BUSRide March / April 2016

MARCH / APRIL | 2016

BUSRIDE.COM $5.00

O F F I C I A L

Ford Transit BUSRide Road Test:

by Mobility Transportation Services

The BISC Report

p10

The future of in-vehicle surveillance p20 Testing ensures accessibility p 33

inside

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MARCH / APRIL 2016 CONTENTS

16 busride.com

COVER STORY Official BUSRide Road Test: Ford Transit by Mobility Transportation Services

16

Three small community transit agencies have already given this specially up-fitted Transit their hearty approval

By David Hubbard

FEATURES Focus On: Fare Collection

11

Genfare, INIT, Trapeze Group and Thales Group spotlight revenue management

Security and Surveillance Roundtable

20

Experts from Seon and Advantech discuss comprehensive video surveillance in 2016

Echo and AFC dish up Texas-sized transportation

22

22

Echo Transportation’s partnerships resonate throughout Texas – and beyond

By ABC Companies

BUSRide Safe Driver Hall of Fame

27

Presented by Prevost, the Hall of Fame honors Chuck Pona

Irizar has come to America

28

INA Bus Sales is the exclusive distributor and support for the Spanish bus builder’s i6 and i6 Super Cargo

By David Hubbard

Prevost appoints new president

33 EQUAL ACCESS

32

Raymond Leduc will oversee the Nova Bus, Prevost and Volvo bus brands in North America

Key ELD questions answered 40 What operators need to know as the rule becomes law

By Mike McDonal

By Robert Portney

34 THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

27

By Doug Jack

37 INSURANCE BASICS

By Tim O’Bryan

38 SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE

By Steven Winnefeld

39 TRANSIT

By Mark Anderson

COLUMNS 6

By George Kalet

DAVID HUBBARD

10 THE BISC REPORT

By Stephen Evans

19 A NEW LOOK @ TRANSIT TECH 31 BEHIND THE WHEEL 4

41 FOCUS ON: CNG

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

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DAVID HUBBARD

Stephen Evans joins BUSRide as BISC columnist This issue marks a debut of sorts for the Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC), as we welcome BISC Chairman Stephen Evans as columnist in a new series he is writing for BUSRide, which the Pacific Western Group of Companies, Calgary, AB, Canada, is presenting on behalf of BISC and the American Bus Association (ABA).

Evans serves Pacific Western as vice president of safety, drawing on his extensive background in safety management for the aviation and highway transportation industries, and countless affiliations with safety organizations. In November 2014, he stepped up as the chair of the Bus Industry Safety Council for a two-year term.

The Pacific Western Group of Companies operates a fleet of over 3,000 buses in motorcoach, transit, and school bus operations in Canada and relies on Evans for his guidance in ensuring the company’s abiding commitment to safety and encompassing core value that its employees and customers always return Safely Home.

As one of ABA’s several affiliated councils, the BISC mission is to raise safety awareness to truly quantifiable levels within the bus and coach industries through the collaborative efforts of its member professionals in workshops and educational environments.

Founded in 1999, the council has met regularly twice a year to help the industry better understand and improve in all areas of safety by bringing federal administrators, state officials and industry operators and vendors together to assess all the details and ramifications; sharing information, communicating openly and arriving at a plan.

I will be as anxious as the next BUSRide reader waiting to see what angle Evans will touch on as his columns unfold through the year, offering his takeaways from the BISC meetings, his “barometric” readings on safety in our industry and his wry challenges to the membership.

David Hubbard Associate Publisher BUSRide Magazine

busride.com VOL. 52 • NO. 3

Richard Tackett Editor in Chief rtackett@busride.com David Hubbard Associate Publisher dhubbard@busride.com Steve Gamble Art Director sgamble@busride.com Judi Victor CEO & Publisher Director of Sales jvfly@busride.com Kevin Boorse Business Manager kboorse@busride.com Blair McCarty Sales & Marketing Coordinator bmccarty@busride.com

BUS industry SAFETY council

A publication of:

BUSRide Magazine 4742 North 24th Street, STE 340 Phoenix, Arizona 85016 Phone: (602) 265-7600 Fax: (602) 277-7588 www.busride.com BUSRide™ Magazine is published 8 times each year by Power Trade Media, a division of The Producers, Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription Rates: United States and Mexico $39 (USD) one year, Canada $42 (USD) one year (GST included), all other countries $75 one year, single issue United States $5 (USD), all other countries $6 (USD). All articles in BUSRide™ Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher.

For reprints of 100 or more, contact Judi Victor at (602) 265-7600 ext. 125. Copyright 2016 by Power Trade Media. No advertisement or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed as an endorsement, and no warranty is made or implied by Power Trade Media Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but no warranty is made or implied, and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions.

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

busride.com

UPDATE

Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification has completed a project with The City of McAllen’s Transit Department to install WAVE technology on two buses

Bus, ElDorado National-California, ElDorado National-Kansas, Federal Coach, Goshen Coach and Krystal.

“I am thrilled that John is taking this leadership role within REV Bus,” said Marcus Berto, executive vice president of REV. “John has done a tremendous job in a short period of time as the division’s vice president. John’s extensive background in the bus industry positions him well to lead the division.”

Walsh recently served as vice president of sales for REV Bus. Prior to joining REV, Walsh worked for Mobility Ventures LLC (MV-1) and for ARBOC Specialty Vehicles where he held the positions of vice president of sales and marketing. Walsh earned his bachelor’s degree from Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

“I am extremely excited to accept this position,” Walsh said.

“Having an association with the REV Bus brands for almost 30 years has given me the foundation to lead the division. I’m looking forward to working together with our employees and dealers to continue to bring market-leading products and services to our customers.”

WAVE Technology install completed for CCW delivers final ZEPS bus to IndyGo McAllen electric buses Complete Coach Works (CCW) announced it has delivered

Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE) has completed a project with The City of McAllen’s Transit Department, Metro McAllen (McAllen), to install WAVE technology on two buses that include an all-electric, Zero-Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS) provided by Complete Coach Works (CCW).

WAVE technology transfers power through the air, from embedded charging pads placed in the pavement to the vehicle’s undercarriage 7 to 8 inches above, minimizing the need for on-board power storage.

“This project has been a long time coming,” said Mario Delgado, transit director for McAllen. “The predominant reason it made sense for us was that it will allow us to charge our buses while they are in service. It will be idle while it’s stopped over the pad, but we won’t have to pull the bus out of service to charge it. We will be able to complete one full day with the inductive charging, so it’s just very convenient. We will give our bus the range it needs during a whole day without disturbing our service. The WAVE in-route charging roughly doubles the range of the bus on a given day.”

An embedded charging pad has been placed in the asphalt at one of the McAllen stops so that the bus route will be unchanged. The embedded pads will measure about three square-feet. The pads are flat and seamlessly blend with the asphalt causing no harm to anyone or anything that pass over it.

“The bus will arrive over the charging pad every hour, initiating a layover of about 10-15 minutes so that the bus can charge, causing no disruption to the route,” Delgado said.

When asked about the relationship with WAVE, Delgado said, “It’s been a very good working relationship. There is a level of respect and trust between us and it’s worked well.”

REV Group names John Walsh president of REV Bus Division REV Group, Inc. (REV), a leading manufacturer of motor vehicles for commercial, fire and emergency, and recreation markets, announced that John Walsh has been named president of REV Bus Division (REV Bus). REV Bus provides several of the industry’s leading brands including Champion Bus, Collins

the last of the 21 rehabilitated ZEPS-powered electric buses to Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo).

As the world’s first and only of its kind, the remanufactured ZEPS bus is rebuilt with lightweight flooring, low-resistance tires, and energy-efficient heating and cooling, while ensuring a reach of 130 mile range on a single battery charge. Each 40foot electric bus carries 36 seated passengers plus standees and is equipped with air-operated doors, brakes, suspension, hydraulic power-steering, stainless steel bike racks, LED lighting and lightweight seats.

