Nordic countries... The 25 Volvo 7700 hybrid buses are powered by a small diesel engine and an electric motor. Fuel consumption is radically reduced by the use of regenerative braking to recover the energy generated when the vehicle’s brakes are applied. The diesel engine is shut off at bus stops, enabling the bus to operate silently and emission-free on electricity. However, emissions from diesel operation are also low since the bus is fuelled by biodiesel. According to Volvo Buses, hybrid buses running on biodiesel have a distinctly lower environmental impact than other, comparable alternatives...

* India - Volvo CNG city bus is tested in Navi Mumbai

(Photo: The Volvo 8400 Low Floor compressed natural gas bus)

Mumbai,Maharashtra,India -Busworld -12 Feb 2012: -- The Volvo 8400 Low Floor compressed natural gas bus with ZF Ecolife transmission has been acquired by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) of Maharashtra, for use on the Kharghar-Borivali route, which covers a daily distance of some 300 kilometers... This will be the second location after New Delhi where the Volvo CNG bus trials will be conducted. The test in the capital city is currently underway with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and has shown encouraging results thus far. Currently, the NMMT operates 26 Volvo 8400 city buses in Mumbai...

* India - MAN Force launched their 45 seater bus on the Indian market

(Photo: A MAN Airocoach 2012)

Pithampur,Madhya Pradesh,India -Busworld (Belgium) -9 Feb 2012: -- MAN Force Trucks unveiled its first offering in the Indian bus segment, the MAN Airobus, a 45 seaters airconditioned intercity coach at the Auto Expo 2012 ... The AIROBUS is powered by the 220hp BSIII MAN D08 engine up front, and is fitted with a 6 speed ZF synchromesh gearbox; Meritor axles and a MAN-designed air suspension on both front and rear axles... A large windshield offers outstanding visibility, threeway adjustable deluxe driver seat and intelligently placed outside rear view mirrors make driving the MAN Bus an effortless fatigue free experience... The Airobus is being manufactured at the company’s facility at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh, where it has a production capacity of 24,000 trucks a year. MAN Force plan to sell around 6,000 units including the bus. Force Motors and MAN it's a joint venture company formed in 2006...

* China - Yungman buses to be exported to Israel

(Image: A Youngman's Bus model JNP6140FK)

Jinhua,Zhejiang,China -Busworld -11 Feb 2012: -- The Israeli automotive company Feldman Limited,has signed a long term exclusive agreement with Youngman Automotive to begin importing and selling the Chinese brand buses in Israel. Youngman coaches are produced in Jinhua, Zhejiang province; it specializes in producing high quality Neoplan-design buses, under special license from the German luxury bus brand, with a monocoque body structure and the Neoplan independent front suspension... The buses to be exported to Israel will be equipped with a Cummins 11L, Euro 5, engine with 420hp, ZF drive axle, ZF EcoLife automatic transmission and ESC system. Israel vehicle homologation regulations are strict, with high barriers for emission and safety. Youngman is expected to meet these standards...

Labels: buses sales

SMELL BUS SHELTERS * UK

* Spud-scented bus shelters are ads for the nose

(Picture by Kyrsty Hazell/The Huffington Post UK: Bus shelters across the UK will smell like baked potatoes, thanks to a new advertising campaign to promote McCain's ready-baked potato)

London,EN,UK -The Huffington Post(uk) -February 17, 2012: ... Bus shelters in cities across the UK are to be fitted with smell-emitting advertisements designed to mimic the aroma of a slow-baked potato... The shelters don't perpetually make smells, however. A button on the poster, when pressed by passers by, fires up a concealed heating element which creates the scent...

Labels: bus shelters

18.2.12

BUSES RECALLS * USA

* Illinois - Navistar recalls more than 18,000 vehicles

(Photo: A Navistar's bus model IC BUS HC)

Warrenville,ILL,USA -Recall Cast -February 17, 2012: -- Navistar is recalling 18,959 of its International trucks and IC Bus branded buses in the USA... Navistar is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 IC Bus HC, and International 9400, and certain model year 2011 through 2013 International Durastar, Paystar, Workstar, Transtar, Lonestar, Prostar, 9200, and 9800, and certain model year 2013 International 9900... Vehicles manufactured from Decembar 2, 2010, through January 26, 2012, and equipped with Bendix ATR-6 traction relay valves. In extremely cold conditions, these Bendix Relay Valves, may potentially develop internal leakage, that can lead to air pressure being delivered to affected primary or secondary brake, causing continuous brake appplication...

