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Buses World News

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

27.11.14

ORIGINAL BUSES * China: A "family-bus" ... !!!

A FAMILY BUS FROM CHINA
(Photo, from an unknown font)
Look this' family practical and economical way to move from... That yes, all together, and a little uncomfortable... See the baby seat ... !!!..  Franchises are sold for this transport system...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:16 AM  0 Comments

SAFETY STREETS * Australia - Diversions in place for all bus services

* Canberra - Diversions in place for all bus services that use Constitution Avenue in the City from Monday 1 December

(Photo: ACT City Bus Station)
Canberra,ACT,Australia -Action/ACT/PR -26 Nov 2014: (P.N.: If you had've a fun night and do not want to take the risk of returning to your home "happy" or "drunky" ... here the solution that "aussies" found for) ... The Nightrider bus!!! ... ACTION will be running its Nightrider bus service again this year... If you're planning a night out in the City this festive season, there's no need to take the car or wait for a taxi, let the Nightrider take you home. This year, Nightrider is bigger and better with ten different service options across Canberra dropping you to the bus stop closest to your home. Where: Departs Platform 7, City Bus Station - When: 5/6, 12/13, 19/20 December and New Year's Eve 2014 - Cost: $5 (cash only)

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posted by Unknown @ 7:04 AM  1 Comments

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA: Tired of waiting for a late bus? ... NOW NEW: Traffic signal optimization !

* D.C. - Buses will get priority with technology that holds lights at green
(Photo: DC buses. The D.C. Department of Transportation is in search, to install transit signal priority equipment at 103 signalized intersections) 
Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Business Journal, by Michael Neibauer -Nov 25, 2014: --The District is planning a major initiative to improve timeliness — one that could prove so effective, buses end up running early... The D.C. Department of Transportation is in search of a contractor to install transit signal priority (TSP) equipment at 103 signalized intersections... TSP systems, according to reams of federal research, can significantly improve bus travel times... As a bus approaches a TSP intersection, it sends a cellular signal to the traffic controller box, which automatically (without any human intervention) reviews the current traffic conditions and tweaks the signal timing. It can extend a green light by five to 10 seconds, said Wasim Raja, a DDOT traffic signal engineer, or sometimes bring the green up early...  The Washington region was awarded a $58.8 million TIGER grant in 2010, from which the TSP system will be financed... That same grant is partly responsible for Alexandria's new dedicated Route 1 bus lane, D.C. traffic signal optimization, the Takoma-Langley Transit Center, replacement PRTC buses, and TSP systems on University Boulevard and Route 1 in Maryland, Van Dorn Street and Leesburg Pike...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:31 AM  0 Comments

26.11.14

BUSMAKERS NEWS WORLDWIDE * India - * Germany - * Canada/Scotland (UK) - * Russia

* India - VE Commercial Vehicles launches Eicher Skyline Pro Series buses

(Photo: Buses are available in school, staff and tourist variants with seating capacity ranging from 36 to 60)
Gurgaon,Haryana,India -Business Standard -24 Nov 2014: -- VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a 50:50 joint venture between Sweden’s Volvo Group and Eicher Motors has launched Eicher Pro series of light duty for school and staff category... According to VECV, new buses will meet the demands of the emerging premium market segment by providing enhanced passenger safety, fuel efficiency and comfort with superior aesthetics. Eicher Skyline Pro buses are available in school, staff and tourist variants with seating capacity ranging from 36 to 60 per the segment requirement... The company is currently in discussion with various state governments and city authorities to provide these buses for public transportation. Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, (JNNURM) the Government has sanctioned purchase of buses for various mission. The company is set to add one big order of 560 buses from Bihar and another order of 65 buses from Indore. It has supplied more than 3000 buses to the various state transport undertakings. In Maharashtra, there are 38 buses while it has supplied highest in Gujarat of 1101 units...