“The buses look remarkable, almost like brand new buses,” said Victoria Learn, director of maintenance at IndyGo. The ZEPS-powered buses create significant carbon savings by eliminating activities involved in manufacturing a new bus.

IndyGo now has the largest remanufactured electric fleet in the country. The rehabbed buses were acquired at a fraction of the cost of new all-electric buses, helping minimize cost and environmental impact.

“IndyGo is proud to be a transit leader in alternative energy,” said IndyGo President and CEO Mike Terry.” We feel it’s important to push the envelope and utilize newer technologies to make our operation as efficient as possible.”

ZEPS electric buses also: • Reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil • Use electricity from the grid, a renewable energy source • Serve as a viable alternative to fossil fuels • Eliminate hazardous waste and reduce air pollution “With this project, our focus was a reduction of fossil fuels, providing a cleaner, quieter ride for our passengers,” Learn said.

“The community loves that there is less pollution emitted in the atmosphere and it is a much quieter ride.”

“We at CCW are excited and honored to have been selected through a competitive bidding process for the IndyGo project,” said Jay Raber, regional sales manager for CCW. “We value their business and relationship and look forward to the opportunity of working together again in the future. We are happy to be a part of the continued evolution of transit.”

busride.com | BUSRIDE

7

UPDATE

Fed rate hike likely to spur spending on infrastructure and transit maintenance projects While the recent move by the Federal Reserve to raise its key interest rate by .25 percent was widely expected, what may come as a surprise is that the marginally higher cost of borrowing Stertil-Koni President Dr. Jean associated with such a move DellAmore said rising rates could may actually spur new capital actually spur new investment expenditures on a broad range of infrastructure projects, notably vehicle maintenance facilities serving municipalities and transit agencies across the U.S. “It’s apparent that the Fed is telegraphing that it will be patient with future rate increases,” said Dr. Jean DellAmore, president of Stertil-Koni, a major player in the field of providing heavy duty vehicle lifting systems. “After all, the recovery is far from robust.”

“At the same time,” he continued, “in what could appear to be an economic example of inverse logic, the specter of increased borrowing costs may actually have a positive impact – potentially driving municipalities to lock-in their cost of borrowing for new capital projects now, but with a caveat – the projects must be costeffective. In essence, the central bank’s action creates a sense of urgency, and that in turn will contribute to greater economic growth.”

For its part, Stertil-Koni embraces the trend.

The company recently introduced a new version of its highly regarded in-ground telescopic piston lifting system, the DIAMOND LIFT, but with a twist. The new approach, called the “Frame Version,” has been engineered for replacement situations, rather than new construction. The DIAMOND Frame Version is designed to work in existing concrete foundations and efficiently address what may be tens of thousands of old, single-stage hydraulic lifts that are literally rotting away in America’s workshops. Many are likely no longer viable and some may present environmental and safety hazards.

“The bottom line is that big public projects will continue,” DellAmore said. “However, cost controls will likely play an even larger role in securing approvals for local governments, state agencies and municipalities across the country.”

Florida regional revenue collection project awarded to INIT Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), the lead procuring agency of the local Regional Working Group (RWG) in Tampa, FL, has awarded INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. the contract for a region-wide electronic fare management system. The RWG consists of eight county transit agencies from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco, Polk, and Sarasota. Additional project partners include the TBARTA and FDOT who have come together to procure the state-of-the–art e-fare system.

The contract between INIT and the RWG will involve the deployment of an integrated fare system using account-based

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

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busride.com

UPDATE

HART has awarded INIT the contract for a regionwide electronic fare management system.

smart cards and mobile ticketing. INIT’s passenger terminals, PROXmobil3, will be installed on more than 600 buses for the validation of the new fare media.

“The Regional Working Group is excited to bring this innovative system to our riders,“ said Jeff Seward, HART CFO. “It will move our region into the future of transit fare collection and allow our riders an unparalleled, flexible rider experience. The project will provide great value to our region, improve on time performance, and reduce costs.”

INIT will also supply a back-end clearing and processing system (MOBILEvario) to facilitate the management of the RWG’s individual customer accounts, setting of fare rules, revenue processing and statistical evaluation reporting. MOBLEvario will benefit the RWG

by allowing them to provide a seamless fare structure across eight counties while ensuring the secure administration of each agency’s data.

Also included in the project are Interactive voice response (IVR) applications and new enhanced web portals to allow customers to check their balances, register their cards and load values, as well as manage mobile payment applications using their smartphones.

Once completed, this regional fare system will be a major shift on how the RWG provides fare options for their riders. The RWG’s partnership with INIT will allow them to provide passengers with a more convenient payment experience and attract new riders who will be able to travel across a wider service area covering approximately 4,100 square miles.

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busride.com | BUSRIDE

9

The BISC Report

presented by The Pacific Western Group of Companies

Safety is not a Laugh-In matter — and that’s the truth!

The “Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award” handed out on the 1960s TV show Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In lambasted celebrities and organizations that had done something questionable. Sorry, but I’m thinking the bus and motorcoach industry might qualify.

Oh sure, we can rattle off all the right catch phrases — the importance of safety; how we put safety first and how passenger safety is our number one priority. But when it comes to walking the walk, it is apparent that many of us are not paying attention to the two simple steps we must take.

1. Provide pre-trip safety briefings to our passengers.

2. Train drivers to manage on road passenger transfers and emergency evacuations.

These two procedures are not particularly complex or difficult. They don’t cost much, and large and small operators alike can carry them out.

So why the inconsistency? Maybe we just don’t think anything will happen to us. Bad stuff only happens to those operators who skip steps, cut corner and put themselves at risk. Right?

Besides, why bother going through the motions when our passengers never seem to care much and pay little attention during the briefing?

By Stephen Evans Chairman, Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC)

The Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) is an affiliate in the American Bus Association (ABA) group of councils created to elevate the level of safety in the intercity bus and motorcoach industry through the collaborative efforts of all professionals committed to the highest standards of action and conduct in all operations.

Stephen Evans serves as vice president of safety, Pacific Western Group of Companies, Calgary, AB, Canada. As presenting sponsor of the BISC report, Pacific Western operates more than 3,000 buses in motorcoach, transit, and school bus operations throughout Canada, for which safety is first on the list of core values that define every action and decision in support of its 4,100 employees and customers, and ensures at the end of the day everyone always returns Safely Home.

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

The dangers are real and the consequences can be deadly.

The fact is, the reason drivers think no one is listening and the briefings are not working is because people under stress quite often default to what has been repeatedly drilled into their consciousness. It may seem like they are not listening, but the message is seeping in — and will make all the difference in circumstances where they need this information.

The reality is that despite the best of intentions of the best operators, every day throughout North America hundreds of buses and motorcoaches become disabled on the side of the road.

Some only need to transfer passengers to another bus, while others may require an emergency evacuation. Nonetheless, in any situation passengers must have some idea for what to do, and someone to lead and manage the necessary procedures. Even those simple passenger transfers on the side of the road carry a huge potential for disaster from passing vehicles. The dangers are real; the consequences can turn deadly.

The NTSB investigation into a tragic 2014 multi-fatality crash involving a tractor-trailer unit and a motorcoach found that many passengers in the smoke and heat of the post-crash fire became confused and panicked. I know firsthand how this feels. Years ago during my aviation safety training, I attended an FAA Cabin Safety workshop and can still vividly remember how disorienting, confusing and stressful it is trying to evacuate a cabin full of smoke.

As chair of BISC, I threw down the gauntlet in January during ABA Marketplace and challenged the more than 200 ABA, BISC and IMG representatives to set a worthier example for the industry. My challenge to them was to go back to their organizations and ensure: 1. Operators conduct comprehensive pre-trip passenger safety briefings more effectively with greater consistency.

2. Drivers know how to manage transfers and evacuations by protecting the scene, directing passengers and ensuring they gather together in a safe area.

I will follow up at our BISC summer meeting in June by asking for their reports. My guess is that many will find that although they have policies and procedures in place, operators are not carrying them consistently in the real world.

