Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
DRIVERS' SHORTAGE * USA: Searching school bus drivers
* Pensilvania - Exeter Township School District is in search of bus drivers
(Photo: EXETER TOWNSHIP — Three students were hurt Tuesday morning when their van skidded out of control on an ice-covered road in Luzerne County)
Exeter,Berks,PENN,USA -The Southern Berks News, By Emily Thiel -28 Oct 2014: -- The Exeter Township School District is in search of bus drivers to transport students to and from the schools, according to district transportation supervisor, Rick Wegman... Wegman presented a transportation report to the Board of School Directors during their Tuesday, Oct. 21 voting meeting... With a lack of personnel and lack of drivers, Wegman himself “has been driving a lot” ...Labels: drivers shortage
PASSENGERS' TRANSPORT INDUSTRY * UK: Reversing deregulation
* England - Devolution means councils climbing back on the buses
Birmingham,West Midlands,EN,UK -The Information Daily, by SA Mathieson -October 28, 2014: ... Seven local authorities in the north east voting to change local bus regulations. The authorities in question have since April made up the North East Combined Authority. They voted to shift bus services in and around Newcastle-upon-Tyne to a quality contract scheme, effectively reversing the deregulation Margaret Thatcher’s government imposed on bus services across the country in 1986... Nexus, the local passenger transport executive which runs the area’s metro, is set to take over the setting of fares, routes and frequencies, as is the case in London. The plans would allow integrated ticketing, like London’s Oyster card system... But, bus operators including Stagecoach are furious, and plan to continue to fight the plans. It is obvious why: in the capital, bus operators are almost literally invisible, their corporate colours banished in favour of London bus red, their room to innovate removed. Transport for London sells the tickets, sets the routes and makes the rules. Unlike underground trains it doesn’t actually own or operate the buses; this is left to 22 operators (with a number having common parent companies, including Arriva and Abellio). But the companies basically do what they are told, and are paid centrally... For some companies working with government and doing business in devolved city regions will mean big challenges some new some old...Labels: public transport services
PASSENGERS INDUSTRY NEWS * Australia: Riders' obesity
* NSW - Bus loads to increase as passengers fatten
(Photo: Michelle Smith - Fatter passengers means bigger strain on our buses, like these in Brisbane)
Sydney,NSW,Australia -The Sydney Morning Herald -October 28, 2014: -- Buses around the nation are struggling to operate within maximum load laws due to Australia's growing obesity problem... Authorities are looking at increasing the mass limit of a two-axle bus from 16 to 18 tonnes, according to the National Transport Commission's annual report... The report highlights that when the laws were designed in 1989, the average adult's weight was taken as 65kg... In fact they were slightly heavier, according to the ABS, with the average man 77.4kg and the average woman 62.6kg... Something's got to give, argue bus operators, and the NTC has recommended that the National Vehicle Regulator develop a notice to allow an 18-tonne nationwide limit... But buses are not just straining under fatter passengers... Wheelchair access lifts, fuel-efficient engines, rollover protection devices and air-conditioning units are also adding weight to each bus... The notice to increase the limit by two tonnes is expected to be progressed over the next year, the NTC said...Labels: public transport services
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Saudi Arabia: MAN's
* Saudi Arabia - SAMCO Automotive Manufacturing Company awarded for best MAN assembly process
Jeddah,S.A. -ZAWYA -26 Oct 2014: -- SAMCO Displays its Technical Expertise and Innovative Manufacturing capabilities at MAN xKD Customer Days Competition... MAN Truck and Bus, the international leader in truck manufacturing with its assemblies all over the world today announced that SAMCO (Saudi Automotive Manufacturing Company), its truck assembly partner in Saudi Arabia won the first place in a global best practice competition for securing quality and increasing efficiency of its assembly plant... The SAMCO Jeddah Assembly plant, which opened at the start of 2009, has been an important pillar of MAN's Middle East growth strategy in one of the fastest growing regions for MAN across the globe. The plant has a production capacity of 3.000 units per year...Labels: busmakers news worldwide
BUSMAKERS NEWS * China: Zenix Auto & Yutong Bus
* China - Zenix Auto is developing aluminum wheel for Yutong's new energy bus
(Photo: Chinese Aluminum body city bus)