* Germany - "Ride and Drive": the new test drive programme from Daimler Buses 

(Photo: Setra ComfortClass 500) 
Mannheim/Neu-Ulm –Media Daimler -Nov 24, 2014: -- Daimler Buses are stepping up its test drive programme for European customers: The provision of the first new vehicles now establishes an additional range of test-drive vehicles for Daimler Buses on site at the respective brands' locations in Mannheim and Neu-Ulm...  The following new Mercedes-Benz buses will be available for test drives at the ONC new bus centre in Mann­heim from mid-November 2014 to the end of March 2015: Citaro G with horizontal OM 936h engine, new on-board electronics and new articulation control system (ATC), Travego Safety Coach with Active Brake Assist 3 (ABA3) and "anticipatory" cruise control system Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC), and a Tourismo with Lane Assistant (SPA) and Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS)... In Neu-Ulm, four world premieres from Setra are available for test drives: the new LE business low-entry inter-urban vehicle, the new mid-decker ComfortClass 500 MD, Setra's longest touring coach at present, in the guise of the S 519 HD, and the S 511 HD, which continues Setra's 60-year club coach tradition in a new generation...


* Canada - Scottish bus maker to establish Ontario plant as part of Metrolinx deal

(Photo: An Alexander Dennis 253 double-decker bus)
Toronto,Ontario,CAN -Canadian Manufacturing (CAN) -November 24, 2014: -- Metrolinx has signed a deal with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) to buy 253 double-decker buses that will see the Scotland-based bus maker establish a local chassis assembly facility near Toronto... According to Metrolinx, Ontario’s Crown transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), it has reached an agreement with the company that will see the fully accessible, low floor, double-decker buses delivered to its GO Transit arm over five years beginning in 2016... Construction of the chassis facility is expected to begin in mid-2015 and the first order of buses is expected by 2016... 


* Russia - GAZ Group delivers 30 articulated LIAZ Euro-5 buses to Nizhny Novgorod

(Photo from Wikipedia: A GAZ articulated bus, model LiAZ-6213, in Moscow) 
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia -Busworld (Belgium) -23 Nov 2014: -- The GAZ Group Bus Division recently delivered to the Nizhny Novgorod administration 30 low-floor articulated buses of the type LIAZ-621322, fitted with a Euro 5 driveline. All vehicles are adapted to passengers with limited mobility. Total cost of the buses is more than 300 million rubles... The new buses are equipped with a MAN diesel Euro 5 engine producing 290 hp, a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox and ZF axles, and a kneeling system in the air suspension, a mechanical ramp, communication buttons with the driver, a fire extinguishing system, air conditioning and ten CCTV cameras... The bus is designed to transport 146 people. There are 34 seats and an extra seat for people with limited mobility... The bus LiAZ-621322 is the first domestic low-floor articulated bus... 

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posted by Unknown @ 5:17 AM  0 Comments

SCHOOL BUS SYSTEMS * USA

* South Carolina - Old school buses


Charleston,SC,USA -WCSC/Live 5 News, by Raphael James -Nov 24, 2014: -- Funding delays mean South Carolina is lagging in efforts to replace aging school buses in a timely manner... With a fleet of buses that are among the oldest in the country, that means some buses taking children to school today may have been ridden by those students' parents or grandparents... State School Superintendent, Mick Zais, testified to the state senate that, "South Carolina maintains the only state run school bus fleet in America. It's also the oldest" fleet in America... The General Assembly provides and maintains buses for every school district in the state. Those buses, aren't always brand spanking new. In fact most of them are not. State law says the bus fleet is to be replaced every 15 years. But Zais says, more than 60% of our buses are over 15 years old... Almost 100 of them are more than 26 years old... He says to replace the more than 3,000 buses statewide that are older than 15 years old would cost the state $273 million. For the past two years he's asked the General Assembly for $34 million and received less than that for buses each time...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:58 AM  0 Comments

BRT PROJECTS * USA: Connecticut - Michigan - Massachusetts - Virginia

* Connecticut - CTfastrak, bus-only corridor, to open in March
(Photo from WTNH, by George DeYounge) 
Newington,CONN,USA -AP/WTNH -November 25, 2014: -- The state Department of Transportation says the $567 million bus-only corridor between Hartford and New Britain will begin operating in late March... The CTfastrak project includes 11 stations in New Britain, Newington, West Hartford and Hartford, with buses running every three-to-six minutes during peak commuting hours... The 9.4-mile corridor also will be used by buses that will exit the system to bring passengers to destinations such as Westfarms Mall, Manchester Community College, UConn Health Center and Central Connecticut State University... Officials say Hartford Express buses also will run from Bristol, Cheshire, Southington and Waterbury, entering the bus-only corridor once they reach New Britain...