Let’s face it, safety issues are often complex, confusing, technical, and occasionally even a little mystical. But, these two simple steps are not. Carrying them out will save lives. Helpful resources such as pamphlets, seat-back cards, audio messages and DVD videos are available from either the FMCSA or ABA/BISC websites.

“And that’s the truth!” — to quote Lily Tomlin’s Laugh-In character Edith Ann.

busride.com

FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION Revenue Management “Focus On: Fare Collection” highlights the benefits of various modes of fare collection, as well as addressing the best practices associated with each. This month’s featured installment is centered on revenue management, an essential element of any modern fare system.

Coordinating agency revenue is one of the most important things a comprehensive fare collection system can accomplish, so it’s no surprise that the systems and technology involved are becoming increasingly complex.

Streamlining processes and simplifying busywork can make not only agency revenue management, but transit service altogether more efficient.

For this installment, BUSRide called for contributions from revenue management experts Thales Group, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France; Genfare, Elk Grove Village, IN; INIT, Karlsruhe, Germany; and Trapeze Group, Mississauga, ON, Canada.

Thales Group says its open and scalable architecture allows authorities to migrate smoothly to an interoperable, multimodal, multi-operator fare management solution.

Highlighting the benefits of today’s cuttingedge systems, the company lists some criteria to look for when purchasing a new system.

Genfare builds from roots that date back to 1880 and the invention of the fi rst farebox by Johnson Farebox Company, which acquired Cleveland Farebox in 1938. In this chapter, the company explores best practices that agencies can implement now in order to better manage revenue and enhance customer service.

INIT is a worldwide leading supplier of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and electronic ticketing systems for public transportation. As a supplier of turnkey systems, INIT develops, produces, installs, and maintains integrated hardware and software solutions for all key tasks required by transportation companies. Stan Craft, system architect for INIT, gives agencies five questions to ask when planning an E-Fare strategy.

Trapeze Group is a provider of solutions to the public passenger transportation industry, creating, delivering and supporting software solutions and services that make it easier for transportation agencies to manage their complex, day-to-day business operations.

This month, Floyd Diaz of Trapeze Group predicts that account-based systems are paving the way for open payments.

Thank you for joining BUSRide as we continue to “Focus On: Fare Collection!”

busride.com | BUSRIDE

11

FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

What to look for in a revenue management solution

By Andrea Hintz Comprehensive fare collection systems make public transport more attractive for users and more cost-effective for operators. They provide seamless travel, shorter wait times and better environmental performance as well as reliable data collection for revenue protection and Transport systems that are more convenient resource planning. for travelers are also easier to operate on a Here are a few critical day-to-day basis. areas to focus on when updating or acquiring a fare collection system with cutting-edge revenue management capabilities.

Passenger convenience Fare collection systems should encourage people to use public transport rather than being an additional obstacle. Focus on passenger-centric solutions and services to provide convenient access to transport with minimum wait times. These can include in-pocket solutions, acceptance of EMV and non-EMV bank cards at validators and turnstiles, and barcode acceptance for home-printed tickets.

Interoperability Interoperability can be a complex technical challenge, but passengers expect simplicity. They want to be able to pay with a single account or fare type regardless of the mode of transport they use. Make sure that the fare solution provider helps your agency in defining its interoperability requirements, implementing rules and managing deployment.

Ease of operation Transport systems that are more convenient for travelers are also easier to operate on a day-to-day basis. Fare collection solutions should be designed to optimize network configuration, monitoring, deployment, maintenance and upgrades to enhance the overall costeffectiveness of the transport system.

Safety A flexible, modular design provides the levels of safety, security, reliability and throughput required in mass transit applications today.

The traditional multi-beam sensors used in conventional ticket gates can be replaced with a single 3D camera per gate, improving passenger flows whilst reducing equipment requirements and ensuring greater safety and security at optimized cost.

Eco-design Thales products are developed and manufactured in facilities that comply with the strictest international environmental protection regulations. Thales devices are designed to reduce the overall carbon 12

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

footprint of fare collection systems, with lower power consumption, more effective idle mode management and innovative solutions such as built-in batteries and detection sensors to activate certain features only when needed.

Focus on passenger-centric solutions and services to provide convenient access to transport with minimum wait times.

Aesthetics Fare collection devices play an important role in the public’s perception of transit agencies and transport operators. Excellent visual integration in stations and on-board vehicles contributes to the modern, high-tech look and feel of the public transport environment.

The open systems approach Systems architects and suppliers The open systems approach involves using industry standards as extensively as possible and making system interface documentation readily available to customers for third-party component integration.

The open-systems approach ensures that providers obtain the bestperforming and most cost-effective solutions.

Turnkey integrator A comprehensive approach to equipment and systems design reduces agency risk and total cost of ownership by guaranteeing the overall coherence of fare collection solutions in single-mode, single-operator as well as complex multimodal environments. These scalable solutions are designed to support increases in capacity, both organically over time and during surges in usage, to support changing demand and evolving ridership patterns.

Security expertise The need for security management is the direct corollary of the open-systems approach, because transport operators need solid assurances about revenue protection and integrity. With the emergence of open payment fare collection, security has become even more important, further strengthening Thales’s positioning as the revenue protection partner of choice for transit agencies and transport operators worldwide.

Interested in a demo? Meet Thales at booth #314 at the APTA 2016 Fare Collection & Revenue Management Summit and TransITech Conference Showcase, April 12, San Diego, CA. Thales Transport & Security, Inc. is part of the Thales group, one of the world’s top suppliers of systems, solutions, equipment and services for mobility on railways, roads and public networks. Visit www.thalesgroup.com.

busride.com

FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

Account-based systems pave the way for open payments Using bank cards, non-proprietary devices and the acceptance of mobile wallets are key to the future of fare collection

By Floyd Diaz As more and better wireless technologies for public transit are developed and agencies’ competencies and commitment to integrating mobile data evolve, account-based systems for fare collection - both smart card and mobile ticketing - are gaining in popularity, and with good reason.

Account-based systems offer several clear advantages to agencies, which want to create more efficient and secure payment systems, and to increasingly mobile-savvy passengers, who are demanding more flexible fare and payment options. With open payments, riders can also use their credit or debit card to pay for their trip adding an extra level of convenience.

At the same time, the business opportunities of open payments systems, such as the digital wallet solutions recently introduced

by Apple, Samsung and a number of others, are creating the perfect environment for open payments to become the de facto standard for accepting payment in public transit and everywhere else.

Since July of 2014, Apple, Google, PayPal, Amazon, Samsung and others have all launched open payment solutions of their own. Revenue from mobile payments solutions in the U.S. and EU is growing at a staggering 42 percent per year – on track to total more than $90 billion in 2016.

According to a recent VentureBeat article, secure open payments via mobile now account for 7 percent of all e-commerce sales, a sevenfold increase since 2010, and will rise to more than 50 percent in the next three years – meaning revenue from open mobile payments systems will, by 2018, account for more than half of the world’s digital revenue.

Many of the benefits of an account-based system, and the ability to capture and use data from wireless techs, have direct application to the future of open payments, including: • Flexible fare options including customer retention loyalty programs and capped fares. Keeping existing passengers is just as important as attracting new ones. By creating partnerships with local business owners who offer discounts and other special considerations to public transit passengers, agencies help to foster a more positive experience for passengers, while also strengthening ties to local business owners.

In a similar vein, capped fares are popular with passengers because they allow for flexible use of transit services for a fixed fee. This allows the passenger to travel throughout a day, or week, without the requirement to buy extra tickets, or worry about spending more than they need to, always knowing that they are going to get the best possible fare. The simplicity of these types of transactions and the opportunity to learn from the business intelligence (BI) data they produce is of great value in developing ideal open payments solutions.

• Commercial rules are consolidated in the back office. By consolidating fare rules in the back office environment and fulfilling transactions

Account-based systems for fare collection - including mobile ticketing - are gaining in popularity.

from account-based systems automatically, the burden on vehicle operators and others who collect fares from passengers (e.g. ticket window staff) are reduced. More importantly, the need to warehouse data for long periods of time is mitigated and front office staff are allowed a window into real-time fare collection data - a critical step for implementing advanced BI solutions down the road and providing riders their rewards and benefits immediately. Open payment systems in transit will build from this BI to create new fare offerings based on a passenger’s travel data as it relates to different modes, routes, schedules and contextual circumstances.

