Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
STUDY * USA: UD Delaware`s
* Delaware - Electric school buses, could save school districts millions if integrated with a vehicle-to-grid system, according to new research
(Photo: The Trans Tech bus model. Electric school buses that power grid could save school districts millions)
Newark,DEL,USA -UDaily -May 28, 2014: -- Electric school buses that feed the power grid could save school districts millions of dollars — and reduce children’s exposure to diesel fumes — based on recent research by the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE)... A new study examines the cost-effectiveness of electric school buses that discharge their batteries into the electrical grid when not in use and get paid for the service. The technology, called vehicle-to-grid (V2G), was pioneered at UD and is being tested with electric cars in a pilot project... The University of Delaware's, Yushan Yan, believes that electrochemical energy engineering is the key to reducing humankind's reliance on combustion as the dominant player in energy conversion... Adapting the system for school bus fleets is a logical application. School buses generally travel distances within electric vehicles’ battery range, and they are not in use for much of the day. Electric school buses also do not release sooty diesel exhaust, which contains pollutants that can cause respiratory irritation, lung cancer and heart disease... For the study, researchers analyzed existing diesel school bus routes in a mid-sized suburban school district in Delaware and calculated the costs and benefits of V2G-capable electric bus replacements. Over 14 years, which is the typical lifespan of a bus, a V2G electric bus fleet could save an estimated $38 million... The economic research took into account costs associated with fuel, electricity and batteries, as well as pollution-related health care expenses and other factors... A diesel bus costs $110,000, compared with $260,000 for an electric bus equipped with a V2G-capable, 70-kilowatt on-board charger...Labels: green buses, study
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * India -
* Chandigarh - Soon, CTU buses willhave women conductors
(Photo: Kalpana Soni, the first female bus driver on the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Ahmedabad)
Chandigarh,India -The Indian Express News Service -May 31, 2014: -- Around 3,000 candidates, including 1,000 women, had appeared in the exam where, for the first time, 33 per cent seats were reserved for women... The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses are all set to have women conductors... As many as 72 women conductors, among a total of 246, will join CTU next month. After a short training spanned across 15 to 30 days, they will start working... Reservation was done to improve the safety and security of women passengers travelling in CTU buses, said Director of Transport T P S Phoolka...Labels: public transport India
FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT * Malaysia - Zero fare.
* Malaysia - Let’s go for a free ride!
(Photo: Petronas towers' view al Kuala Lampur)
Kuala Lampur, Malaysia-New Strait Times, by Shuib Taib -29 May 2014: -- Clean and spacious, GoKL’s zero-fare shuttle buses are now plying more routes, so hop on and see the city... Free shuttle is not new.
Many cities around the world have converted their bus networks to zero fare. These may be set up to ease bottlenecks or fill gaps in the transport network... In Malaysia, the concept of zero-fare shuttles was introduced in Kuala Lumpur and other cities in the country.
Two years ago, KL launched its free shuttle-bus on Merdeka Day and aptly named it GoKL, with a modest operation of only two buses.