* Michigan - Local officials talking options for Ypsilanti express bus to downtown Ann Arbor

(Photo by Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News - An AAATA bus picks up passengers in downtown Ann Arbor at the end of the work day on Friday before heading to Ypsilanti via Washtenaw Avenue) 
Ipsilante,MICH,USA -M Live, by Ryan Stanton -October 27, 2014: -- Talks of launching an express bus service from the Ypsilanti area straight into downtown Ann Arbor -- without stops in between -- are picking up... The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has approached the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority to see if there's a way to get the service going to make it easier for more people from the Ypsilanti area to commute to work in Ann Arbor without a car... The AAATA's five-year plan, funded by a new 0.7-mill tax approved by voters in May, anticipates express bus service from the Ypsilanti area starting in August 2017... 

  
* Massachusetts - Freeport meeting airs possibility of weekend METRO buses
(Photo: Express Bus to Freeport and Yarmouth in the Works. Portland Metro's Denise Beck discusses possible Freeport-express route stops with a Metro rider) 
Freeport,MASS,USA -The Forecaster, by Kate Gardner -November 24, 2014: -- The proposed METRO express bus service from Portland to Yarmouth and Freeport. The Greater Portland Transit District began its community outreach on Nov. 17 with an information gathering session in Portland... The express bus service would begin in Portland and make stops in Falmouth, Yarmouth, and Freeport. The original plan, presented at a Freeport meeting in June, was for a commuter-centric, rush-hour service with morning and evening buses that would also serve Cumberland... METRO General Manager, Greg Jordan said, METRO will now look at the feedback to determine possible bus routes. He said more meetings will be held with the public in the spring, when the designs are ready to be reviewed before being finalized...


* Virginia - Better Buses: For much less money, the county can still get much-improved mobility
(Photo: Its streetcar plan defeated, Arlington looks to better buses) 
Arlington,VA,USA -City Lab, by ERIC JAFFE -Nov 24, 2014: -- Last week, Arlington County, Virginia, abruptly canceled a proposed five-mile streetcar line on Columbia Pike that was years in the making. Project supporters didn't react well to the news. But the streetcar cancellation doesn't have to harm Arlington mobility. The opposition wasn't against public transportation at large, but rather the unfortunate tendency of recent high-cost U.S.A. streetcar systems to operate alongside cars in mixed traffic—a practice many transit experts discourage. To that end, board member Libby Garvey tells, she's very eager to improve local transit and hopes the county wastes no time advancing plans for a low-cost, bus-rapid transit-style alternative... The figures present a compelling case that BRT-style service could be nearly as effective as a streetcar in terms of mobility, at a fraction of the cost... The upsides to an enhanced bus could be even greater—on both service and economics alike—if Arlington were able to operate the system as true BRT, in a dedicated transit lane. But the county's maintenance agreement on Columbia Pike precludes such an arrangement, requiring four mixed traffic lanes (via Blue Virginia). Arlington could always request a change to that contract, but the negative impact on car congestion may be too great, and since the streetcar would also have shared a lane with cars, this particular design element is a wash for the sake of comparison...


* USA - Another BRT projects & funds for 

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Business Journal, by Michael Neibauer -Nov 25, 2014: ... The Washington region was awarded a $58.8 million TIGER grant in 2010, from which the TSP system will be financed... That same grant is partly responsible for Alexandria's new dedicated Route 1 bus lane, D.C. traffic signal optimization, the Takoma-Langley Transit Center, replacement PRTC buses, and TSP systems on University Boulevard and Route 1 in Maryland, Van Dorn Street and Leesburg Pike...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:41 AM  0 Comments

25.11.14

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES * USA: Michigan Flyer

* Michigan Flyer invests $3.8M in new buses for AirRide airport shuttle service

(Photo Courtesy of Michigan Flyer: One of the new buses for the AirRide shuttle service) 
Ann Arbor,MICH,USA -M Live,  by Ryan Stanton -November 24, 2014: -- New eco-friendly buses are being put into service for the AirRide shuttle service from Ann Arbor to Detroit Metro Airport... Michigan Flyer has announced it's putting a brand-new fleet of seven luxury motorcoaches on the road this month, representing a $3.8 million investment by parent company Indian Trails... The company reports the new 2015 buses offer deluxe, ergonomic seating with leather headrests and ample leg room, individual climate controls, reading lamps and cup holders, tinted panoramic side windows, outlets at each seat for charging mobile devices, free WiFi, on-board lavatories, and enclosed overhead parcel racks... Safety features include an electronic stability system that enables drivers to avoid danger on slippery roads, an engine fire-detection and suppression system, two GPS systems, and a tire pressure monitoring system... All the buses are equipped with three-point retractable seat belts for passengers, ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts, and a large under-floor luggage compartment... 