• The devices required are non-proprietary and ubiquitous. By moving away from a walled-garden approach to collecting, integrating and sharing data across the enterprise, the agency benefits in several ways: First, by increasing interoperability across different intelligent transit systems (both in-house and third party); Second, by reducing the expense of provisioning fare collection (non-proprietary devices are uniformly less expensive to implement and easier to maintain than proprietary solutions), and finally by leveraging the smartphones and other mobile devices that most passengers now have, to allow them to discover, query, select and pay for fares in a manner with which they are very familiar.

This last point, connecting via mobile technologies and experiences that the passenger understands and feels comfortable using, is essential to understand because the frequency, volume and value of open payment methods are skyrocketing.

Surely, this extraordinary shift in how consumers want to pay for things will manifest itself in the public transit industry as well.

Account-based systems for fare collection are a crucial step in allowing public transit agencies to scale their operations in order to accept open payments. This is a critical time for agencies to evolve their fare collection solutions in advance of a time, coming very soon, when support for passenger’s mobility and digital wallets move from “nice to have” fare collection solutions to the preferred form of digital payments worldwide.

Floyd Diaz is director of Automatic Fare Collection at Trapeze Group, where he is responsible for developing long term strategic initiatives that will facilitate Trapeze’s market growth in the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) domain.

Visit www.trapezegroup.com.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

13

FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

QUESTIONS to ask when planning an E-Fare strategy

By Stan Craft

T

here are many reasons to implement an Electronic Fare Management (EFM) system. The riding public enjoys the benefits of convenient methods of purchasing tickets, faster boarding and the simplicity of switching between transport modes. Transit agencies benefit through increased ridership, operational efficiencies, reduced costs and greater security. However, selecting an electronic fare collection system requires a high level of planning, coordination and cooperation between all parties involved. This article explains the basics of EFM, the technologies involved and the five questions to ask potential vendors while planning an E-Fare strategy.

EFM systems are typically comprised of the following components: • Fare media • Devices to read / write media • Depot / station ticket vending machines • Back office systems • Relationship with central clearing houses

Mobile tickets reduce the production and distribution costs connected with traditional paper-based ticketing channels and increase customer convenience.

Visually-validated tickets require the driver’s assistance by examining the time and date stamp on the ticket. Barcode-based tickets require a laser scanner and QR code-based tickets require a camera based imager.

Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) bank cards are the future of e-fare. EMV is a technical standard for smart payment cards, payment terminals and automated teller machines. These smartcards (also called chip cards) store their data on integrated circuits rather than magnetic stripes, although many EMV cards also have stripes for backward compatibility.

Fare media – As technology changes rapidly, the choice of electronic fare media is crucial to not only how the new system will be accepted today, but also, what the system will look like 10 or 15 years down the road. Ten years from now, will decisions show that the agency chose technologies able to keep pace with the trends of the future?

Contact and contactless Smartcards offer identity information, authentication and data storage. Contact Smartcards must be inserted into a reader while contactless Smartcards offer the advantage of operating in the proximity of the reader by using radio frequency (RF) induction technology. Smartcards may come in the form of electronic wallets where the smartcard chip is “loaded” with funds. This media eliminates the need for a real-time connection to a bank or central system. Smartcards require the agency to set up issuing mechanisms such as kiosks and / or customer service centers, as well as devices to read and write to the media.

Based on their flexibility and security, ID-based Smartcards provide benefits for both the agency and their riders. With ID-based smartcards, a tiny embedded microchip generates a unique code specific to the rider each time the card is used. The card is linked to a rider’s account where their information and subsequent fare calculations are processed. Security is greater with ID-based cards since the rider’s identification and payment information are safely stored in the back-office system. If the card is lost or stolen, it can simply be blocked and reissued. ID-based cards also benefit the agency by providing a more comprehensive view of riding patterns. This data will help the agency identify and tailor services around high-usage times and locations. ID-based smart cards reduce boarding time at the stops and the use of cash fares.

Mobile ticketing is the process whereby customers can order, pay for, obtain and/or validate tickets using mobile devices.

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Smartcards offer the advantage of operating in the proximity of a reader by using radio frequency induction technology.

Future systems will very likely need to support multi-client capability as well as provide a revenue management solution to define individual agency parameters while at the same time protect important fare and revenue data. Also, Open Application Programming Interfaces (API) and third-party system integration are critical to the success of the entire system.

Ask these five questions while planning an E-Fare strategy: 1. Which media should the agency use: smartcards, barcoded tickets, or mobile tickets? Or, should the agency embrace the credit card open payment method EMV? 2. How will the system integrate with already existing ITS systems and infrastructure?

3. Will the solution help ease the arduous task of connecting with retail partners and suppliers?

4. Will the agency need to accept fares from several other agencies today or in the future?

5. How will transfers be handled?

The technologies available and the vendors to partner with offer an agency many options. Yet each transit agency, large and small, should weigh the pros and cons carefully before choosing the solution that meets their needs today and in the future.

Stan Craft is system architect at INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. Visit www.initusa.com.

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FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

The service of fare collection

By Tara Farnsworth Revenue management, ridership and reporting go hand in hand when it comes to running a transit operation. In order for each agency to receive their operational funds from the Federal Transit Association (FTA), they have to be able to properly record ridership data. Along with each rider is the revenue received for each ride, which creates the need for a high level of service and security around revenue management. Service has and will continue to be more important than ever to the evolving fare collection solution landscape.

Customer care and service is critical to running a successful transit operation. In 2015, Genfare combined its customer service team (OEM spare parts and media) with its system support team (software technical support) to create a centralized customer care team. The goal was to make it easy for clients to reach the right person on the first call. Genfare has made, and will continue to make, significant changes to ensure our clients receive a higher level of service from our team.

Highlights of some of the recent changes include incorporating

Coupled with every swipe from each rider is the revenue received for each ride – and properly managing that data is key.

From left: Dinero Washington, general manager of SPORTRAN Shreveport Transit Management, Inc., Shreveport, LA; Youlanda James, customer service manager of SPORTRAN; Mike Horbrook, system support engineer at Genfare.

a formalized ticketing system that documents all agency calls and emails Genfare receives to ensure each support item is documented, assigned and managed through completion. No matter the fare collection provider, there is nothing more important than identifying and resolving high priority service issues that keep transit agencies up and operating smoothly. It is of paramount importance that software and equipment stay running to capture ridership, agency revenue and reporting.

It’s vital to keep an open line of communication with the vendor providing fare collection services to your agency—including agency interactions with a vendor’s customer care team, training, installations, project closures and more. This valuable feedback should be reviewed and, most importantly, incorporated into future improvements. The

more insight into what we are doing well and what needs improvement will continue to develop and evolve our service programs.

Reach out and let the vendors know how they’re doing. As each agency continues to change and develop their fare collection policy, it’s important you keep your vendor abreast of changes you are making that may interact or work in cooperation with your fare collection system. Client feedback helps vendors identify gaps in service, put plans in place to eliminate those gaps and keep a consistent line of communication with agency clients. This evaluation process will never stop – it will continue to be an ongoing stream of feedback to ensure we continue to improve our level of service to the industry. Keeping your vendor in the loop will ensure that as you add other elements to your fare collection system, you will have your internal and external team on the same page, which will aid in the Elite success of adding new elements Coach owners Brian Kurtz, to your system.

Paul Kurtz and David Dickson came to the table with knowledge and experience in business and finance, Tara Farnsworth serves as director of marketing and customer care.