The buses loop the city centre, covering most of its iconic attractions...Labels: free bus travel
BUSES ACCIDENT * India
* Maharashtra - Contract buses involved in most PMPML accidents
(Photo: Red alert: Police officials conduct a panchnama after a fatal accident involving a PMPML bus)
Pune,Maharashtra,India -Mid-Day -29 May 2014: -- And yet, say officials, the transport body cannot act against contractors’ drivers... With the safety record of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited already in tatters, the loss of two more lives has once again shifted focus on the negligible action being taken against any of the drivers of the buses involved in fatal accidents... On Sunday night, two motorcycle-borne youngsters were killed after being hit by a PMPML bus in Kondhwa, taking the number of persons killed in bus mishaps to 15 since the start of the year... The worrying fact emerging of this latest incident is that the bus involved in the accident is a PMPML contract bus, which was added to the fleet four months ago. Of the 15 fatal casualties this year, statistics reveal that contract buses have killed nine persons so far...Labels: bus accidents
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Australia - ADL`s
* South Australia -Jobs at risk as bus maker cut loose by parent company
(Photo: 100 jobs at risk as bus maker cut loose by parent company)
Adelaide,South Australia,Australia -7News, by TIM NOONAN -May 30, 2014: -- The Adelaide-based firm that makes the city’s buses has gone into administration, putting 100 jobs at risk... Custom Coaches, based at Royal Park in the western suburbs, was cut loose by its parent company overnight... Scottish-based ADL bought the company in 2012, but it has been making substantial losses... Custom Coaches has a contract to build buses for Adelaide’s public transport network. Even if no buyer is found, the government said there will be no delay in the supply of buses, but they will be assembled elsewhere... The state government was criticised in 2012 when Custom Coaches axed staff after a lucrative contract was awarded offshore...Labels: busmakers news worldwide
BUS MARKET NEWS * China
* China - Market forecasts on China basic passenger vehicle and bus industries
(Photo: Beijing traffic congestion)
Beijing,China -Global Trade Industry News -May 30, 2014: -- Reports offers China Bus Industry Report, 2014-2017, and China Basic Passenger Vehicle Industry Report, 2014-2017, market research studies in its store... China Bus Industry Report, 2014-2017, market research forecasts the total sales volume of buses in China will exceed 690,000 units by 2017. In these upcoming several years, the sales volume of buses in China will present an AAGR of 9% or so... China Basic Passenger Vehicle Industry Report, 2014-2017, market research forecasts the production of basic passenger vehicles in China will amount to 17.01 million units by 2017...Labels: bus markets
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Brazil: Marcopolo`s
* Santa Catalina - Brazil’s biggest bus maker Marcopolo rallies most since 2008
(Photo: Training Center Marcopolo`s SC, Brazil)
Caixas Do Sul,SC,Brazil -Bloomberg News, by Julia Leite (NY,USA) -May 29, 2014: -- Marcopolo SA, Brazil’s biggest bus maker, climbed the most since October 2008 on speculation a drop of as much as 27 percent this year was excessive considering the prospects for the company... The shares surged 14 percent to 4.35 reais at the close of trading in Sao Paulo, leading gains on the BMF Bovespa Small Cap Index. Trading volume was eight times the three-month daily average... Brazil’s Monetary Council said this week it was increasing the financing limit for urban transportation projects that are part of the government’s economic stimulus program by 2 billion reais ($901 million) to 21.4 billion reais... The Caxias do Sul, Brazil-based bus maker said May 23 that Norges Bank had increased its stake in the company to 5.5 percent of preferred shares...Labels: busmakers news Brazil
PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORLDWIDE * USA - Singapore
* USA / Florida - Cameras catch drivers passing buses illegally
Lee County,FL,USA -ABC 7 TV, by Charlie Keegan -May 27, 2014: --
Drivers are passing school buses when they’re supposed to stop and the Lee County school district has video proof... Special cameras hooked on two school buses caught 123 violators since December. But NBC-2 has learned none of the drivers will get a ticket... This kind of moving traffic violation has to happen in the presence of an officer and the officer has to physically hand the ticket to the driver; not mail it after the fact... The district’s free trial will continue at least through summer school...
* USA / California - Muni eliminates some bus seats in latest experiment
San Francisco,CAL,USA -The San Francisco Chronicle, by Michael Cabanatuan & Jill Tucker -May 28, 2014: ... We know that it's long been difficult to find a seat on Muni. But it could be getting tougher in a couple of ways... Perhaps you've noticed the large decals on the first row of forward-facing fold-down seats near the front of buses that no longer fold down... Muni began locking the seats in the folded-up position about a month ago to comply with safety warnings from a number of bus manufacturers. The bus builders warn that because those seats have no barrier in front of them - the back of another seat, a wall or partition - people sitting in them could pitch forward when the bus stops suddenly... Muni considered installing barriers but decided they would obstruct access to the wheelchair tie-down areas. So, instead, the seats have been secured in the flipped-up position... Muni expects to have all the flip-down seats permanently flipped up by mid-June, said Paul Rose, spokesman for the Municipal Transportation Agency...
