Buses World News

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

11.2.11

RIDER'S OPINION * Australia - Should blue lines have blue buses?

I do think, however, we could be doing much more with signage to highlight color-based brands...

Canberra,Australia -Human Transit -9 Feb 2011: -- In Canberra, this would see the Red Rapid using red coloured buses, the Blue Rapid using Blue coloured buses, and so on... The Red Rapid and Blue Rapid are the two frequent rapid corridors that connect the major dense nodes of Canberra to each other, with widely-spaced stops. They are the top priority for bus lanes and other speed/reliability improvements... Seoul, South Korea went a long way with this idea, branding all their buses with four colors that indicate different functions in the network (Trunk, Branch, Rapid, or Circulator). Paint schemes are often used to distinguished closed Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] systems (systems where buses do not flow through onto other corridors, but remain confined within the BRT infrastructure) ... Los Angeles Metro has painted their fleet two colors, red for Rapid and orange for Local. Even with two colors, the "Local" is problematic. Orange really means "everything but Rapid," including limited-stop and freeway-express services that wouldn't satisfy anyone's definition of a "local" ... And even so, sometimes you see an orange bus on a Rapid line, or vice versa. I've never seen a painted color scheme where this never occurred; sometimes the dispatcher needs a red bus and all he has are orange ones. Sometimes an orange bus breaks down and the nearest available spare is red. You'd rather we didn't send out a bus at all? ...

Labels: opinion

15.5.10

OPINION * USA - The Costs of Low Transit Fares

Santa Monica,CAL,USA -The LookOut Colums, by Frank Gruber -May 10, 2010: ... Here is some unconventional wisdom: transit fares should be higher, to pay for better service, which will attract more riders -- riders who can afford to pay more and will do so for better service. If governments like the City of Santa Monica believe that fares are too high for low-income people, for the elderly, or for the disabled, then they should subsidize fares for those people. It would be easy to do, for example, with coupons or special fare cards -- the BBB has in fact itself recommended that the City Council authorize it to participate in a subside program run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for low-income people... But the City Council should not view the BBB as being part of a welfare system. The BBB is in the transportation business. Transit systems should deliver the best transportation they can deliver -- it's not up to them to solve the equity problems of our economic system. Get the subsidy somewhere else... If the members of the City Council want to subsidize transit for poor people, the elderly, the disabled, that's a great idea, but the subsidy shouldn't take the form of bad service for them and everyone else... (Photo from l.yimg: Big Blue Bus Terminal)

* New York - Bus racks fine, lower fares better

Delmar,NY,USA -Times Union First, letter by DANIEL LAWLOR -May 15, 2010: -- I recently saw that the Capital District Transportation Authority received $50,000 from the federal government and is using that money to install bicycle carriers on its buses... It would help the economy more if CDTA instead would lower the bus fares all around, so a great many more people could benefit from the federal largess. It seems that CDTA would rather generate more fares than help the economy, by offering a way that a few bicycle owners can benefit rather than all the people who use the buses every day... (Photo from mississaugacycling.ca: Bus bike rack)

Labels: opinion

6.5.09

OPINION * USA - Are buses the new way to go?

The question is whether the many no-frills, low-cost bus lines that are buzzing along highways in every region of the United States are causing more Americans to consider intercity travel