Genfare is enjoy aagencies long andofsuccessful a leading provider of fare collection solutionsand for transit all sizes. Visit partnership with Prevost. www.busride.com/ebooks to get the full story in Genfare’s eBook.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Road Test:

Ford Transit by Mobility Transportation Services Three rural community transit agencies have already given this specially upfitted Transit their hearty approval

By David Hubbard

Dave Brown was working as a fleet manager for a Chevrolet dealership in 1981 when he saw a new market developing for vans equipped to transport passengers with disabilities. By 1992, shortly after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), he noticed a growing number of adult foster care homes buying specially-equipped vehicles. At this point, Brown and his wife, Geri, stepped out on their own to form Mobility Transportation Services, located in Canton, MI. True to form as a family company, their son, Nick, now leads the sales team.

The Ford Transit blurs the line between a van and a bus.

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The dual-leaf bus doorway by A&M Systems replaces a standard sliding door.

“We started by providing vans for the Chevy Ride Share incentive program,” Brown says. “This concept was popular at the time in the Detroit area. Once it took off, we began providing vehicles to adult foster care agencies nationwide.”

Brown says the new company recorded 85 new bus sales in its first year. By 2000, Mobility Transportation was moving 500 vehicles per year, and has since become one of the nation’s largest volume bus dealers and small bus converters, specializing in conversions to paratransit, passenger and prisoner transport vans. Incorporating lean manufacturing techniques to insure quality while keeping costs competitive, Mobility Transportation Services has built more than 10,000 vehicles to date, delivering to customers in all 50 U.S. states and the territory of Guam.

Fast track to 2014, the year Ford introduced the European Transit van to the U.S. market, and Mobility Transportation quickly transitioned to conversions based on the new Transit chassis. The company built its first Transit vehicle with FMVSS safety-tested wheelchair tie downs and shoulder harnesses for display at APTA EXPO. That same year, Mobility Transportation Services and Nor-Cal Vans, Chico, CA, codeveloped the Ford Transit incorporating the dual-leaf bus doorway

by A&M Systems, Elkhart, IN, that replaces a standard sliding door.

Mobility Transportation Services covers the Midwest and Eastern states, while Nor-Cal Vans builds and distributes Transit conversions west of the Colorado Rocky Mountain.

“We are currently building 80 units per month with upfits for standard transit, paratransit, airport shuttle and prisoner transport in 18, 20 and 22-foot lengths, as well as three different roof heights,” Brown says. “We can configure our vans and buses to carry as many as 17 passengers or accommodate up to five ADA wheelchair spaces.”

Brown says the Ford Transit blurs the line between a van and a bus, particularly the largest model weighing in at 10,300 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) with dual rear wheels. However, it is the entry and door system that defines this Ford Transit product, and what separates Mobility Transportation and Nor-Cal from other upfitters.

“The frame above the door is very strong Boron steel and Ford guidelines warn not to cut into this important structure,” Brown says.

“Our design does not intrude into the structural Boron steel in any way. We laser-cut the steel for the door to precisely match the curve of the body, thereby eliminating edges where rust might start – ultimately giving a pleasing appearance.”

The entry steps into the bus are 9 inches deep, 9 inches high, with even tread. The electrically-operated digital control on the outside, LED foot lighting and stainless steel grab rails at both sides of the entrance are standard features.

The Official BUSRide Road Test BUSRide met recently with Mobility Transportation Services for a review of its Ford Transit product. The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), Detroit, MI, also participated while awaiting delivery on its three Transit vans with the modified doorway. Again, Brown seems to have rooted out yet another niche market.

“We are finding that our upfit for the Ford Transit is especially attractive to transportation authorities that serve rural communities,” Brown says. “Several are using our buses primarily for Shared Ride programs and non-emergency medical transport for seniors in outlying areas.”

He says the advantages of the Ford Transit are fairly obvious.

“Our model is, first of all, a Ford product through and through,” he says. “We deliver this unibody Transit with our proprietary upfits with all factory warranties intact. A small agency can conveniently take this vehicle to any Ford dealership for service, repairs and warranty work, which is a tremendous benefit for rural operators.”

Ride SMART The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, serving suburban metro Detroit, MI, operates in 76 communities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties, a region of approximately 1,200 square miles. In addition to standard transit services, the agency also provides its third tier “grass roots” Community Partnership Program, a rare instance where the larger centralized transit authority has essentially wed with smaller, decentralized agencies that are locally operated.

SMART worked four years with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to develop this program, which it implemented in 1995, and says it is most likely the first transit authority in the country to initiate such a program to assist individual communities with their transit operations.

“Transit service in each community is somewhat different than that of its neighbors, as the needs of the residents differ significantly from one community to the next,” says SMART Communications Director Beth Gibbons. “Each community determines its specific transit services and the necessary equipment.”

“Our role is to provide administrative support for all the communities,” says Frederic J. Barbret, SMART ombudsman for Macomb County. “This includes the initial funding for buses, maintenance, technical and operational services for their choice of services. Rather than one community using its funds to buy one or two vans, we make volume purchases and distribute the requested number of buses to each community at a much better price.”

SMART holds the titles to the vehicles and handles all maintenance responsibilities.

“The communities rely on our experience, expertise, facility and resources to their vehicles,” says SMART Director of Maintenance Operations Keith Taylor. “If any work is performed outside the SMART facility, it is still entered on the SMART record to meet all federal and state requirements.”

Taylor says the new Ford Transits with the bus door are ideal for transit service in these smaller, more rural communities.

“For the most part, their buses transport only a few people at a time,” he says. “They don’t want or need larger buses, and these buses do not necessitate drivers having a commercial driver license (CDL).”

Robert Nieman stepped up to test drive the bus and offer his thirdparty review. Typical of the many drivers in this program, Nieman is retired and drives part time for SMART in the East Point and Roseville communities, taking seniors to their medical appointments and grocery shopping. busride.com | BUSRIDE

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The Huntingdon Bedford Fullerton Area Agency on Aging recently placed six Ford Transit buses from Mobility Transportation into service.

“The Community Partnership allows SMART to hire people just like Bob,” Barbret says. “As members of their community, they can drive their neighbors around a couple days a week as a way of giving back.

We see our new Transit buses creating a nice bond between this service and the people who rely on the bus.”

Niemen seemed sold on the Transit before he even started the engine and left the parking lot.

“I see right now, this bus is going to make my job much easier,” he says. “Just sitting in the driver’s seat, the steering wheel, dashboard and controls are much more comfortable than the bus I usually drive.”

Niemen chose a route through several communities, out on the expressway, and turning into the tight drives and parking lots where he typically meets and drops off passengers.

“This bus handles as easily as a conventional vehicle,” he says. “I especially like the bus door. It makes all the difference in how I can greet and serve my passengers.”

Ki Bois Area Transit Similarly, Ki Bois Area Transit System (KATS), Poteau, OK, operates a fleet of 250 buses from 18 offices throughout 13 counties in rural Oklahoma, transporting senior citizens to and from appointments, shopping and outings, and recently took delivery of three Ford Transits from Mobility Transportation.

“With offices as far as 75 miles from our maintenance hub, we like the fact that is a Ford product,” says Ron Davis, KATS safety and maintenance supervisor. “We typically see our vehicles once every 15,000 miles, so we rely heavily on warranty work through the dealerships.”

Ki Bois operates along the Arkansas border and makes runs into Fort Smith for medical appointments. As DOT stipulates a CDL driver for any commercial vehicle over 10,000 GVWR, Davis says KATS ordered its eight-passenger Transits at just under 9,200 GVWR. “Getting around the CDL requirement with these Transits is a big one for us,” Davis says. “It is getting harder and harder to find qualified drivers who can pass the physical. With these buses, we can hire safe and dependable drivers with all the credentials. This is why we started thinking about Mobility Transportation. We now have these buses in service and we’re hearing no complaints. Our drivers think they are fantastic.”

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Huntingdon Transit The Huntingdon Bedford Fullerton Area Agency on Aging (HBFAAA), Bedford, PA, operates its demand-response Shared Ride and Medical Assistance Transportation programs for seniors and passengers with disabilities. The agency uses 45 vehicles to serve customers living as far as 35 miles from the agency’s hub in the county seat of Bedford, and recently placed six Ford Transit buses from Mobility Transportation into service.