* Singapore - Overhauls public-bus industry
(Photo from Agence France Press/Getty Images: A woman holds a placard to protest against fare hikes on public transport in Singapore; the government's immigration policy has been blamed for stretching the country's public-transport system)
Singapore -The WSJ -NY,USA-, by CHUN HAN WONG -May 21, 2014: -- Singapore will open its public-bus industry to more private operators and nationalize certain bus assets, in a push to overhaul a sector plagued by ailing service standards... The revamp, due to start in the second half of this year, would end a decades-old duopoly by allowing contractors to bid for rights to run state-planned bus routes, Singapore's Land Transport Authority said in a statement late Wednesday... Move will affect two transport firms SBS Transit and SMRT Corp... The move is the latest in a series of government efforts to shore up the city-state's public-transport network—a frequent subject of public ire due to overcrowding, rising prices and increasingly inefficient service in recent years...
* Singapore - First bus package to be tendered has 24 routes
(Photo: Riding a bus in Singapore)
Singapore -My Paper/OMI, by ROYSTON SIM -29 May 2014: -- The first bus package to be tendered out under a new operating model will comprise 24 existing routes in the west of Singapore... Announcing details yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the routes originate from the Jurong East, Bukit Batok and Clementi bus interchanges... Operators can bid to run the package, starting with about 380 buses, and expanding to about 500 buses by 2021, in tandem with the development of Tengah New Town and Bukit Batok West... In a radical restructuring of the public bus industry, the Government will now own all fleets and infrastructure, and contract out routes to be operated by transport companies...Labels: public transport services worldwide
HYBRID & SMART BUSES * Germany / France /
* Germany - Cologne takes delivery of pair of fuel cell transit buses
(PHOTO: Phileas articulated transit bus similar to that powered by Ballard fuel cell)
Cologne,Germany -EV World -22 May 2014: -- 13 meter (40 foot) buses are powered by Ballard's FCvelocity®-HD6 fuel cell module delivering 150 kilowatts (kW) of power, which is stored in lithium-ion battery pack... Ballard Power Systems congratulates transit authority Regional Verkehr Koln of Cologne, Germany as well as Van Hool NV, Europe's fourth largest bus manufacturer, for delivery of two (2) 13 meter (40 foot) buses powered by Ballard's FCvelocity®-HD6 fuel cell modules... These buses are joining two 18 meter (60 foot) VDL-Phileas model fuel cell buses powered by Ballard, which were deployed in 2011 with RVK and are currently in regular transit service... These two latest fuel cell buses are A330 models supplied by Belgium-based Van Hool, Ballard's partner in Europe. With delivery of the buses, which have a ridership capacity comparable to standard diesel buses, RVK is taking a step toward fulfillment of its goal of "Zero Emission" public transport by 2030. Ballard and Van Hool have previously supplied buses to a number of other European cities, including: Oslo, Norway; San Remo, Italy; Flanders, Belgium; and Aberdeen, Scotland...
* France - Hybrid buses: a revolution in movement
(Photo: Mention Bus hybride)
Paris,IdeF,France -RATP -19 May 2014: -- On a presentation of the hybrid bus system currently in the testing phase, RATP and STIF, the public transport organising authority for the Paris-Ile-de-France region, will purchase about 600 hybrid buses by mid-2016. Today, 46 hybrid buses are already circulating on the RATP network, and 69 others are on order. Concurrently, all of the Euro 3 generation buses will have been equipped with particle filters by the end of 2014... This technical solution helps limit the environmental impact. Hybrid buses also reduce noise pollution as well as the vibrations inside the bus... In December 2013, STIF’s board of directors adopted an unprecedented plan to reduce bus pollution. STIF and RATP have engaged in a bus acquisition programme that will reduce the fleet’s fine particle emissions by 50% in 2 years (by mid-2016)... The goal: to ultimately have a 100% environmentally-friendly bus fleet in the Ile-de-France region – comprised of 100% electric buses and buses operating on renewable natural gas – in line with its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, as stipulated in the Urban Transport Plan for the Ile-de-France region...