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posted by Unknown @ 5:53 PM  0 Comments

HOLIDAY BUSES TRAVELERS * USA

* Texas - Holiday travelers take to planes, trains, autos and buses


(Photo: Travelers board Monday's 10 a.m. bus to Dallas at the Greyhound station in downtown Riverside)
Dallas,TXS,USA -The Press Enterprise, by PETER FISCHETTI -Nov. 24, 2014: -- “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is a 1987 comedy and also the three preferred ways to travel over a holiday... But what about the lowly bus... Greyhound Lines, Inc., by far the largest bus company in the U.S.A., expects more than 650,000 customers over Thanksgiving. That sounds like a lot until you consider the Automobile Club of Southern California estimates 41.2 million will be driving and another 3.5 million will take to the skies. The rest will take the train... Still, the bus is a good option for some. In the U.S.A. an estimated 46 million people are taking off on Thanksgiving trips this year... At the Greyhound station in Riverside on Monday, travelers waited for buses to take them to Las Vegas, Mexico, Texas and Georgia in time for the holidays... With gas prices down about 49 cents from last Thanksgiving, travel should the highest since 2007, an increase of 4.2 percent over last year, the Automobile Club predicted...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:27 PM  0 Comments

INFRASTRUCTURES for BUSES * USA

* Iowa - City leaders celebrate bus shelter renovation, talk upcoming bus app

(Photo by Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG TV9 - On Monday, city leaders celebrated the fully finished depot project, a $10.5-million endeavor) 
Cedar Rapids,IOW,USA -The Gazette, by Rick Smith -Nov 24, 2014: -- Last December city bus patrons returned to what had been the city’s flood-damaged, abandoned Ground Transportation Center bus depot, no longer having to endure the modular-home shelter that had served as a temporary depot since the 2008 flood... On Monday, city leaders celebrated the fully finished depot project, a $10.5-million endeavor that no longer requires buses to back out into traffic and no longer requires pedestrians on First Street SE and Fourth Avenue SE to dodge buses and to cross the street to get where they are going... The GTC reopened in December of 2013 while finish touches on the remodeling continued...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:11 PM  0 Comments

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE * India: Special section for female in buses

* Andhra Pradesh - Wire mesh between men, women in city buses

(Photo by A RADHAKRISHNA - The mesh and sliding door which separates ‘men’ and ‘women’ sections in Ordinary city buses of the RTC in Hyderabad) 
Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh,India -New India Express -24th November 2014: -- Second-year engineering student Mounika heaved a sigh of relief after boarding an RTC bus at Rathifile bus depot here on Sunday as she found separate sections for male and female passengers in her bus... The State Road Transport Corporation has partitioned the sections in eight ordinary city buses, to start with, with mesh and a sliding door after four rows of seats for women. With this, sections allotted for both genders are visibly segregated, aiming to put an end to harassment faced by women. In September, glass panes without sliding door were tried by the corporation. Much to the chagrin of women travelling on buses, men of all ages, including drunkards, move into women’s section, sometimes fall on them and occupy seats reserved for women. Hence the experiment. Women commuters, while welcoming the steps, suggested that a helpline phone number be displayed in buses for lodging complaints in case of harassment...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:57 PM  0 Comments

24.11.14

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * UK: Biogas from food waste co-digestion

* England - Poo Powered bus steams into Bristol thanks to biogas from food waste co-digestion