“This 50,000 square-mile region of southern Pennsylvania is very rural and sparsely populated,” says Administrator Officer Mike Whysong. “Our SMART’s Robert Nieman found the new Transits will make the longer Ford Transit by Mobility Transportation rides much more comfortable for Services ideal for small town bus rivers. our drivers and our passengers.

The entry door is a very nice addition, and I especially like the lower entry step to make boarding and unboarding easier and safer for our elderly customers.”

Whysong says drivers have been very complimentary of the new Transit buses, as well as customers riding them for the first time.

“They are commenting on the comfort and great visibility, as well as the overall smoother ride,” he says. “But specifically, everyone likes the entry door.”

From all reports, agencies seem to appreciate passengers being able to move easily on and off the bus aided by the ample width of the entry and lower step.

“As more and more agencies take a look at the new Ford Transit, we expect 2016 to be very busy” Brown says. “It fits the needs of demandresponse and rural transit in the most efficient manner available.”

busride.com

{ A New Look @ Transit Tech }

LOOKING AHEAD AT UTA BUSRide sat down with Brandon Curtis, executive managing director at Aesys, and Clair Fiet, chief technology officer for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), for an interview exploring technological advances at UTA and across the transit world.

Please briefly your role at UTA, how long you’ve worked there and what your day-to-day job entails.

Clair Fiet: I’m the chief technology officer and I’ve been employed at UTA since 1994. However I’ve been involved in UTA technology implementation since 1977.

I’m a senior executive and report directly to the CEO of UTA – and I don’t think that’s common in American transit. Along with my peers here in the agency and other executives, we assist the board of trustees on the development of our strategic direction.

What specific technology changes have you seen or instigated since joining UTA 22 years ago?

Fiet: Something that’s really driven us is the advent of cellular communications as a viable tool. It’s very high-speed and it’s very reliable. It really is a viable communications tool and it is playing a major role in future technologies.

It’s also crucial that we now implement and utilize de facto standards that we’ve developed. We now have systems that developed largely through interfaces and integration, rather than all coming from a single supplier.

Finally, a more recent technology development is the accountbased approach to fare collection. Many are open payment systems.

With the emergence of Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Pay and other similar services, all will play together in an ecosystem that a lot of people are looking at for fare payment.

It all comes down to data. It’s not just knowing where the vehicle is and telling the customer; it’s using that information to analyze your own performance. I think that is one of the biggest areas of payback that a company can get. Use system-generated data to analyze system performance and make it better.

Brandon Curtis: The fact is we have an inversely proportionate problem – there is so much data that can’t be effectively mined. It’s amazing how much data is just sitting there, waiting for someone in an agency to speak with a technology provider to unlock it.

UTA is renowned for managing systems in-house. What are the inherent advantages of that method? What challenges arise?

Fiet: Because UTA does everything internally, we rely on our own people. Developing in-house requires a really high-level of imagination and discipline. It’s very disruptive for the transit agency because, as a public agency, we find it hard to compete against the private sector – we can’t compete for wages and we can’t compete for benefits.

Discipline presents a major challenge. It requires discipline to keep stringent documentation in-house, rather than relying on an external vendor.

As for advantages, this approach came about because UTA was not a money-laden transit agency. We scratch for everything we can get. There’s never been a time where we can say, “We want to implement a smart bus,” then go out and buy all of the stuff on a bus and equip our entire fleet. We’ve never had that luxury, so we have to look at ways of incrementally doing that.

I’m a firm believer in the value of pilot programs, because things on a small-scale really help you understand what the system can do; what the system requires in the way of support and agency involvement. It helps in finalizing our thinking about the system prior to a full-scale implementation.

Going “all-in” often overwhelms an agency.

Going “all-in” often overwhelms an agency. They buy into technology they think they need and all of a sudden they have so much data and so much information that they can’t manage it.

Maybe they didn’t realize it would put a maintenance load on their garage people; they didn’t know that office people would have to be involved to answer customer questions.

Start small, learn what it takes and then expand. That’s been the UTA approach.

Curtis: I think when an agency, like UTA, can design equipment, taxpayer money is used over and over again and proliferated. That’s a horrible statement for AVL companies. Technology proliferation is starting to make some really cool things available to smaller agencies who couldn’t previously afford it.

What’s on the technology horizon for UTA? What do you think is on the technology horizon for the entire industry?

Fiet: For the next couple of years we’re going to be focusing on business intelligence. That means utilizing real-time information, passenger counting, fare collection, vehicle telematics and other systems, bringing it all together in “big data” so we can analyze it on a macro level. I think that is really going to give us some payback.

Curtis: I think Europe has a lot more advanced transit systems because necessity is the mother of invention. They’ve got more people trying to get to different places and they’ve got older cities that don’t have roads to accommodate. Europe had to become more creative. How do you get under a 12-foot bridge that’s 2,000 years old? Thinking outside the box and leveraging money and ideas from elsewhere will do a lot for American transit. I think a lot of our advancements are right in front of us, we just won’t get out of our transit “box.” busride.com | BUSRIDE

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Security and Surveillance BUSRide spoke with representatives from Advantech and Seon about the security and surveillance solutions available to transit agencies now and in the future – and to answer the question, “what constitutes a comprehensive security solution?”

The participants in the roundtable discussion were: Lori Jetha – marketing director – Seon, Coquitlam, BC, Canada Elizabeth Wang – product manager – Advantech, Taipei, Taiwan What are currently the biggest threats to transportation safety and security?

Lori Jetha: We think passenger and driver safety are both at the top of the list when it comes to transportation safety and security for two reasons. First, creating a safe, secure environment on-board is a critical foundation to encourage ridership, and attract high quality employees. Second, security incidents that involve passenger or driver behavior tend to have the highest costs to an agency in terms of lawsuits, worker’s compensation claims and lost work hours.

Terrorism is also always a concern in large, urban areas and a key area of focus for Homeland Security upgrades.

Elizabeth Wang: I believe the biggest threat to transportation systems is passenger safety, with serious crimes including murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.

Any public venue with high volumes of people is always vulnerable to targeted crime. To ensure a high level of public safety, there needs to be a reliable security system so in the case an event occurs, you can pull the footage up to see what happened. With that capability, we can pinpoint any occurring issues and deal with them more quickly 20

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and effectively. While the bus driver is focusing on the road, another set of eyes via the camera will maintain safety, order and discipline. Statistics show that installing a video surveillance system can effectively reduce different kinds of crimes.

Given today’s threats, what is the minimum amount of surveillance hardware and software that agencies require without compromising safety and security?

Jetha: The number of cameras depends on the size and layout of the bus, but we recommend that (at a minimum) transit agencies install enough cameras throughout the bus to capture entry and exits, all passenger seating and the driver compartment and farebox. Exit doors and the farebox are where most on-board confrontations occur. We also recommend a forward-facing view to capture what the driver is seeing and four cameras on the exterior of the bus for reviewing incidents around the bus.

Video recording systems should be capable of recording at least 13 channels of video and high-fidelity audio and provide video playback software that synchronizes video, audio and vehicle telemetry data such as brake and turn signals, GPS data, and vehicle speed and direction.

Wang: Regardless of it being driver violence, passenger safety, vandalism, theft or terrorism, there needs to be enough cameras to record everything happening on the bus. Multiple camera angles ensure maximum coverage so there will be no blind-spots in the case of an event. From a surveillance system perspective, an average minimum of four to six cameras need to be installed.

The necessary cameras include: one on the windshield facing forward, one or two facing the front, one facing the side door and one facing the front door. Sometimes agencies can also require outdoor cameras to be installed, such as on the back of the bus, but more for the purpose of understanding how accidents are caused.

What circumstances would suggest that an agency has no choice but to upgrade to a more robust security and surveillance system?

Jetha: We recommend to our customers that as soon as they purchase surveillance equipment, they outline a plan and timeline for maintenance and replacement. This plan will identify the practical, useful life of each piece of the system and budget for its replacement.