McLean,VA,USA -USA TODAY, by Bill McGee -30 April 2009: -- ... In recent years, dozens of cities throughout the country have seen an influx of what are generally called Chinatown bus lines or dragon buses. They operate under names such as Fung Wah, as well as Double Happiness/AA Bus, Lucky River, Lucky Star, USAsia, and many others. For some riders, such companies may have seemed to spring up overnight, since they're now ubiquitous in cities ranging from Boston to New York, Chicago to Detroit, and Las Vegas to Los Angeles... With little money spent on advertising or marketing, the dragon bus lines grew through word-of-mouth recommendations, particularly within ethnic communities. But they've quickly expanded, particularly in the busy Northeast corridor... At first the large network bus lines may have wanted to ignore the upstarts, but after a while that probably didn't seem like a feasible strategy. Consequently three motorcoach heavyweights entered the low-fare fray... One was the Stagecoach Group, the British transportation conglomerate, which launched Megabus (megabus.com/us) in the U.S. in 2006; currently the domestic brand operates from 30 cities in North America. Then last year Greyhound and Peter Pan teamed to introduce BoltBus (boltbus.com), which currently serves five destinations between Boston and Washington, D.C., and offers Wi-Fi access, power plug-ins, and even a frequent rider program... So what effect are all these low-fare bus lines having on the industry? According to the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data, more Americans are traveling more miles by bus, and those numbers have been steadily increasing in recent years. And several months ago, the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago released a policy study that found scheduled bus service—which had been declining for more than four decades—had fallen by 10.2% between 2002 and 2006. However, it then rose by 8.1% in 2007 and again by 9.8% in 2008. Evidence suggests such growth is continuing... All this indicates that Megabus seems to be the Southwest of bus lines. The Chaddick study concluded: "The renaissance of intercity bus service dates to May 1, 2006, when Megabus introduced service." In fact, that bus line's traffic grew by 97% between 2007 and 2008, and this January, Megabus boarded its 2 millionth customer... It's clear that on key routes many Americans are paying the lowest rates in decades for intercity bus travel... There's one more consideration for those who may not have considered bus travel a viable option: the state of the planet... When I researched carbon calculators for Consumer Reports last year, we found that buses were the most eco-friendly mode of transportation on certain routes. And there's no contest if you're comparing the carbon footprints of buses to cars. In fact, a recent study from the American Bus Association found motor coaches provide 206.6 passenger miles per gallon of fuel, compared to 92.4 for commuter rail and just 27.2 for single passenger cars... The Chaddick Institute estimates these new low-fare bus lines are reducing carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 36,000 tons a year. Who knew bus fumes were so good for the environment?... (Photo by Nam Y. Huh/AP: Megabus is one of the no-frills, low-cost lines helping more Americans to travel by motorcoach)

Labels: opinion

20.1.09

OPINION * USA - Transit Investment Fuels More Jobs

Oakland,CAL,USA -New America Media, by Carli Paine -Jan 19, 2009: -- ... Transit connects people and employers. It pollutes far less than cars. And, perhaps most important in this economic crisis, it creates and sustains jobs far better than the leading transportation investment option—highway construction... In fact, public transportation creates 19 percent more jobs than the same investment in building roads or highways, according to an analysis of a 2004 United States Department of Transportation jobs creation model... And, according to the California Transit Association, for every $1 billion invested in new public transit projects, some 31,400 jobs are created and $3 billion is pumped into the local economy... In the United States, transportation is the second highest household expense, after housing. But people who live in a neighborhood well served by public transportation are able to reduce their spending on transportation from 25 percent of their household budget to just 9 percent... With transportation contributing one-third of all global warming pollution nationally, it's clear that we need transportation solutions that give people reliable, affordable alternatives to driving for every trip. Public transportation produces 95 percent less carbon monoxide (CO), 90 percent less in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and about half as much carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), per passenger mile, as private vehicles... The national economy is faltering badly. It is time the federal government recognized and supported public transportation's role in propelling our economy into the 21st century...

Labels: opinion

22.2.08

OPINION * UK - Low Emission Zone London or Ken's tax on trucks

London,UK -Liberty Scott (New Zealand) -February 20, 2008: -- Since 4 February he has made ALL of London (yes not just central) a “Low Emission Zone”. What this means is that any lorry over 12 tonnes that enters any part of Greater London under the authority of the Greater London Authority must have an engine rated as being euro 3 or above, otherwise it faces a £200 charge. This tends to mean that lorries registered since October 1991 will be exempt, but those older than that will face the fee. Failure to pay will result in a fine of £1500... The scheme will cost £10 million to operate, and is costing £50 million to implement (figures quoted from BBC London) but its benefits are likely to be difficult to detect. The scheme will undoubtedly cost millions to businesses, as currently roadworthy lorries will need to be sold, or the fines and fees passed onto customers. Meanwhile, the lorries will likely be relocated to other parts of Britain, producing dirty emissions there! The scheme is to be extended to lorries down to 3.5 tonnes by July 2008, along with buses, coaches, minibuses, vans, motor caravans and ambulances. Cars are specifically not included, curiously...