Zhangzhou,China -PRNewswire (USA) -Oct 22, 2014: -- China Zenix Auto International Limited, the largest commercial vehicle wheel manufacturer in China in both the aftermarket and OEM market by sales volume, announced today that it is developing a new model of aluminum wheel designed for the Yutong Bus Co., Ltd.'s ("Yutong") new energy bus... Zenix Auto constructed one of the first aluminum wheel production plants in China for commercial vehicles and began offering aluminum wheels at the end of 2013. As an industry leader in research and development, Zenix owns a total of 85 patents in China. Zenix Auto's aluminum wheels are expected to replace imported aluminum wheels and be an alternative to current steel wheel models. Current production capacity for aluminum wheels is 500,000 units... Yutong Bus Co., Ltd is the largest and the most technologically advanced manufacturer of large- and medium-sized buses in the world...Labels: busmakers news China
BUS MARKET * China: Industry Report
* New York - China Bus Industry Report, 2014-2017
(Photo: Street and buses congestion in China)
Albany, NY -MarketResearchReports/ReleaseWire -15 Oct 2014: -- Biz include new market research report "China Bus Industry Report, 2014-2017" to its huge collection of research reports... According to China Bus Industry Report, 2014-2017 released by, it is predicted that by 2017 the total sales volume of buses in China will exceed 690,000 units, and that in the upcoming several years, the sales volume of buses in China will present an AAGR of 9% or so... In 2013, large, medium-sized and light buses sold in China totaled 477,000 units, up 12.1% from 2012. In terms of sales volume, Brilliance Jinbei Automobile sold 104,000 buses in 2013, holding 21.8% of the national total and ranking the first, followed by Kinglong Motor Group, JMC, Yutong Bus and Nanjing Automobile. In Q1 2014, the sales volume of buses in China amounted to 112,978 units, rising 13.6%compared with the same period of 2013... In point of products, the large busessold in China totaled 79,067 units in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. However, the steady demand from long-distance passenger transportation market and rapid growth in demand from new energy bus market contributed largely to the continued growth of large bus market in 2013. In Q1 2014, the demand from long-distance passenger transportation marketshrank, with the sales volume of large buses dropping 5.0% year-on-year...Labels: busmakers news China, report
ELECTRIC BUSES * UK & Spain: Solaris' ones
* England - Electric bus operational trials start ahead of London and Glasgow demonstrations
(Photo: The project will demonstrate electric buses in operation on the streets of European cities)
London,EN,UK -Transportctra, by Lee Baker -16 Oct 2014: -- A European Union-wide project to demonstrate electric buses in operation has launched, with plans to bring trials to the streets of London and Glasgow... The Zero Emission Urban bus System demonstration (ZeEUS) will test 35 plug-in hybrid, full electric and battery trolley buses built by six European manufacturers in seven cities, starting with Barcelona... The local operator Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona will test four full electric buses, including one of Europe's first 100% full electric buses, the i2e, which has a range of 200-250km. The bus uses sodium-nickel batteries and ultra-capacitors which will be charged overnight... The 18m bus, meanwhile, produced by Polish company Solaris, will be charged along the route itself. The charging system supplies an electric charge of 400 kW CC to the bus through a rectractable pantograph on the roof...Labels: electric buses services
ELECTRIC BUSES * India: BMTC proposals
* Bangalore - BMTC banks on Tata Motors to add hybrid buses to its fleet
(Photo: BMTC operated this electric bus, made by a Chinese company, ByD, on trial basis, but found its cost prohibitive)
Bangalore,India -The Bangalore Mirror, by Suchith Kidiyoor -Oct 17, 2014: -- You could seriously plan to leave your private vehicles in your garages and take to commuting around the city in an air-conditioned public transport vehicle - a hybrid one, and at no higher fare than the already running premium air-conditioned buses of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation... BMTC is planning to pick up hybrid vehicles and is looking at Tata Motors... BMTC plans to procure 30 hybrid buses for its fleet, and selected Tata Motors' proposals as they offered two different designs for BMTC - one in which the buses would run using a combination of diesel and electric propulsion, and the other using either diesel or electric motors to power the buses... The buses running on diesel-cum-electric motors are priced at Rs 2.3 crore each, while the ones powered by either diesel or electric motors cost Rs 1.5 crore each. The latter provides the driver an option to use one or the other, which means if the bus is running out on diesel while on the go, he can switch to the electric motor for power...
* What is a Hybrid bus?
Bangalore,India -Bangalore Mirror - Oct 17, 2014: -- A hybrid bus combines conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The internal combustion engines are the ones that use petrol or diesel to power the vehicle. The electric propulsion system powers electric cars like Reva, and are becoming increasingly popular due to its non-polluting nature.
