Buses are a common means of transportation in every country, serving both long and short-distance travelers. The vehicles are also used in institutions to ferry children and students. Because they are so common, most people don’t accord them the importance they deserve in the modern world. To appreciate what buses do for most of us, here are some interesting facts about them.
1. The Largest Bus Can Accommodate 256 People
Every year, auto manufacturers try to outshine each other when it comes to building huge buses. As such, the current holder of this title is the Autotram Extra-Grand. Made by Gospel & Fraunhofer, this bus is 101 feet long, which creates room for over 250 people. Other big buses include the Neoplan Jumbocruiser, which has a capacity of 170 people, and the DerBus, which is 80 meters long.
2. The Netherlands Built a Super Bus that Has a Speed of 250 km/h
The average maximum speed of a bus is 80 km/h. That means they are super slow compared to other modes of transport. In the Netherlands, however, they built a super bus that can reach a speed of 250 km/h.
It doesn’t look like the typical rectangular-shaped bus; its shape has been enhanced to promote aerodynamics. This super bus is 15 meters tall and can accommodate only 23 passengers. Please note that the super bus isn’t the fastest in the world. That record belongs to Paul Stender, who installed a GE J-79 jet engine on a bus and attained a record-breaking speed of 590 km/h.
3. School Busses Were Painted Yellow to Facilitate Easy Reading of the Signage
In most countries, school buses have a distinct yellow paint job, a mandatory requirement for institutions. The reason that the committee chose yellow is because it makes the black letters on the bus easy to read. As a result, parents, students, and other motorists can easily distinguish a school bus from a regular bus in the early hours of the morning.
4. Double Decker Buses Originated in France
While the UK is the first country that comes to mind when people think about double-decker buses, these unique vehicles first came from France. The first double-decker horse-drawn omnibus was launched in 1853 in Paris.
Towards the beginning of the 1900s, the horse-drawn buses were motorized. They later found their way into Great Britain, where they became famous. Historians claim that the first double-decker bus to be introduced in London was in the 1920s.
5. There’s a Bus in the UK that is Powered by Human Waste
In 2014, the UK introduced the Bio-Bus. This vehicle is powered solely by human feces and food waste. It was invented as a way to deviate from the reliance on gas. Though powered by poop, the Bio-Bus is fitted on a Scania chassis which accommodates 40 passengers.
6. People are Still Turning School Buses into RVs
The trend of turning school buses into recreational vehicles (RVs) started in 2010. It fell off during the Coronavirus pandemic but has picked up again. On social media, people in many countries are buying old-school buses and converting them into RVs. This is popular amongst minimalists and people who enjoy spending time on the road. One of the perks of RVs is that they are easier to personalize than an already-built RV.
7. School Buses Do Not Require Seat Belts
The common assumption is that all vehicles must have seat belts. Interestingly, that does not apply to school buses and other types of buses. There are a couple of reasons for this. Buses are heavy and slow. Therefore, there is no risk of being thrown out of the windows in the event of a crash. Secondly, school buses face heavy regulations such as speed limits, so safety is guaranteed. Not forgetting that school buses are raised, so the seats are out of danger. As a result, most school buses are not fitted with seat belts.
8. The First Bus Lane was Built in Chicago
Because buses would get stuck in traffic and delay people on the roads, Chicago decided to build a bus lane in 1940. That made them the first state to create such a provision. In the UK, where buses are a standard means of transport, bus lanes were built in the 1960s.
9. There is a Triple Decker Bus in Pakistan
When auto manufacturers saw double-decker buses, they took things a notch higher and introduced triple-deckers. This was mostly done by American manufacturers in the mid-20th century. However, this trend faded before the Harry Potter franchise was introduced in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
After this movie, three-decker buses were almost forgotten until a company in Pakistan introduced the Al Munir Super International Limousine Plus Sleeper. It has two decks, and at the bottom, near the tires, there are doors leading to sleeping pods or compartments.
10. London Buses Had Other Colors
When buses were introduced in London, they had all sorts of colors depending on the company they were under. However, the red color was used by the LGOC company, which wanted to stand out. Because they had so many buses on the road, in 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board decided to stick to a standard color for all buses.
11. Turkey Is Among the Countries With the Highest Number of Buses
Based on a survey of 33 countries, Turkey stood out with the highest number of buses. It was estimated that this country had 666,269 buses. Other countries with a notable number of buses include Poland and the United Kingdom.
12. There Used to Be a Bus Service from London to Calcutta
In 1957, a bus service ferried passengers from London to Calcutta in India. This was the longest bus route then, and a single trip could last 50 days. These buses would pass through Belgium and Yugoslavia, making several stops. A one-way trip was around 16,000 km (10000 miles).