* USA / California - STA’s smart buses getting computer tech
(Photo: The BYD Motors E-Bus that STA will be running on a 30-day trial)
Spokane,CAL,USA -The Spokesman-Review, by Mike Prager -May 26, 2014: -- Spokane Transit Authority is getting ready to launch the newest phase of its smart bus program... Starting next month, STA will deploy 10 buses equipped with sophisticated computers that will set the stage for improvements in how buses operate... Twenty-seven drivers are being trained by five of their STA peers on how to use the smart bus technology... Implementation will occur in phases so that by early next year, riders will be able to check on the Web, by phone or tablet, to find out when the next bus will be arriving at their stop...Labels: hybrid buses, smart buses
STRIKES WORLDWIDE * UK / Brazil / South Africa
* Yorkshire - Leeds bus manufacturers Optare facing union strike action
(Image source by didbygraham - Inside of a Optare bus)
Leeds,West Yorkshire,UK -Bdaily, by Clare Burnett -27 May 2014: -- Optare, the Leeds-based bus and coach manufacturer, say negotiations have broken down, and they have not been able to prevent union led strike action at their Sherburn manufacturing facility... Strike action is set to take place on May 27 with another date planned for June 2... 170 Unite union members, working at Optare’s Sherburn site in Elmet have returned a ‘yes’ vote in favour of strike (81%) according to the organisation... 88% voted in favour of action short of strike over the company’s two week summer shutdown proposals, which will see workers forced to take their annual leave in the middle of August...
* Bahia/Brazil - Bus strike hits Brazil World Cup city
(Photo)
Rio de Janeiro,RJ,Brazil -THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/The Miami Herald -27 May 2014: -- Bus drivers are on strike in the World Cup host city of Salvador, snarling traffic in Brazil's third biggest metropolis... Bahia state transport secretary Fabio Mota says police will escort buses whose drivers are willing to work Tuesday. News reports say some 200 of Salvador's 3,000 buses are expected to operate... The striking drivers' demands include a 12 percent salary hike and reduced working hours... With the World Cup less than three weeks away, Brazil has been rocked by strikes by workers from many sectors and regions... Last month, Salvador saw a strike by military police. The city of around 3 million is hosting six World Cup matches, beginning with Spain versus the Netherlands on June 13...
* South Africa - Empty buses show defiance in S. Africa’s platinum strike
(Photo by Mujahid Safodien/AFP/Getty Images: Striking miners march in Marikana, 40 kms from Rustenburg, in the South African platinum belt on May 14, 2014)
Rstenberg,N.W. Province,S.A. -Bloomberg News, by Kevin Crowley -May 23, 2014: -- An empty bus that’s supposed to be taking Lonmin Plc (LMI) employees back to work rolled along the dusty main road in Marikana... The bus, was one of three empty shuttles that a reporters saw on May 16 heading toward Lonmin’s Wonderkop mine, close to where 34 wage protesters were killed by police in 2012... Van Rensburg’s defiance reflects anger and masks fear in the Rustenburg area of the North West province, where as many as 1.6 million people have been affected by the strike at operations owned by Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum Ltd. and Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd... Five people have been murdered this month, including four miners, while thousands of starving families rely on food aid... The workers, who don’t get paid when on strike, have lost a third of their annual wages, meaning it would take at least three years to make back the money lost, even if they get the 12,500 rand ($1,200) they’re demanding. Producers have lost 19 billion rand in revenue, making this South Africa’s longest and costliest mine stoppage...Labels: strikes
BUSMAKERS NEWS * USA / China: ByD´s
* California - The BYD Electric Bus is first 40-foot electric bus to complete the Federal Transit Administration’s sponsored testing
(Photo: The First 40-foot, Zero-Emissions, Battery-Electric, Rapid Transit Bus. The BYD electric bus -the one pictured was American-made in BYD's Lancaster, CA factory-)
Altoona,PA,USA -Fort Mill Times -24 May 2014: -- The Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center under the Larson Institute and sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), last week completed the FTA’s “new model bus testing program” of the first 40-foot, all-electric bus. The BYD Electric Bus has successfully completed the Altoona structural integrity testing program in a fast 116 track days with full reports published soon. This is the world’s first and only long-range battery electric transit bus in mass production and the only bus capable of driving continuously for up to 24 hours on-a-single-charge that has also received TVM approvals and qualified for FTA funded projects...Labels: busmakers news worldwide
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden: Volvo´s
* Three electric Volvo´s Hybrid Buses to be delivered to Hamburger Hochbahn AG
(Photo: Volvo plug-in hybrid bus that will soon get an all-electric brother)