There are two common situations where an agency has no choice but to upgrade. The first situation is where changes in technology provide sufficient cost savings that they are better off financially to upgrade rather than maintain the status quo. An example of this is the time savings achieved using search engines developed for quickly searching video recorded on hard drives compared to the countless hours spent by operators reviewing analog video recorded by VCRs on VHS tapes. The second case is where security managers find their surveillance system does not meet the needs of their comprehensive security plan.

Video surveillance systems vary in feature sets and modularity.

When considering initial purchase of a video system, it is critical to ensure the selected system is modular, and you can easily add on functionality to meet your growing security needs. Also, be forward-thinking on what your security needs might be over the life of the equipment and choose a feature set that matches those needs.

Wang: An agency’s most important task is to provide a safer environment for commuters. It is crucial to provide essential information to the command center to make sure the transit system we take to work every day is safe. In addition, this information can help the command center prevent a crime, accident, emergency or terrorist threat. Such are the situations transit command centers need to deal with daily. The millions of Americans who take public transportation need to be assured that everything possible is being done to ensure their security and safety. Therefore, an agency has no choice; they need to have a robust, reliable surveillance system.

If a crime occurs in a bus and the surveillance system is out of order or malfunctioning, this crucial information is gone. Therefore, evidence is lost and it becomes harder for the police to resolve the matter in a timely matter. The meaning of having a surveillance system is that it will be reliable when needed. Thus, it is important to have a stable, robust system.

A good quality mobile DVR/NVR records for a continuous time without failure; it can withstand the frequent vibration and unstable power supply associated with vehicles, factors which are fatal to a regular DVR/NVR. It provides evidence of traffic accidents and terrorist attacks while uploading alarm information to a control center in emergency situations.

What new threats to transit safety are on the horizon?

What technologies are security providers developing to mitigate those threats?

Jetha: Threats to passenger and operator safety will continue to be a concern moving forward, with an increasing demand for real-time information and response. Integration of surveillance data with other complementary technologies will help agencies view what’s happening on the bus in real-time, and gather data on one screen from multiple sources to make quick, informed decisions.

We anticipate a further evolution of security and surveillance products that enhance and speed up the incident investigation process, such as the use of facial recognition software to identify assailants in a video, and the addition of driver behavior analytics combined with engine diagnostics to identify the cause of an accident. High-definition or IP camera systems will continue to increase in popularity, with hybrid systems available to help transition to a fully HD system.

Finally, security providers are looking to provide tools to assist drivers in improving their performance through route navigation, 360 degree view monitors, and pedestrian warning and collision avoidance systems.

Wang: I would think terrorism is the new threat in the future.

Public transportation, specifically bus transit, remains a primary target for terrorism. More money should be spent on state-ofthe-art surveillance systems, explosive- and chemical-detection systems, and enhanced communication technology – as well as anti-terrorism patrol teams, first responder training and public education campaigns.

Examples include: an explosives-detection device at the front of the bus; a turnstile through which passengers enter but can be locked by the driver to prevent entry of suspicious persons; a device to protect the driver and passengers in the front of the bus; another turnstile at the back of the bus to allow passengers to exit but to prevent bombers from entering; and a two-way communication system between the driver and the people outside waiting to board the bus.

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ECHO & AFC

By Mike Whittaker

Echo Transportation’s partnerships resonate throughout Texas – and beyond.

When two Texan firms came together last September their shared vision of a diversified, full service transportation offering became a reality. The official merger of friends and business partners Echo Transportation and AFC Transportation resulted in one of the largest ground transportation companies in the state of Texas.

E

cho Transportation originated in Wyoming, offering shuttle and charter service primarily to corporate users. As the business grew, Echo President and CEO Chris Jarrard made the decision to expand “back home” to Texas. The firm focused its strategy on acquiring smaller operators throughout the state with a vision to consolidate operations and capture a state-wide market share.

Key to the company’s growth was the acquisition of two charter bus companies, GottaGo Trailways and Buses by Bill, which enabled Echo to expand charter operations into Central and South Texas.

Today, the firm is comprised of six smaller operators that have been merged together under the new Echo Transportation name. The combined businesses represent over 30 years of experience in the tour, charter and shuttle markets and have enabled the Echo brand to broaden its reach throughout the entire state of Texas.

Having spent the past year integrating all of the newly-acquired businesses under the Echo banner, Jarrard and his management team sought to take the company to the next level.

“The next logical step was to merge with an equal partner that could 22

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help to galvanize our market position,” Jarrard says. “The partnership with AFC Transportation just made great sense.”

In September of 2015, Echo Transportation and AFC Transportation came together to form one of the ten largest ground transportation entities in Texas.

With over 500 employees and a combined fleet of over 300 vehicles, both companies have retained their local branding and maintained their own identity, while tying together centralized reservations, sales, maintenance and vehicle utilization to capitalize on synergies and maximize efficiencies. The fleet consists of sedans, luxury sedans (BMW & Mercedes), SUVs, vans, executive vans, minibuses, school buses, transit buses and paratransit buses as well as mini-coaches and full-size motorcoaches.

Since the merger, Jarrard and John Ferrari, president of AFC Transportation, have continued to jointly focus on fleet growth and utilization with an eye toward ongoing market expansion. Both operations enjoy a firm foothold within a wide-ranging territory that covers Dallas, Fort Worth, Tyler, Waco, San Angelo, Houston and busride.com

From left: Chris Jarrard, John Ferrari, Sonny El-Lahham, Tanner West and Thom Fox.

Austin. The principals cite their common values and vision, as well as a longtime friendship as a key component to the partnership.

“Chris and I are born and bred Texans and share similar passion and values,” Ferrari says. “This partnership is a perfect match that amplifies the strengths of both companies’ talented management teams, diverse business skills and a dedicated labor pool and staff that believe in our shared vision.”

He says that vision includes maintaining the very best aspects of both businesses to maximize their overall quality of standards, best business practices, streamlined processes, vehicle utilization and profitability.

Both partners agree that people have been their strongest asset throughout the merger and consolidation process. The company’s “People Powered, Safety Driven” mantra is integral to a company culture that fosters professional growth, and self-empowerment.

“We are fortunate to staff some of the industry’s most respected business leaders,” Ferrari says. “The diversity and business acumen of our staff and leadership team is second to none.”

AFC Transportation’s Van Hool C2045.

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Echo Transportation’s Van Hool TD925.

The company believes that its focus on quality staff, disciplined processes, and high-quality product are the keys to success and that investing in their assets will continue to produce results over the long term.

Investing in the future As a leading provider to the Dallas / Fort Worth market, Echo Transportation services a variety of market segments. Jarrard estimates that the business is roughly divided into 50-percent shuttle contracts and 50-percent charter service. With a customerbase consisting of municipalities, universities, transit authorities, public and private school districts, church groups, travel agencies, destination planners and CVBs, casinos, the U.S. Military and private corporations, Echo’s service categories include transit, paratransit, fi xed route, crew transport, corporate shuttle services, as well as group tour and charter applications.

To support their diverse and growing business model, Echo has made a significant investment in new equipment assets. The firm has taken delivery on a number of new Van Hool equipment models from exclusive North American distributor, ABC Companies, Faribault, MN. “We can expand our footprint by utilizing our fleet to cover a full range of private and public service,” Jarrard says. “By investing in a diverse, modern and reliable OEM fleet, Echo will continue to capture market share across the entire spectrum of passenger transport.”

Echo has taken delivery on a varied mix of vehicles in the Van Hool lineup including the newest model Van Hool TD925 high-capacity double-decker coaches, as well as new Van Hool CX45 premium passenger coaches. The new equipment is currently used to support contract shuttle projects, as well as for private tour and charter service.

“We have the experience and infrastructure to support virtually any transportation requirement,” Jarrard says. “By offering a full scope of services, Echo is proving its commitment to the region, and we can accommodate any size group and offer the added flexibility of customizing our offering based on an individual customer’s need.”