* Diesel-electric hybrid: The propulsion uses diesel and electric motors together to power the vehicle. This ensures lesser consumption of diesel.
* Diesel/electric hybrid: This propulsion uses either diesel or electric at any given time of driving. It helps keeping the other as back-up. Many such buses have been introduced by manufacturers in the US, UK, New Zealand and Japan, some claiming a cut in carbon dioxide emissions up to 31% and fuel savings of 40%.
* Chennai - Ashok Leyland to start manufacturing electric, hybrid buses in India
(Photo: Ashkok Leyland's Optare electric bus)
Chennai,India -BS - October 15, 2014: -- Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland is planning to start manufacturing and marketing its electric and hybrid buses in India from next year. Vinod Dasari, managing director of Ashok Leyland, said that Optare, the company's arm in UK, has been leading the electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers there and its intention is to bring the Optare products to India... The electric and hybrid bus cost a lot of money and they do not make economic sense by themselves unless the State comes forward to support, he said thanking UK government for its support. The company sells around 100 units in UK a year. The company will be launching the Solo bus from Optare, through Ashok Leyland, in India in the Bus Expo in New Delhi in January 22, next year... The company would have to make investments in electric battery handling capabilities, not manufacturing capabilities. The bus itself will not require substantial investments other than the tooling to make it...Labels: buses purchasing prospects, electric buses
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden: Volvo's * Germany: MAN's * UK: Optare's & * Finnland
* VOLVO Buses launches the all new plug-in electric hybrid bus
Gothenburg,Sweden -Busworld -24 Sept 2014: -- The plug-in hybrid drive reduces diesel fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75%, compared to a conventional diesel bus. Total energy consumption is reduced by 60%... The Volvo Electric Hybrid Driveline is an extension of the well-proven driveline used in the Volvo 7900 Hybrid. The difference lies in a more powerful electric motor, increased energy storage and equipment for overhead conductive opportunity charging. The bus is equipped with a 150 kW electric motor that delivers maximum torque of 1200 N•m (85 lb-ft) and is powered by a 19 kWh Li-ion battery pack as well as a 240 hp/918 N°m Volvo D5K 240, 4-cylinder, in-line Euro 6 diesel engine with common rail injection... Three Volvo Electric Hybrids have run in a field test in Gothenburg over the past year, a test that has verified the reduction in energy consumption and emissions. As of this autumn and for two years ahead, eight Volvo Electric Hybrids will be put into regular operation in central Stockholm...
* Germany - MAN CNG Buses for Paris/France and Sofia/Bugary
Munich,Germany -Busworld -26 Sept 2014: -- MAN has secured major orders for natural gas powered buses from France and Bulgaria. Paris-based RATP has purchased 103 MAN Lion’s City buses, half of which are powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and Bulgaria’s city of Sofia has acquired 126 Lion’s City buses, all CNG-powered. The buses for Sofia use 310 HP, 6-cylinder natural gas, Euro 6 engines... The MAN buses operate with exceptionally low fuel consumption and low emissions, the company claims. The natural gas drive is an alternative to the conventional diesel drive and significantly undershoots the current stringent emission standard without the need for any additional filter technology or operating media. The buses are also fitted with a four-step six-speed automatic gearbox with built-in retarder...
* UK - Optare to launch single-decker version of the MetroDecker bus
Sherburn,Elmet,North Yorkshire,UK -Busworld -29 Sept 2014: -- Optare is to develop a single-deck variant of its MetroDecker. The as yet unnamed model will be an addition to its UK range and will be available alongside the tempo full-length single-decker... The single-decker will be a derivative of the existing model and give a full low floor area. As with the development of a full-electric MetroDecker, still on target for early next year, an electric single-decker is a possibility. For the Australian market the new bus will be available at 12m, and 12.6m. The new single-decker is expected to be unveiled during 2016 and will share the MetroDecker’s driveline of a 5.1-litre Mercedes-Benz OM934 engine coupled to a six-speed ZF EcoLife gearbox...