  (Video from #BioBus, by GENeco -Nov 19, 2014: We’ve launched the first UK bus powered on gas generated from recycling food waste and treating sewage – the Bio-Bus!... Television personality Stefan Gates took the first journey on the bus, which is refuelled at GENeco’s gas to grid plant at Bristol sewage treatment works. GENeco produces enough biomethane at the plant to power almost 8,500 homes as well as providing gas for the Bio-Bus which can travel around 300km on a full tank) 
London,EN,UK -WWW, by Ben Messenger -20 November 2014: -- Poo Powered Bus Steams into Bristol thanks to Biogas from Food Waste Co-Digestion Biogas from the co-digestion of food waste and sewage at a Wessex Water facility in Bristol is being used to power the first poo powered bus in the UK... According to GENeco, a subsidiary of utility firm Wessex Water, it became the first company in the UK to start injecting gas generated from food waste and sewage into the national gas grid network and at the same time installed a gas refuelling plant for the bus... The 40-seater Bio-Bus, which runs on gas generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste that’s unfit for human consumption, is expected to help to improve urban air quality as it produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines... The company added that the bus can travel up to 300km on a full tank of gas generated from the organic wastes at Bristol sewage treatment works...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:48 PM  0 Comments

REPORT * Australia: Automotive and Transport Market Research

* Low Rolling resistance truck and bus radial tire market in Europe to grow at a cagr of 7.33 percent by 2019

Mount Macedon,Australia -Transport Market Research Reports, by Salil Modak -20 November 2014: -- ​Low Rolling Resistance Truck and Bus Radial Tire market in Europe 2015-2019 is a new market research publication announced by Reportstack... The use of low rolling resistance tires enhances fuel efficiency, vehicle performance, and safety, besides helping bring about a reduction in vehicular emissions... The analysts forecast the Low Rolling Resistance Truck and Bus Radial Tire market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of 7.33 percent over the period 2014-2019... This report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Low Rolling Resistance Truck and Bus Radial Tire market in Europe for the period 2015-2019. The market size is calculated on the basis of the revenue of tire manufacturers in Europe, generated through sales of low rolling resistance truck and bus radial tires to OEMs and the Aftermarket...

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19.11.14

PASSENGERS TRANSPORT INDUSTRY * UK

* North England - Volunteer Dales bus service is lifeline for district

(Photo: Ian Woolley, 76, a volunteer driver for the Little White Bus parked up outside Hawes in Upper Wensleydale) 
Yorkshire,EN,USA -The Yorkshire Post -17 November 2014: -- Rural residents may
increasingly have to rely on themselves to run bus services as austerity-hit councils trim transport budgets further, a situation which exacerbates fears that
an erosion of key services is causing an exodus of young families from the most remote communities... The frequency of bus services has already been affected by
 subsidy cuts, with North Yorkshire County Council alone having reduced what it pays to companies to run bus services in the county from £4.4m to £2.4m per year...To find innovative new ways to deliver services with less money, a Rural Exodus summit will be held by Richmondshire District Council and The Yorkshire Post at Tennants Auction Centre in Leyburn on Wednesday, bringing together key decision makers... And community-run bus services can be part of those innovative solutions, said Richmondshire District Council leader Councillor John Blackie, secured a £25,000 subsidy in May 2011 to set up Little
White Bus, a not-for-profit, community-run bus service which operates out of the Upper Wensleydale Community Office in Hawes... 

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posted by Unknown @ 11:16 AM  0 Comments

BUSMAKERS NEWS * China

* China Dynamics enters investment framework agreement with a Chongqing-based bus manufacturer


(Photo: A Hancock Egyptian public bus) 
Hong Kong,China -ACN Newswire -Nov 18, 2014: -- China Dynamics Limited, a company proactively expanding its business into the new energy industry, announced that Chongqing Sinocop New Energy Vehicle Technology Company Limited, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, entered into the Investment Framework Agreement to acquire 70% equity interest in Chongqing Suitong Industrial Company Limited... Chongqing Suitong is principally engaged in manufacturing buses, and marketing and selling the components of vehicles. Obtaining relevant confirmation from PRC government authorities on 6 August 2014, Chongqing Suitong was allowed to apply for a production license of specialized vehicles covering minivans, garbage lorries, etc. It is also qualified to extend the specialized vehicles production license to include new energy buses... China Dynamics is a provider of new energy vehicles technology integrated solutions. It owns a leading proprietary core technology for lithium polymer solid batteries and permanent magnet synchronous motor with an integrated controller system. In February 2014, the Group has secured a tender from the Hong Kong Productivity Council for the design, fabrication and supply of permanent magnet synchronised motor systems and battery-powered systems for the first-ever locally branded electric buses in Hong Kong...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:58 AM  0 Comments