Labels: buses' recall

6.2.12

BUSMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Germany - Public transport in Istanbul shifts into a higher gear with a major order for 221 Mercedes-Benz city buses

(Photo: A Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated bus)

Stuttgart,Germany / Istanbul,Turkey -MB/Press Release -Feb 03, 2012: -- A new major order for 221 Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated buses has been placed by the public transportation provider IETT to update its fleet of city buses in the metropolis on the Bosporus. IETT, which was established in 1871, operates light rail systems, subways, regular-service buses, and utilizes the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) mobility concept... The 221 Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated buses are being produced at the Mercedes-Benz bus plant in Hosdere and will be delivered to the customer until September 2012. The 18-meter low-floor bus can carry up to 160 passengers...

* India - Eicher to set up manufacturing plant near Indore

Indore,Madhya Pradesh,India -Zig Wheels, by Rahul Basu -8 Feb 2012: -- New facility near Indore, Madhya Pradesh will commence production by the 2nd quarter of 2013, and will have a capacity to produce 10,000 buses when fully operational... Instrumental in pioneering and producing the first “Safe School Bus” in India, Eicher’s 25 year stint in India has seen the truck maker grow in leaps and bounds, with a product portfolio that today ranges from 5t to 40t GVW trucks and 21 to 69 seater buses... Since tying up with Swedish bus giant Volvo in 2008 to form the VE Commercial vehicles limited (Volvo Group and Eicher Motors JV), things have only gotten better for the indigenous truck maker and in an effort to further expand its operations in the country, Eicher recently conducted a ground breaking ceremony for its upcoming state-of-the art bus manufacturing plant in Madhya Pradesh... The plant would have robotic processes for bus painting and will be highly mechanized to ensure high quality consistency and productivity. An in-house training centre for the Blue collar workmen has been facilitated to ensure an on-going robust quality system from within the production plant...

Labels: busmakers news worldwide

2.2.12

DRIVERS' STRIKE * INDIA

* School bus owners threaten indefinite stir

(Photo - Delhi: India auto rickshaw schoolbus transportation students)

Mumbai,India -The Times of India, by Shreya Bhandary -Feb 1, 2012: -- School bus owners have once again threatened to go on an indefinite strike, claiming that this time, they will stick to their plan... On Monday, the School Bus Owners' Association (SBOA) called for a state-wide indefinite strike, starting from February 6, until the state government acknowledges their problems and the changes that they had asked for in the School Bus Safety Policy... The SBOA has asked for certain changes in the school bus policy, including the rule regarding the compulsory inclusion of two fire extinguishers inside every bus (they demand this be changed to one), and rules pertaining to the age of buses being used, etc....

Labels: Bus' owners strike

1.2.12

BUSES FLEET * USA

* Washington - 'New' transit buses hit Tri-City streets

(Photo: Ben Transit bus)
Bellingham,WASH,USA -Tri-City Herald, by Kristi Pihl -Jan. 30, 2012: -- Ben Franklin Transit riders will see some newer buses decorated with a blue wave taking over routes... Six of the 11 buses Ben Franklin Transit recently acquired from Seattle's Sound Transit already have replaced some of the agency's older buses... Ben Franklin Transit hasn't received new bus grants for several years. Agencies of its size are considered low priority for new buses, according to the agency.
That means Ben Franklin Transit has fallen behind on replacing buses, which normally are scheduled to be retired when they reach 12 years and 500,000 miles, McMullen said. After that, maintenance costs begin to climb... A new bus costs $350,000 to $400,000, she said. Ben Franklin Transit hopes to be able to buy as many as five new buses this year. In the meantime, the agency is looking to reuse...

Labels: buses fleet

PORTAL FOR PASSENGERS * India

* A bus route portal for all your travel worries

Kannampalayam,Coimbatore,India -The Times of India, by Nandhu Sundaram -Jan 29, 2012: -- Ever found yourself stranded in a bus stop without knowing which vehicle to board to reach your destination? Now, there is a digital solution on your fingertips. J Saravanan, a fourth-year information technology student of Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology in Kannampalayam, has developed a portal, which will help you find the right bus for almost every route in Coimbatore... The inspiration behind the portal www.way2cbe.com was the website of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation... "I spent a year developing the portal. Collecting the number of routes was the toughest job. With the help of my friends, I collected a database of bus routes. Then I created my bus route map of Coimbatore," says Saravanan...