Stockholm,Sweden -BUSINESS WIRE/Volvo Bus Corporation, by Helena Lind -May 27, 2014: -- An agreement has been signed on the delivery of three Volvo Electric hybrids to Hamburger Hochbahn AG. The plug-in technology enables fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to be reduced by up to 75% and total energy consumption to be reduced by 60%. The electric hybrids will enter into traffic in Hamburg towards the end of the year... Hamburger Hochbahn AG has now entered into a development partnership with Volvo Bus Corporation for electric hybrid buses, and will operate three vehicles on regular service routes in the hanseatic city from the end of the year... The new buses are diesel-electric hybrid buses that can travel up to 10 km using only electricity. The plug-in technology enables the reduction of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide by up to 75%, compared with current diesel buses. Charging stations at the respective termini of the routes provide for the necessary recharging. The required infrastructure at the termini will be developed and realised by Siemens, technical partner in the project...Labels: busmakers news Sweden
ELECTRIC BUSMAKERS NEWS * China
* China-made electric bus launched in Bulgaria
(SORRY BUT BLOGGER TODAY CANNOT TO LOAD PHOTOS)
Beijing,China -Xinhua/CRI English, by Luo Dan -16 May 2014: -- A China-made advanced electric bus that can run without batteries using a cutting edge ultra-capacitor technology was put into pilot operation in Sofia on Friday... This is the first electric bus in the Sofia public transport ever, the city's mayor Jordanka Fandakova said at the launching ceremony... The vehicle is a result of the collaboration between Israeli-Bulgarian bus company Chariot Motors, China's second largest bus manufacturer Higer and China's world-leading ultra-capacitor producer Aowei...Labels: electric buses makers
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * UAE
* Dubai - School bus drivers face strict licence standards
(Image Credit: Atiq-Ur-Rehman/Gulf News - SORRY BUT BLOGGER TODAY CANNOT TO LOAD PHOTOS)
Dubai -Gulf News, by Shafaat Shahbandari -May 19, 2014: -- Drivers trained to take necessary precautions on roads as well as during emergencies... School bus drivers in Dubai are subjected to rigorous training and qualification process to ensure the highest standard of safety for pupils on road, a senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said... RTA’s Public Transport Agency (PTA) holds annual training and approval programmes for candidates selected by schools to drive their buses before permits are issued to drivers...Labels: public transport services worldwide
BUSMAKERS NEWS * India
* Maharashtra - Gear up for more drives after polls
(SORRY BUT BLOGGER TODAY CANNOT TO LOAD PHOTOS - See http://www.alexander-dennis.com/)
Mumbai,Maharashtra,India -Business Standard, by Swaraj Baggonkar -May 13, 2014: -- Makers of trucks and buses, have placed their bets on a series new model and face-lift launches lined up for the coming months... Truck and bus makers Tata Motors, VECV (an Eicher associate company) and Ashok Leyland will launch a variety of products from mini to mining trucks and luxury inter-city coaches... Two-wheeler makers, especially those with presence in the scooter segment, have escaped the slowdown, with overall sales rising seven per cent in 2013-14 to 14.8 million units. In this period, sales of commercial vehicles came down by 20 per cent and that of medium and heavy vehicles by 25 per cent...Labels: busmakers news India
BUSMAKERS NEWS *UK: ADL´s
* Scotland - Alexander Dennis receives orders for 1,000 buses
(SORRY BUT BLOGGER TODAY CANNOT TO LOAD PHOTOS - See http://www.alexander-dennis.com/)
Edinburgh,SCT,UK -Construction Week On Line, by James Morgan -May 13, 2014: -- Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) has confirmed that it has received orders for almost 1,000 buses during recent weeks, in deals worth more than $435mn in total...While ADL’s latest business has not come from the Middle East itself – with substantial orders from Asia, North America, and Europe – the manufacturer is confident that it will facilitate sales in unexplored markets... The latest orders include nearly 600 high-capacity three-axle double-deck buses worth around $300mn, which will be delivered to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and North America during 2014 and 2015. In addition, ADL has unveiled its next-generation double-deck buses for the UK and Europe, and the company has received advanced orders worth $135mn for 400 of these vehicles...Labels: busmakers news UK
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * USA
* Illinois - Cross-training will mean versatility for drivers and increased safety for the public
(Video from YouTube, May 19, 2014: Training will allow city drivers to drive school buses and school bus drivers to drive city buses)
Macomb,ILL,USA -KHQA News -19 May 2014: -- Both city and school bus riders in Macomb will be much safer thanks to a new training program... Soon all the drivers of the city's Go West transit system and the school bus drivers will be cross-trained... Go West transit director Jude Kiah says that will mean increased safety for pedestrians and riders in the city... Jude Kiah says that the cross-training will also make it easier to make sure that all the school bus routes are covered... About two million people ride the Go West bus system per year...Labels: public transport USA
* USA - Bus stop or transit station?
