Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
* Singapore - Shortened waiting times for some existing bus services
* Singapore - Two in five basic bus services improved since BSEP launch
(Photo by Francine Lim/Channel News Asia: People boarding the bus in Singapore)
Singapore -The Singapore News, by Saifulbahri Ismail -2 Sep 2013: -- Giving a one-year report on the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), LTA and public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT said in total, 111 existing bus services - or two in every five basic bus services - have been enhanced and 14 new bus services introduced... The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said 248 new buses have been added on the road under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP)... In addition, they have shortened waiting times by three to five minutes for some existing bus services... Based on the analysis of ticketing and GPS data, this has reduced the number of bus services with persistent crowding during peak period by about 40 per cent...Labels: public transport services
* USA - SCHOOL BUSES SAFETY: Armed with cameras
* Arizona - Naugatuck school buses with cameras to catch motorists who do not stop for
Naugatuck,ARZ,USA -My Citizen News, by Luke Marshall -August 31, 2013: -- With the start of school just days away, officials issued a reminder to drivers to be mindful of school buses. Those who aren’t may receive a hefty fine... “This is the right time of year to get awareness out into the community about stopping for school buses when our children are loading and unloading,” Student Guardian President Tom O’Connor said during a press conference at the Naugatuck Police Department... The Arizona-based Student Guardian provided and installed cameras on three of Naugatuck’s school buses in March to catch drivers who pass stopped buses when the buses’ red lights are flashing and the stop sign is extended...Labels: bus safety
* USA - PASSENGERS TRANSPORT - Chinatown Buses Beware:
* New York - Feds launch surprise 'strike force' inspections
(Image from Flickr/Elvert Barnes - Chinatown buses NY)
NY,USA -The Atlantic Cities, by EMILY BADGER -Aug 30, 2013: -- Chinatown buses are known for a lot of things – their bare-bones service, their close quarters, their appeal for anyone who doesn't possess Amtrak-caliber cash. They are not, on the other hand, known for their regulatory rigor... If you board one in the next two weeks, though, you may be in for some serious transportation-safety theater. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced this week that it's rolling out a "strike force" of surprise inspections on intercity bus travel in all 50 states (with emphasis on what they suspect are the shadier operations)... Law enforcement officers and commercial motor vehicle inspectors will be popping up, unannounced, at terminals and drop-off points to board buses and pick over everything from windshield wiper fluid to tire pressure... Vehicles caught violating safety standards, warns FMCSA head Anne Ferro, "will be put out-of-service on the spot and not allowed to continue" ...
* Michigan - Detroit Bus Co. finds mass transit niche
(Photo: A Detroit Bus Co's vehicle)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Miami Herald/The Detroit News, by DONNA TEREK -1 Sept 2013: -- Can a bus company that owns only six buses make a significant difference in Detroit?... In early 2012, when Detroit's dysfunctional bus system was all over the news, Andy Didorosi founded the Detroit Bus Co. with three buses and the hope he could do something to help our carless citizens who wait in frustration for buses that can be hours late and sometimes don't come at all... He got lots of press and even a citation from Detroit City Council for stepping in to help. At the time Didorosi had ambitious plans to build customized routes to get riders to work and back. But with a mere three buses, even Didorosi admits that he was hardly going to change the face of public transportation in Detroit. But, as he says, "You gotta start somewhere" ... The Detroit Bus Co. is building a program to pick up kids at "safe spots" and drive them to summer and after-school programs and bring them safely home..... With the flexible, neighborhood routing system the Detroit Bus Co. got by with two buses that moved roughly 500 kids among 25 programs this summer in Southwest Detroit and the Chadsey-Condon neighborhoods...Labels: public transport services
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * Australia
* Western Australia - Greens promise better buses for Perth
(Picture by Richard Hatherly/PerthNow: Transperth bus)
Perth,WA,Australia -THE SUNDAY TIMES, by YASMINE PHILLIPS -AUGUST 31, 2013: -- The Greens are promising a huge transport package for Perth if elected... Transport woes would be eased by express bus services, a new-for-old replacement fleet of hybrid electric buses and a new dedicated freight rail line under an $842-million transport package to be unveiled by the Greens today... The policy commits $300 million to providing express bus services and priority measures to 15 hot spots in the metropolitan area... A further $150 million would boost the frequency of services on 11 routes identified as priority, and $70 million would go towards funding a new hybrid fleet of CAT buses and about 400 new-for-old replacements in the Transperth fleet by 2029...Labels: public transport services
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * Viet Nam
* Viet Nam - Ha Noi bus station chaos
Ha Noi,Viet Nam -VietNamNet Bridge – 30 Aug 2013: -- The Transport Ministry, Ha Noi People's Committee and other agencies are prepared to take drastic measures to ease the disorder and chaos at the city's most crowded bus station - My Dinh... The ministry suggested this in a report to re-organising and tightening management over coach stations and passenger transport throughout the city... In line with the plan, inspectors, including police, traffic inspectors and station officers, would work harder to detect and punish drivers breaking parking and pick-up laws. It was suggested that inspectors would meet every morning to deal with problems arising... My Dinh Station opened in 2004 in the city's Tu Liem District. At that time, it received about 300 buses daily. However, sharp increases in travelling demands and urbanisation pushed this to about 1,200 buses per day in 2009 and about 1,300 buses per day at present... The report revealed that poor management and technology application led to improper ways of controlling departures and arrivals. This led to congestion in and around the station, especially during peak time...
* Viet Nam - Busses in HCM City to offer free wifi internet
(Passengers will be using free wifi Internet on the bus)
HoChiMinh,Viet Nam -VietNamNet Bridge, by Phuong Loan –30 Aug 2013: -- HCM City has piloted providing wireless Internet on buses in order to attract people to use this means of public transport... According to the HCM City Transport Cooperative Union, after installing wifi Internet on a bus route, many passengers have expressed satisfaction because they can read newspapers, find their ways and do many other utilities on the bus.
This unit said that the HCM City Department of Transport had agreed to implement this free service on many bus routes in the city... HCM City currently has more than 3,000 buses operating on 270 routes, satisfying about 7 percent of travel needs of the people...
Labels: public transport services
(Photo by Francine Lim/Channel News Asia: People boarding the bus in Singapore)