Labels: public transport solutions

POPULAR BUS SERVICE * USA

* New York - Why Chinatown Buses Are Still So Popular

(Image: Chinatown map. Even with low-priced, high-amenity alternatives like BoltBus, many riders remain loyal to the Chinatown service)

New York,NY,USA -The Atlantic Cities, by Eric Jaffe -Jan 30, 2012: -- The intercity bus industry has Chinatown to thank for its remarkable revival. The popularity of bus travel fell dramatically in the mid to late 20th century, as air fares became cheaper. But the mode began to rebound with the advent of the Fung Wah bus, in 1998, which traveled between the Chinatown districts of New York and Boston for unbelievably low fares and with unbelievable frequency. The success of Chinatown curbside buses led to the creation of "corporate" curbside buses like the BoltBus, co-owned by Greyhound, and together these modes helped intercity bus travel more than double in the Northeast Corridor between 1998 and 2007 — with ridership levels topping 7 million passengers... In research published in the latest issue of Urban Geography, Rutgers doctoral students Nicholas J. Klein and Andrew Zitcer examine the source of this enthusiasm among regular Chinatown bus riders. After conducting five focus groups with riders, Klein and Zitcer discovered that Chinatown curbside devotees see the service not just as a means of transportation but as an "authentic urban experience, a thrilling and danger-enhanced departure from daily life, and as an engagement with the multicultural city" ...

Labels: bus services

HYBRID BUSES * Canada

* Ontario - City won’t buy more hybrid buses. OC Transpo’s multimillion-dollar hybrid bus program is losing energy

(Photo: An "Oc Transpo" bus, Ottawa)

Ottawa,ONT,CAN -The Ottawa Sun, by Jon Willing -January 27, 2012: -- Larry Atkinson, manager of transit maintenance, confirmed that the company has no plans to purchase new diesel-electric buses, once touted as the answer to ballooning fuel costs... In fact, the hybrids have become part of Transpo’s problem of its fuel budget projected to be 19% overspent when the books close on 2011... There are 154 hybrid buses in Transpo’s 1,000-bus fleet but managers have been hard-pressed to maximize the vehicles’ efficiency on Ottawa’s relatively high-speed transit network... Each hybrid bus has cost the city about $100,000 to $150,000 more to buy compared to a diesel bus... Transpo’s first hybrid buses hit Ottawa streets in late 2008 and were promoted as green machines that would reduce fuel costs by 17-36%... Fast forward to September 2011, when Transpo indicated the hybrids alone were contributing $1 million to the year’s fuel deficit... Transpo indicates it will look into natural gas as an alternative bus fuel, especially since there are projections for low natural gas prices and high diesel prices...

Labels: hybrid buses

BUSMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* India - Scania to invest Rs 150 crore to set up plant in Bangalore

Bangalore,India -The Economic Times -31 Jan, 2012: -- Swedish commercial vehicle-maker Scania today announced that it will invest Rs 150 crore to set up a manufacturing facility in India in the next one year... The proposed plant in Bangalore will roll out 2,000 heavy haulage trucks and 1,000 inter-city buses and coaches over the next five years... With the Indian commercial vehicles segment likely to register a growth of 8-10 per cent this year, the outlook for the industry is very promising, he added... The company said it will invest Rs 150 crore in the coming year to set up the plant in Narasapura Industrial Area, Bangalore, and the first truck will be rolled out in 2013... Scania said it plans to produce around 2,000 heavy haulage trucks and 1,000 inter-city buses and coaches from this plant within five years... Once fully operational, the plant will employ up to 800 people over the next five years...

* USA / Brazil - Navistar Announces Global Commercial Bus Partnership with Investment in Brazilian Bus Builder Neobus

(Photo: Brazil's Neobus Thunder Agrale)

Lisle,ILL,USA -PRNewswire -Jan. 31, 2012: -- Navistar, Inc. today announced a global commercial bus partnership with Brazilian commercial bus body manufacturer San Marino Onibus e Implementos Ltda (Neobus). With its investment, Navistar will leverage the bus body building expertise of Neobus and Navistar's strengths in powertrain and chassis development... The Parties have recently signed a non-binding agreement and negotiations are at an advanced stage. Finalization and execution of the binding Definitive Agreements are expected in the near future...

Labels: busmakers news worldwide