TYRES MAKERS * India:

* India - Low capacity utilisation hurting domestic tyre makers: ATMA

Mumbai,India -My Digital FC, by Michael Gonsalves -Nov 17 2014: -- The tyre industry in India has raised its concern over indiscriminate tyre imports, saying huge lower capacity utilisation is hurting domestic tyre manufacturers... Raghupati Singhania, chairman at Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA), and chairman and managing director at JK Tyre and Industries said:   New capacities, particularly in truck and bus radials (TBR) have been created by Indian tyre manufacturers at an outlay of over Rs 15,000 crore in the last couple of years... He said the imports were not only threatening to make new investments in capacities idle but also loss of employment... ATMA, comprises top 10 tyre companies, and accounts for more than 90 per cent of tyre production in the country...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:40 AM  0 Comments

SCHOOL BUS * USA: Aging bus tires

FOX19 Investigates: Aging school bus tires (VIDEO) - Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV

 Cincinnati,OH,USA -FOX19, by Hagit Limor -Nov 14, 2014: -- School buses are responsible for transporting thousands of children to and from school in southwestern Ohio each day, and now safety advocates are expressing concern about aging school bus tires... Tires are imprinted with a tire identification or serial number on the sidewall. The identification numbers are batch codes that identify the week and year the tire was produced. The code is in an oval to the far right of the letters DOT (Department of Transportation). The first two digits indicate the week, the second two identify the year... After examining buses from several Cincinnati-area public school districts, while the vast majority of tires were less than five years old, some were more than 10 years old. The oldest tire found was a 1998 tire located on the rear axle of a suburban Cincinnati district school bus...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:24 AM  0 Comments

FUEL CELL ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe

* European bus manufacturers and leading Mayors step up for

(Photo: Credo E-Bone concept bus utilizes fuel cell technology, li-ion batteries and lightweight composites) 
Brussels,Belgium -Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, by Zeynep Musoglu -12 Nov 2014: -- European bus manufacturers and city representatives announce the commercialisation of fuel cell electric buses for urban transport in Brussels ... On the occasion of the FCH JU Stakeholder Forum, representatives of five major European bus manufacturers (Daimler Buses (EvoBus), MAN, Solaris, Van Hool and VDL Bus and Coach) have signed a joint Letter of Understanding at the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking's (FCH JU) Stakeholders Forum in Brussels. The Letter underlines the commitment of bus manufacturers towards the commercialisation and market introduction of fuel cell electric buses in urban public transport. Fuel cell buses run on hydrogen and constitute a zero emissions transport alternative...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:06 AM  0 Comments

13.11.14

BUSMAKERS NEWS * India: Daimler's

* Chennai - Daimler to launch bus series in India next year

(Photo: 'BharatBenz' brand, Mercedes-Benz launched its City Bus) 
Mumbai,India -The Business Standard, by Swaraj Baggonkar -November 12, 2014: -- Entering its next phase of expansion Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will launch its bus range in the domestic market to compete against strong incumbents like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland... The Chennai-based company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany's Daimler AG, will launch its city buses under its home grown brand BharatBenz starting next year... The new buses, which are slated to be made locally at the company's new Oragadam plant in Chennai, will compliment its parent's luxury intercity bus line sold under the Mercedes-Benz brand... A new Rs 425 crore bus plant built within the premises of the truck making plant will commence operations in the second quarter of next year. Buses will be offered in the 9 tonne and above categories having front and rear engine configurations. The plant has an installed capacity of 1,500 units per annum in the first phase and can be expanded to 4,000 units per annum...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:54 PM  0 Comments

SELF DRIVING BUSES ? * USA

Self-driving buses could really reinvent transportation systems
(Photo: London Bus Lightspeed)
London,EN,UK -Clean Technica, by Cynthia Shahan -November 9, 2014: -- Congested cities, troubling unemployment due to the absence of transit, and environmental issues from automobile pollution all point towards the need for much greater development of mass transportation. Even as transit ridership is growing to all time highs, the USA is short on extensively developed systems that reach the many who could benefit from affordable transit... Lindsey and Townsend continue that rather than cars, self-driving buses might be on an avenue of increasing change. They may change perceptions. “Now what if those buses—like the private automobile “platoons” envisioned by the auto industry—could travel safely only feet apart at top speeds?” ... Quartz points out a study and recent estimate for Princeton University indicating that with autonomous buses “the bus lanes of the Lincoln Tunnel, connecting New York City to New Jersey, could accommodate over 200,000 passengers per hour, more than five times today’s throughput” ...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:37 PM  0 Comments

