FIRST ARTICLE BUS TESTING

To assist transit operators in evaluating new bus designs and avoid untested vehicles, UMTA has supported development of a test plan covering safety, performance and reliability of the vehicle and major subsystems. Any use of this plan is voluntary. First article buses are defined as the first 10 units of the production line for delivery to a U.S. transit authority and are of a design that has not been used in U.S. revenue service or includes major changes in configuration or components critical to sustained revenue operations. The plan covers testing of standard, heavy-duty 35- or 40-ft transit buses but can be modified in any way a transit agency desires or can be used for testing vehicles of other configurations. A procurement can include first article buses although the test plan and costs would be subject to negotiation. The basic plan calls for manufacturers to perform nonrevenue tests and for the transit agency to make revenue tests. UMTA does not plan to become involved in testing or in funding the tests of newly designed buses. The test plan requires the transit agency to have data on comparable buses. Data would include mean mileage between subsystems failures, frequency of servicing, and man-hours required for servicing. Careful record keeping is required on the plan. Knowledge gained by using the test plan can help in developing future specifications.

• Corporate Authors:

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems, 400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 6 p.
• Serial:
  • Technical Assistance Briefs
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Urban Mass Transportation Administration

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Industries; Performance evaluations; Prototypes; Reliability; Safety; Specifications; Standardization; Testing; Transit operating agencies; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus design; Standard buses
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389860
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM