Bus is a vehicle that carries passengers along streets and highways. Millions of people depend on buses to transport them to and from school, shopping areas, and work. Many people also take buses for special group trips or to travel between towns.
In many countries, including the United States, buses are the most common form of mass transportation. Bus travel reduces the number of automobiles on the road, and so improves traffic flow, saves fuel, and reduces air pollution. Buses cost less to operate and use less fuel to carry a passenger a given distance than do most other passenger vehicles. Buses also have a good safety record, especially compared with cars. In less developed countries, bus travel is one of the cheapest forms of motorized transportation.
Manufacturers build buses in various sizes and styles. Buses may seat as few as 8 passengers or as many as 70. Most run on diesel fuel, gasoline, or liquefied petroleum gas. Some local buses operate on electric power. Some buses are articulated—that is, they consist of two sections that are connected by a flexible cover. Double-deck buses are common in many European countries, and they are often used for sightseeing. Over-the-road buses are equipped for traveling long distances. They generally have an elevated passenger deck over a baggage compartment. Such buses are also called motor coaches in North America, and coaches in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries.
Kinds of bus service
There are four chief kinds of bus services. They are provided by (1) intercity buses, (2) local-transit buses, (3) school buses, and (4) special buses.
Intercity buses
carry passengers, mail, and packages between cities or towns. Trips between cities may be as short as an hour or as long as several days. Intercity buses provide the only form of mass transportation between many cities, towns, and rural areas.
Local-transit buses
operate only within a specific area, such as the boundaries of a city or county. In large cities and metropolitan areas, bus lines carry thousands of people to and from their jobs each workday. Some people use buses because they do not own a car. Others find it easier or less expensive to take a bus than to drive. Many cities encourage people to travel by bus rather than by car. In many cities, buses have their own highway lanes to speed commuters to work. Local-transit bus services may be managed by a city or local government as a public service. Some are subsidized (supported) with money from local or national taxes.
School buses
carry students to and from school. They are operated either by the schools themselves or by companies under contract to the schools. In the United States, most school buses have a bright yellow-orange color and warning lights.
Special buses
include shuttle buses, charter and tour buses, and sightseeing buses. Shuttle buses make short runs from one point to another, such as between buildings on a university campus, or between a hotel and an airport. Charter and tour buses are hired for group trips. Sightseeing buses follow special routes to show local sights to visitors.
Bus regulations
In many countries, regulations govern bus fares, routes, and services run by both private and public transportation companies. Bus drivers usually have to pass special driving and medical tests. Other regulations deal with such matters as speed limits, the number of passengers that a bus may carry, vehicle safety standards, and the hours a bus driver may work. In the United States, each state licenses bus drivers in accordance with both its own and federal standards and specifies the height, length, weight, and speed of intercity and local-transit buses within its borders.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, requires public transportation systems in the United States to ensure that new or renovated buses operating over fixed routes be accessible to disabled riders. These buses must include such features as lifts for people in wheelchairs and signs in braille for blind riders. Private over-the-road bus companies must provide disabled-accessible buses on demand. School buses are not covered by the ADA.
History
The first city buses, which were drawn by horses, appeared in Paris in 1662. Beginning in the early 1800’s, in Europe and the United States, horse-drawn buses were called omnibuses, from a Latin word that means for all. Buses powered by gasoline engines first appeared in Germany in the 1890’s. These early buses were automobiles lengthened to hold extra passengers. The first regular bus service in the United States began in New York City in 1905. Poor roads and the hard, solid rubber tires of the buses made bus travel uncomfortable. Improved roads and air-filled tires soon made buses more pleasant to ride. Intercity and local bus service grew rapidly during the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Bus services began to decline in industrialized countries in the 1950’s as more people bought their own automobiles. In addition, airplanes have become the chief means of transportation for long trips. Nevertheless, local-transit bus services will continue to be a popular form of mass transportation worldwide.
See also Transit .