* DC - It's not all the same thing
Washington,DC,USA -Greater Greater Washington, by Canaan Merchant -May 19, 2014: -- The more riders who use a bus stop, the larger and more amenity-filled the stop should be. That's the message behind this nifty infographic from Arlington, showing the basic types of stops, and when they're appropriate... Much of the outcry over Arlington's "million-dollar bus stop" seemed to stem from the widespread belief that all bus stops are the same. But while the Arlington stops did benefit from a redesign, the general idea that "a bus stop is a bus stop is a bus stop" is wrong. Actually there are several different kinds, appropriate in different times and places... For very small stops, used by less than about 40 passengers per day, simple "flag pole" bus stops are perfectly fine... Bigger stops serving up to a couple hundred people per day need a little extra space for waiting, and at that level it's nice to provide basic amenities like seats and trash cans, so transit agencies step it up with sheltered bus stops... Naturally, Arlington isn't building these larger transit stations at every bus stop. They're only going in at a handful of the busiest stops, where passenger capacities meet that threshold of a few hundred per day, or soon will... For example, according to Arlington Transit Bureau Chief, Steve Del Giudice, the eastbound Walter Reed station is currently hosting about 525 boardings per day (that's boardings only, not including alightings). Assume it doubles with the streetcar, and Walter Reed will soon have over 1,000 boardings per day...Labels: bus stop shelters
BUSMAKERS NEWS * USA - Proterra´s
* Colorado - Proterra Electric Bus travels 700 miles in 24 hours with regular recharging
(Photo: A Proterra electric bus)
Golden,COL,USA -Green Cars Reports, by Stephen Edelstein -May 10, 2014: -- While electric cars make headlines, a number of electric buses have silently made their way onto U.S. city streets as well--and they're proving that they can go the distance... Proterra, for instance, has now set a record for the most miles traveled by an electric bus in a day, according to Charged EVs... As part of a test conducted last month, one of Proterra's plug-in buses traveled 700 miles in 24 hours, over a route designed to simulate both urban commuter and central business-district routes and drive cycles... The bus was driven at an average 29 mph with the HVAC system running, and was charged periodically throughout the day using Proterra's own fast-charging stations... Proterra says the bus averaged 27 MPGe, which it claims is six times that of a conventional diesel bus in comparable conditions, and seven times that of a compressed-natural gas (CNG) bus...Labels: busmakers news USA
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * Kenya
* Mombasa to block buses from CBD
(Photo: A Mombasa´s street with buses blocking CBD)
Mombasa,Kenya -The Star, Kenya, by MARTIN MWITA -May 10, 2014: -- The Mombasa county government has embarked on a decongestion program to remove all buses from the central business district... This follows plans to construct a new major bus terminus outside the city for upcountry commuters... Buses stationed at Mwembe Tayari and Bondeni will be relocated to a terminus to be built at Miritini... On Tuesday Governor Hassan Joho directed that all passenger buses parked in the CBD should be moved out of town...Labels: public transport services worldwide
SAFETY BUSES * USA - Charter buses
* Oklahoma - Charter buses, just how safe are they?