10.11.14

BUSMAKERS NEWS WORLDWIDE * UK / Brazil * USA * North Ireland / UK

* North Ireland - Wrightbus wins London bus contract

(Photo: Wrightbus will supply the buses to the Transport for London by the second quarter of 2016) 
County Antrim,N.I.,UK -BBC News -6 November 2014: -- A County Antrim coachbuilder has won a contract to supply Transport for London (TfL) with 200 new Routemaster buses... Wrightbus said the new order would secure employment in its Ballymena and Antrim plants... The Ballymena-based coachbuilder was originally awarded a contract in 2010 to create a new hybrid bus for London... Leon Daniels of TfL said the New Routemaster vehicles would enhance air quality and reduce vehicle noise... Mark Nodder of Wrights Group, said: "Once again we are delighted to have confirmation of a substantial order from London, which is a massive endorsement of the success of the New Routemaster and the company's position as leading designers and manufacturers of eye-catching and environmentally responsible vehicles" ...


* UK - Iveco Bus, the CNH Industrial brand dedicated to collective passenger transport, arrives in Brazil
(Photo: The Indcar mago 2 bus from IVECO) 
Basildon,UK -PR Newswire -November 06, 2014: -- CNH Industrial N.V. has officially launched its Iveco Bus brand in Brazil. The brand made its Brazilian debut yesterday at FetransRio 2014, one of the country's largest trade fairs dedicated to the public transport sector...  The Iveco Bus stand at the fair presented its main solutions for the public transport market in Brazil, including models mounted on the 170S28U chassis, this one is specifically designed for the Brazilian market in response to demand in the 17 tonne vehicle segment, one of the fastest growing in the country due to the renewal of public transit fleets in large cities. The chassis is manufactured on a dedicated product development platform established for the bus and coach segment at the Iveco industrial complex in Sete Lagoas (MG)... Also present on the stand is the CityClass in a minibus, charter version, which caters to the 7 – 8 tonne vehicle range. Brazil's government chose the CityClass for its "Path to School" programme, which provides children, especially those living in rural areas, with access to transport links to their educational institutions...


* Missouri / USA - IC Bus showcases purpose-built propane School Bus at NAPT Summit


(Photo: The IC Bus CE Hybrid) 
Kansas City,MO,USA -School Transportation News -8 NOV 2014: -- IC Bus, LLC was in attendance this weekend at the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) 40th Annual Conference and Trade Show. The company showcased its latest product innovation, the IC Bus™ CE Series school bus powered by the Power Solutions International (PSI) 8.8-liter LP propane engine... Purpose-built for the school bus industry, the CE Series with PSI propane engine is designed to provide diesel-like performance with higher torque at lower engine speeds. It will be available for order for the 2015-2016 school year... The PSI 8.8-liter engine is engineered to deliver the highest torque at the lowest speed. With a rating of 565 lb-ft at 1500 rpm, the high-torque, low-speed design greatly benefits stop-and-start applications to allow immediate acceleration after stops and greater hill climbing capability. This not only improves startability and gradability, but also eliminates excessive noise, heat and vibration associated with constant engine revving. Minimal revving reduces engine wear, oil usage and maintenance, while increasing durability and efficiency...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:26 PM  0 Comments

SAFETY SCHOOL BUSES * USA

* Washington - Fool-proof way to catch, identify and ticket drivers who don’t stop for school buses?