* Finland - Linkker starts EV bus production based on Visedo drive
Busworld -27 Sept 2014: -- Finnish electric bus manufacturer Linkker Oy announced that the manufacturing on their Visedo electric drive train based bus will begin... The first test buses are expected to be on the road already by the end of this year... Even as a company Linkker is quite new the bus concept has been already proven in real operation. The basic design is based on the eBus project governed by VTT (Technical research Center of Finland) and has been already in use since 2012 in the concept bus built by Metropolia University. The eBus also took part on test organized by major bus operator where it was found to be extremely efficient by consuming below 0,7 kWh/km energy - where other buses could achieve at minimum 15% higher consumption figures. One of the reasons besides the efficient drive train for the low consumption figures is the light aluminium frame developed by another Finnish bus manufacturer Kabus Oy. The 12m bus itself is even 3 tons lighter than a standard bus...Labels: busmakers news Sweden, hybrid electric buses
TECHNO BUSES * EUROPE: Driveless buses
* Italy - Sardinia Island, trial two electric buses
-Busworld -16 Aug 2014: -- Europe’s first driverless bus trial has started on the Italian island of Sardinia. Co-funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme, the demonstrations are led by the City Mobil 2 project (CM2), which is testing automated vehicles (AVs) in real-life urban environments... The two driverless electric buses, which can take up to 12 passengers each, have been provided by Robosoft and are being piloted on a busy pedestrianized seafront promenade in Oristano. The buses are guided by a differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and have three levels of safety: two laser scanners on the front that detect obstacles within 30m (98ft); ultrasound detectors on the front and the sides that recognise obstacles, even if they are not in the vehicle’s direct trajectory; and a mechanical device that forces a stop in an emergency. Italian law requires that a human ‘supervisor’ is present on board and is capable of taking command of the vehicle if required. Despite the automation, a driver/supervisor provided by the region’s public transport operator travels on the vehicle and has a console with which they can override the autonomous systems and take control of the vehicle. The operator also provides assistance and information to the passengers, as well as collecting travel data, which will be used for further statistical analysis...
Labels: electric buses, passengers transports industry, techno buses
BUSMAKERS NEWS * UK: Bus sales to Belgium
* UK - CNH Industrial brand continues record intercity bus delivery to De Lijn
(Photo: Iveco Crossway Euro6)
Basildon,United Kingdom -PRNewswire -Oct. 6, 2014: -- Iveco Bus, CNH Industrial, is expanding its presence in Belgium at a rapid pace, its latest development being in the field of collective passenger transport. To date, close to 50 Iveco Bus vehicles have been delivered to the Belgian Flemish transport operator De Lijn since the brand won a record tender in 2013. De Lijn currently has a running fleet of more than 2,300 buses, transporting an estimated 500 million passengers each year across more than 225 million kilometres... The terms of the tender define the total supply of 160 Crossway LE (Low Entry) intercity buses for circulation throughout the interurban network of Flanders. Completed buses have been shipped to De Lijn depots in the Antwerp area. The remaining vehicles are expected to arrive by the end of 2014. All 160 units are manufactured at the Iveco Bus production facility in Vysoke Myto, Czech Republic...Labels: busmakers news UK
EVENTS * Argentine: 9th. INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR for TRUCKING & PASSENGERS INDUSTRIES
* City of Buenos Aires - International exhibition of equipment and technology in trucking and passenger buses
City of Buenos Aires, ARG - Press Information EXPOTRADE -6 Oct 2014: -- Transport Expo is a space to strengthen and generate business, focussed on the sector's new developments and the latest informations for the professionals of the Freight, and Trucking Industry. .. It will take place from 14 to 20 hs. on site "La Rural Fairgrounds", Buenos Aires, Argentina; from 15 October to 18 October 2014... Entry is free, and organizers "EXPOTRADE" they advertised as "for professionals only" ... To contact EXPOTRADE: Phone: 54 (11) 4779-5300 - email: transporte@expotrade.com.ar - Web: http://www.expotransporte.com.ar - Twitter: http //www.twitter.com/TransporteExpoLabels: events
BUSMAKERS NEWS * USA: Blue Bird's
* Georgia - Custom-made corrections buses roll off Blue Bird line in Fort Valley
(Video by The Telegraph Mid GA -2 Oct 2014: State and local officials take a tour of the facility in recognition of the completed order of five buses for the Georgia Department of Corrections)
Fort Valley,GA,USA -The Telegraph, by LINDA S. MORRIS -2 Oct 2014: -- A number of state and Middle Georgia officials gathered Thursday at the Blue Bird plant to help celebrate the company’s recent completion of five custom-made buses for the Georgia Department of Corrections... This is the second order of corrections transport buses the state has placed with Blue Bird, said company CEO and President Phil Horlock...Labels: busmakers news USA
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