CITY BUSES FOR THE 1980'S

The author reviews some of the latest designs for city buses. He points out that all too often city buses have been designed to suit everybody except passengers and other road users - they were primarily designed to suit traffic and engineering staff. Most of the double-deckers entering service today in Britain are models conceived at least 10 years ago and are beginning to show their age, (e.g. The Metropolitan and Ailsa). The Leyland Titan is said to represent the new thinking in the bus industry. The rear mounted engine is totally enclosed to keep noise levels down, and the standard gearbox is a fully automatic unit with an integral retarder to reduce brake lining wear and reduce dependence on the wheel brakes. For the passenger the integral construction allows a low entrance step. Extensive Leyland research into human factors has been reflected in the design and layout of the passenger area. There is an ergonomically designed compartment and power steering for the driver. The author briefly reviews other British and European city buses currently in use. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Motor Truck Association Incorporated

  262 Washington Street
  Boston, MA  United States  02108
• Authors:
  • Booth, G
• Publication Date: 1978

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 20-24
• Serial:
  • MODERN TRANSPORT
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brakes; Bus transit; Buses; Central business districts; Comfort; Design; Ergonomics; Gears; Human factors; Passengers; Vehicle design; Vehicle power plants; Vehicle rear end
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus transportation (Intracity); Rear engined vehicles
• ITRD Terms: 9138: Comfort; 9011: Design (overall design); 2029: Ergonomics; 311: Town centre; 8119: United Kingdom; 1715: Vehicle occupant
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00184316
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 1978 12:00AM