(Photo: The Creek Turnpike bus fire was just the latest in a string of recent incidents involving charter buses across the country)
Tulsa,OK,USA -News On 6, by Terry Hood -May 09, 2014: -- Several times a year Green Country kids climb aboard charter buses to get to athletic and band events or to take field trips and go to other class outings... After Thursday's spectacular charter bus fire, News On 6 asked if parents should be concerned about the safety of these charters... The Creek Turnpike bus fire was just the latest in a string of recent incidents involving charter buses across the country... It's enough to make parents worry, but experts we talked with say there are steps you can take to help feel more confident your child returns safe and sound... It's very important to point out that travel by charter buses is one of the safest ways to go...Labels: school buses safety
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden - Scania´s
* Scania supplies buses and services for Mexico City's public transport system
Södertalje,Sweden -BUSINESS WIRE/The WSJ (NY,USA) -May 09, 2014: -- Mexico is the latest country to select Scania in establishing dedicated urban bus corridors, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), to improve its public transport system. Scania will deliver 62 buses for Mexico City's public transport system... The buses will be body built by the Brazilian company Neobus and will operate on the new 21.3-kilometre Mexibus line 2, one of the city's longest bus corridors with 42 stops. It is expected to serve some 211,000 passengers per day and will run through Cuatitlán Izcalli, the country's most populous municipality... Throughout Latin America, as well as in Africa, Scania delivers buses for BRT systems, which are being built to quickly and cost-effectively provide better public transport and reduce urban congestion. To date, Scania has delivered 3,500 buses for BRT systems...Labels: busmakers news Sweden
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * USA - Greyhound´s
* Texas - Greyhound Bus centenary: 100 years of mythmaking
(Photo: © Pictorial Press Ltd, by Alamy - An old Greyhound publicity images)
Dallas,TXS,USA -Travel, by Chris Moss -9 May 2014: -- The American bus company, Greyhound, is 100 years old this week... There are more than 120 Greyhound lines but there are only two types of Greyhound bus: the real one and the mythic one... The Greyhound service, which celebrates its centenary today, has never been able to muster the glamour of the jet aeroplane or the ocean liner. But it did once symbolize a sort of go-getter entrepreneurialism, and played a vital role in connecting up an immense, politically and socially fragmented nation...Labels: public transport USA
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * India - Delhi´s BRT system
* Delhi - A rough road for Bus Rapid Transit systems
(Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images: City buses in New Delhi stuck in a traffic jam in a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor)
New Delhi,Delhi,India -e360 Yale, by MIKE IVES -8 May 2014: -- High-speed bus systems in crowded urban areas but the teeming Indian capital of New Delhi has proven to be a vexing challenge... Higher-speed buses did not look noticeably different from regular ones and, after taking on more riders, several types of buses entered a designated mass-transit lane — and then promptly shared it with cars, motorcycles, and a screaming ambulance... New Delhi’s “Bus rapid transit,” or BRT system, it´s an initiative designed to help ease traffic congestion, encourage use of public transportation, and reduce air pollution in this congested capital city of 13.8 million... But Delhi’s six-year-old BRT project has run into numerous snags, including the incursion of cars and other vehicles into the BRT lanes — a development that can defeat the purpose of a system designed to be faster than general traffic. City officials once hoped to create 14 additional BRT corridors, but the system has not expanded beyond its inaugural 3.6-mile stretch... The government has funded $4 billion worth of urban transport projects since 2006 — including roughly $840 million for BRT systems — and more funding is in the pipeline... Labels: public transport India
PUBLIC TRANSPORT * USA - The New NYC Tour Buses
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Holland: APTS´
* Bergisch Gladbach - Phileas fuel cell hydrogen buses successfully conclude test phase
Steinstraße,Bergisch Gladbach,Germany
-Chic Project/HyCologne -8 May 2014: -- On September 8th 2011 two hydrogen-driven fuel cell hybrid buses successfully finished a four-month test period. The 18 meter articulated busses named “Phileas” will now take up regular public transport service on inner-city and regional lines in the Rhein-Erft county for the first time. The cities of Hürth and Brühl will be the core areas of the traffic service offering... The "Phileas busses" are manufactured by the Dutch company APTS (Advanced Public Transport Systems), the know-how inside is German to a great extent, though. The fuel cell system has an electric capacity of 150 kilowatts. The busses are equipped with an innovative hybrid traction system supplied by Vossloh Kiepe GmbH in Düsseldorf. The self-adaptive energy management system controls the energy streams between the consumers and the dual energy storage system which consists of a combined double-layer capacitor plus battery...Labels: busmakers news worldwide
* BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden - Volvo´s
* Jamaica - New JUTC buses ready to roll
(Photo: New Volvo buses procured by the JUTC)
Kingston,Jamaica -Jamaica Observer -May 08, 2014: -- Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. Omar Davies, received the 73 new Volvo buses bought for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) at an official handing over of the units... The 69 units for the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) will be placed at the Spanish Town, Portmore, and Rockfort JUTC depots. Four of the units have been customized to cater to the needs of persons with disabilities... The addition of the 73 new buses has increased JUTC’s seating capacity by 3,500, the state-owned company said...Labels: busmakers news Sweden
BUSMAKERS NEWS * China: ByD´s
* Guangdong - BYD receives record bus & taxi order. signs order for 3,000 new energy vehicles
(Photo: 200 BYD all-electric buses fleet for Shenzhen city)
Shenzhen,Guangdong Province,China -BUSINESS WIRE -May 08, 2014: -- BYD Company Ltd. has received a record-setting order for their new energy vehicles... In response to China's deteriorating air quality and ecological environment, Hangzhou's Leadership has taken a serious stance on combatting the issues by adopting zero-emissions public transportation, namely electric buses and taxis... Labels: busmakers news China
BUSMAKERS NEWS * India: APSRTC buses & Deccan Auto`s
* Andhra Pradesh - ‘Demand for new buses will continue’
(Photo: APSRTC buses, DELUXE and HI-TEC series)
Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh,India -The Hindu, by S. SANDEEP KUMAR -May 9, 2014: -- If it’s public transportation, APSRTC buses is the beast taking in the most burden over the years. While the demand for buses is only expected to increase for the common capital, things are in a bad shape...
While the capital continues to expand and new colonies mushroom on the fringes and other localities, residents have been demanding bus connectivity to major locations. Everyday 34 lakh passengers travel in buses and RTC authorities observe that once metro rail operations commence, there could be a ‘deflection’ of three to four lakh passengers...
However, with increased urban migration, “demand for city buses will also continue to increase”, claims a senior RTC official. At least, 2,000 more new buses are needed in addition to the existing fleet of 3800-odd buses to meet fresh demands and improve services...
But then, more buses mean new bus depots. Another 15 depots are required to add to the current 27 bus depots in APSRTC Greater Hyderabad zone jurisdiction. But, land acquisition remains a challenge...
* Karnakata - Zhongtong Navigator half deck luxury bus spotted testing in India
(Photo: Zhongtong Navigator multi axle 1.5 deck bus spied in India)
Bangalore,Karnakata,India -Gaadi --5 May 2014: -- Hyderabad based Deccan Auto has entered into a technical collaboration with Zhongtong Bus Holding Co. Ltd., one of the major bus manufacturers of China... The company has started testing its Zhongtong Navigator rear engined multi-axle intercity coach in India. The 1.5 decker bus was spotted testing with Karnataka license plates on Bangalore-Hassan highway... The Navigator is available in 8-, 12- and 13.7-metre configurations and looks set to be India’s first 1.5 decker bus... The half deck bus can seat upto 59 passengers (thanks to additional seats above driver cabin) and has ample space for luggage... The luxurious Zhongtong Navigator comes equipped with individual head-rest mounted entertainment console, chemical toilet, coffee maker and refrigerator compartment...Labels: busmakers news India
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Pakistan -
* Punjab - Bus plants operate at just 3pc of installed capacity
(Photo: Bus plants operate at just 3pc of installed capacity)
Lahore,Punjab,Pakistán -The Nation, by SALMAN ABDUHU -8 May 2014: -- The auto industry’ bus manufacturing units are operating at record low level of less than 3 percent of their installed capacity, as all plants have produced merely 630 units of buses in first three quarters of the current fiscal year against the total annual production ability of 26,150 units thanks to the rambling import policy of the government... At a time when almost all provincial governments are planning to facilitate their public by launching rapid bus services in their provinces the country’s bus assemblers are showing an alarmingly low figures of their production as the major chunk of this mass transport facility is being fulfilled mainly through import, auto industry experts said... According to the latest data of Engineering Development Board, the major bus manufacturing companies including Hinopak Motors, Gandhara Nissan, Gandhara Industries, Afzal Motors, Daewoo Pak Motors, Tayyaba Motors and Fuso Motors have produced only 630 bus units against their total capacity of 26,150 units in the period of July 2013 to March 2014...Labels: busmakers news worldwide
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