Labels: opinion

18.2.08

OPINION * Sri Lanka - A better bus service

Ceylon,Sri Lanka -The Ceylon Daily News -17 Feb 2008: -- The decision by the Transport Ministry to stop issuing new permits for the operation of private buses is a prudent move, which will be received with a sigh of relief by commuters, motorists and the public in general... While having the effect of not adding to the already chaotic highway scene and easing congestion of vehicular traffic, the snowballing air pollution not to mention the dangers posed by the speeding merchants of death on our highways, the new move would also reduce the need for supplementing the existing fuel bill of the Government which is already burdened on many fronts due to rising oil prices in the world market... (Video from YouTube, by Tripmaitrop -April 16, 2007: "Sri Lanka bus in Colombo")

Labels: opinion

8.2.08

OPINION * USA - Plan for light rail, then renew bus tax

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority needs to develop a comprehensive transit plan before asking voters to renew the sales tax for buses

Kansas City,MO,USA -The Kansas City Star, by YAEL T. ABOUHALKAH -Feb. 06, 2008: -- ... The bid to extend Kansas City’s bus tax in April for 15 years at a cost of $375 million is suddenly in big trouble... Thank you, Mayor Mark Funkhouser... Shocking transit supporters, the mayor recently spoke the truth when he told a light-rail forum that suburbanites are “not going to invest in regional transit” led by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Instead, Funkhouser wants a different governing structure put in place... Given the ATA’s shortcomings in light-rail planning, an obvious question looms: Should Kansas City voters trust the ATA with $375 million at this time for its bus system?... The simple answer is no... (Photo: The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority needs to develop a comprehensive transit plan before asking voters to renew the sales tax for buses)

Labels: opinion

18.12.07

New buses * Canada - Just the first step

Major transit investments needed now to avert coming transportation crisis

Victoria,British Columbia,Canada -The Times Colonist -December 18, 2007: -- Count the addition of 16 new double-decker buses to B.C. Transit's fleet as a useful start on the much larger improvements needed to help the region escape a transportation mess... Transit says the new buses will be used to expand service and relieve overcrowding on peak runs. There have been increasing complaints about jammed buses unable to pick up waiting passengers. The new buses will add about seven per cent to system capacity... The $12.8-million purchase is welcome. But much more needs to be done to lure drivers out of their cars and on to the buses... Regional transit is trapped in a catch-22 situation familiar to many businesses. The service isn't adequate to attract new customers now commuting by car. Without more customers, it's difficult to justify -- or pay for -- expanded service... We could wait for mounting traffic congestion to reach a crisis point. But that would be foolish. The costs of congestion are already significant, as anyone who commutes from the West Shore can attest. The Capital Regional District projects a 50-per-cent growth in the number of daily trips within the region over the next 20 years, an indication of bigger problems ahead... The need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions adds to the urgency... (Debra Brash, Times ColonistPublic transit has a big role in helping the capital region avoid a traffic crisis)

Labels: opinion

15.3.07

OPINION * Canada - Changing trade patterns point to long-term challenge for trucking

Canada -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -15 Mar 2007: -- Costs for Canada’s largest carriers are continuing to rise faster than revenues and that should be cause for concern on two fronts... First, obviously, because cost containment is proving particularly difficult and will remain so because fuel prices remain volatile, equipment costs are on the rise due to the new emission standards for heavy duty truck engines and labor costs are expected to retain their upward momentum... A major concern for the long term has to be the change in trade patterns we’ve experienced since 2002... But this performance was almost completely offset by the slowdown in trade with our major trade partner and the engine of growth for many fleets over the past decade: the US... While serving the US market will obviously continue to be key to carrier revenues – it would be foolish to ignore our largest trade partner and the world’s largest economy – it may also be wise to start re-investing in the infrastructure necessary to serve our national economy. In fact domestic – and actually intra-provincial – traffic has been the fastest growing traffic the last few years...

Labels: opinion

20.2.07

OPINION * USA - Buses do keep our kids safe

So, be aware that it is all of our responsibilities to keep our children and our roads safe

Atmore,AL,USA -The Atmore Advance -Feb 19, 2007: -- The recent accidents involving school buses that have occurred throughout Escambia County are alarming... However, accidents do happen. Yes, it is very tragic that these particular instances involved children, but we must remember that accidents can happen to anyone... Our school bus drivers are trained professionals and parents should feel safe having their children riding in buses... It is very important that citizens of Atmore pay close attention to traffic rules at all times, but especially during the morning and afternoon hours that our beloved children are trying to get to and from school...

Labels: opinion