Puyallup,WASH,USA -Q13FOX, by James Lynch -Nov 6, 2014: -- It can be one of the most dangerous times in a young student’s day; getting on or getting off their school bus... Especially when drivers refuse to stop even though lights are flashing, the stop sign is out and the arm is extended... Now for the first time in Washington comes, what the developers call, a fool-proof, turnkey system to catch, identify and ticket drivers who don’t stop for school buses... Pierce County’s Bethel School District is the first in the state to deploy the new system... There is a camera mounted on the bus to record the alleged law breaking driver and a law officer will view the video and determine is a citation is warranted... 500 cameras currently in use around the country have already captured 25,000 violations...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:12 PM  0 Comments

PASSENGERS TRANSPORT SERVICE * Australia

* Sydney 'ghost buses' taking less than one passenger per day

  (Video by Media and Transport Channel: Buses running around empty with no passengers) 
Sydney,NSW,Australia -9NEWS -November 4, 2014: -- They are Sydney's ghost buses, the services that can pick up on average less than one passenger a day... On the 341 service at Kingsford it's eerily quiet. It runs twice a day but is rarely flagged down... The 341 picked up only 233 people last year. On average that's less than one person a day... The situation was even more dire on the number 31, the Camden to Cobbitty service, with only 69 passengers flagging it down during 2013... You're guaranteed a seat if you're in the Blue Mountains - the 694 at Springwood carried only 131 passengers last year... It's in stark contrast to the busiest service in the state, route 400 which stops at Sydney Airport. It transported more than 4.6 million passengers in 2013... But these other services continue to operate, with rows and rows of empty seats... These buses are driving around Sydney without a passenger in sight and they are being funded by the taxpayer...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:53 PM  0 Comments

PASSENGERS TRANSPORT SERVICE * USA

* Washington - With transit money approved, Seattle pledges to spend new dollars well
(Photo by Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times - A passenger heads to a Metro bus on Third Avenue in Seattle. A total of 49 routes are supposed to gain service, not just the all-day routes, but full peak-only routes that need a couple more daily runs) 
Seattle,WASH,USA -The Seattle Times, by Mike Lindblom -November 5, 2014: -- What’s next for Seattle transit, now that voters have agreed to tax themselves for a 15 percent bus-service increase by late next year... Elected leaders promised Wednesday to make good use of the $45 million per year that Seattle voters approved to put more buses on the city’s busy streets... The Seattle City Council will enjoy wide discretion to satisfy public demand for more King County Metro Transit service — far beyond just rescuing those routes that are so crowded drivers pass up waiting customers... If the council chooses, Seattle could even pay Metro enough to ensure a bus every 15 minutes on several crosstown routes... 

 * Massachusetts - New hybrid MBTA buses promise fuel efficiency, live surveillance

(Photo: MBTA officials aid the new hybrid diesel-electric buses will also include a "Live Look In" surveillance system)
Boston,MASS,USA -Metro -November 5, 2014: -- Transit officials yesterday rolled out the first in a line of 60 new hybrid diesel-electric buses that MBTA officials say line up with its environmental focus and need to replace the outdated fleet, but the vehicles also come with some other extra features - like a few more sets of eyes... The forty-foot buses will feature on-board video recording and surveillance systems including “Live Look In,” which will allow Transit Police to remotely access and monitor bus activity... MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said the fully-accessible buses will have improved customer information systems, better lighting and greater reliability... The remaining 59 buses are expected to be delivered by the end of March... Passenger Amenities include a seating capacity of 37, with two wheelchair locations, an easy to operate exterior bicycle rack capable of storing two bikes, high visibility LED destination signs, automated “next stop” voice announcements, and an automatic passenger counter system...
* California - Muni wants to speed 19th Avenue buses
(Photo by Dustin Allen) 
San Francisco,CAL,USA -SF Bay, by Jerold Chinn -November 5, 2014: -- The 28-19th Avenue bus and its limited service are two busy Muni routes in San Francisco... Both routes carry a total of about 15,000 riders daily, which include San Francisco State University students, tourists heading to the Golden Gate Bridge, residents making a connections... Thousands of riders depend on the 28-19th Avenue bus, which is why the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is looking to make service improvements along the 19th Avenue... The bus can often been seen packed to the brim with riders or passing up riders because it just cannot fit anymore riders as it did to Muni rider Dustin Allen last month: "Still no 28, but now 4 right after another coming... A completely packed 28 came and didn't even stop at the bus stop" ... Eight bus stops will be relocated to the far side so that the buses can make use of the planned transit signal priority that will program traffic lights to hold green lights for approaching buses... The proposed changes would reduce travel time on the 28 local service by 20 percent (four minutes of travel time in each direction)...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:14 PM  0 Comments