Safety driven Echo Transportation is proud of their safety standing which is reinforced through a variety of programs and protocols designed to protect a stellar track record. The company is serious about safety and has instituted a number of policies and procedures to ensure that everyone in the company — especially its motorcoach operators — understand its importance. The Echo safety program integrates safety enforcement rules as well as scheduled retraining sessions to refresh drivers and ensure that their stringent standards are being 24

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

met. Drivers are also trained on use and maintenance of ADA vehicles.

Echo’s in-house Safety Department oversees all aspects of the program and utilizes regularly scheduled road observation and ride checks to monitor and enforce operator safety performance.

Echo uses the Smith System training system to educate their drivers, and retains two full-time advanced Smith System trainers to ensure all drivers receive exacting instruction prior to operating any vehicle.

The Smith System integrates training to educate drivers on collision avoidance with the goal of modifying driving habits to be more defensive and at-the-ready in any situation. The Smith System’s “5 Keys” module helps drivers achieve improved visibility in relation to the coach and their surroundings, as well as awareness and adequate time to react with corrective measures. These techniques, often referred to as “cushion driving,” help to conserve fuel, but most importantly they help to save lives of people on the road. Over half of the Fortune 500 companies in America use the Smith System training techniques.

Echo drivers undergo a stringent screening process that includes extensive interviews and a background checking process. Qualified applicants can then attend Echo’s in-depth training program, which blends hands-on training and classroom sessions that maximize trainee success. Training modules cover a wide range of topics and skills, and quarterly refresher training is mandatory to reinforce concepts and maintain important skills. In addition, all Echo drivers participate in random and post-accident drug and alcohol tests and a DMV pull notification program. Successful graduates are qualified to drive luxury motorcoaches, mini buses, and executive suburban vehicles and cars.

Leveraging technology to work smarter Ensuring a premier passenger experience is a core goal for Echo Transportation, for which the company leverages technology to enhance the passenger experience, protect equipment assets and optimize operational profitability. As such, the firm has deployed technology wherever possible to maximize on-time performance and increase productivity and efficiencies in most business areas.

As part of the merger process, Echo and AFC have centralized operations and implemented new communication technology that effectively streamlines communication enterprise-wide. The new system ties together critical business areas and enables their 24/7 dispatch team to have full fleet visibility. The integrated system helps drivers to communicate directly with dispatch, field-supervisors to manage entire systems and Echo staff to address in-field maintenance with real-time mechanic support in a coach-down or scheduled maintenance situation.

Planning for the future in Texas and beyond Growth, profitability and driving value to their customers will be at the core of Echo and AFC Transportation’s future plans, according to Jarrard. A key driver will be the continued acquisition and consolidation of ground transport operations across the state of Texas and eventually throughout the entire U.S. Sunbelt region.

As they actively pursue strategies to continue to build and grow the business in both current and in untapped markets, the partners assert that quality people will be the mainstay of their success.

“We’ve dedicated years to forging business alliances that are built on mutual respect and friendship,” Jarrard says. “We believe that by treating people like family, recognizing their talents and trusting their abilities, Echo and AFC will soar to new heights. Our wheels are rolling firmly on the ground in Texas, and now the sky’s the limit for Echo and our partners.”

Mike Whittaker is marketing manager, parts and service, at ABC Companies, Faribault, MN. Visit www.abc-companies.com.

busride.com

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Chuck Pona drove over 3 million miles during 52 years with Adirondack Trailways of New York.

Chuck Pona turned in over 3 million miles during his 52 years with Adirondack Trailways of New York After a career as a full-time coach driver for Adirondack Trailways of New York, located in Hurley, NY, that spanned 52 years and more than 3 million miles without a recordable accident, Chuck Pona officially retired November 30, 2015 – but that isn’t to say he is leaving the company he has loved since he started that career on May 6, 1964.

When BUSRide called to glean a few clues about his longevity and sterling record and welcome him to the 2016 Safe Driver Hall of Fame, Pona was attending the company’s monthly Safety Seminar “just to keep fresh and up to date” in the event he returns to driving part-time.

Joining the workforce Fresh out of the Navy and back home in New Jersey, Pona began driving for Academy and Shortline Bus Lines at age 20.

“I always respected the gleaming Adirondack buses I saw going down the highway,” Pona says. “I would always tell myself I was going to work for that company.”

He recalls that in order to be hired as a driver, Adirondack Trailways founder John Van Gonsic Berardi Sr. first required applicants to acquire recommendations from two experienced drivers and then pass a basic road test.

“My road test was with a GM4104 4-speed Hydroshift with an overdrive button,” Pona says. “I passed fine, but because I was the youngest driver they would be hiring at the time, and being single, the company took extra measures to keep an eye on me.”

According to Pona, his supervisors tacked an additional 30 days onto the normal 60-day probationary period for new drivers, fearing he might be “a little disruptive.” He made it through and the rest, of course, is history.

“Adirondack is a company I just never wanted to leave,” he says. “It is family-owned and everyone in the company has continued to work together as one big family.”

To date, Pona’s tenure with Adirondack Trailways spans three generations of the Berardi family.

Perfect after all these years Pona says he can trace the root of his safe driving record straight back to the “Dear John” letter a girlfriend sent him while he was in the Navy.

“I was so shook up, I enrolled in a 90-day psychology course from the Chicago School of Home Studies,” he says. “It actually helped me think for the first time about how to deal better with certain situations in life. I am sure that what I learned in that course helped me later in marriage to my wife of 47 years. We actually met on my bus, when Karen worked for Adirondack as a Trailways hostess.”

As for his driving, he says the class taught him how to manage other people’s behavior — passengers on his bus, and the other drivers out on the road in their automobiles.

“I learned to remain calm and not allow anxiety to build up when anyone was getting under my skin,” Pona says. “I did my best to keep everyone happy and avoid distracting arguments.”

Pona also says that safety always trumped time.

“Time has never meant much to me,” he says. “So be it if I couldn’t maintain my driving schedule safely. I would never try to beat the clock if it meant taking an unwise, unnecessary and dangerous risk.”

Adirondack Trailways Chief Executive Officer Eugene J. Berardi Jr. was a child when Pona came on board, and has come to know his most senior driver as a consummate professional, mentor and friend to his fellow employees.

“His driving speaks for itself,” Berardi says. “It is just as important to commend Chuck for how he is always immaculate in his conduct and appearance, and how he has represented our company for these many years.” busride.com | BUSRIDE

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has come to America INA Bus Sales is the exclusive distributor and support for the Spanish bus builder’s i6 and i6 Super Cargo

The eminent Spanish bus builder Irizar is now in business in the United States and Canada, having unveiled its two i6 coach models refashioned expressly for North American operators during ABA Marketplace and UMA Motorcoach EXPO. From its headquarters in Ormaiztegi, Gipuzkoa, Spain, the Irizar Group continues to build since its founding in 1889. As of January, the global range of the 127-year old company now reaches to six continents and includes coach and bus production plants in Spain, Morocco, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

By David Hubbard “Our arrival in the United States marks a significant milestone in our history,” says Irizar USA Director Axier Etxezarreta. “We have always been intent on positioning Irizar as a premium brand in North America, and our commitment to the United States coach market is higher than it’s ever been. We are approaching this initiative with a long-term view and greater vision than any new project previously.”

Etxezarreta says Irizar employees from senior executives to the techs on the production line have been intensely engaged in this project. So much, he says, that Irizar management provided an opportunity for employees directly involved to take English language lessons so that they may engage more effectively with North American customers who visit the factory in Spain.

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

INA Bus Sales’ Marty Barrett, executive vice president, National Sales, knows personally what Etxezarreta is talking about. In his former career as an MLB American Leaguer, Barrett held down second base for the Boston Red Sox (1982–1990) and San Diego Padres (1991).

“During my visit to Spain to meet with the Irizar aftersales team, I recognized a definite correlation between this company and my lifetime involvement with championship teams,” Barrett says. “There is always talk about a special team chemistry that all the players share.

For the team that has what it takes to go the distance and always plays to win, this chemistry is essential. When I visited the Irizar factory, I couldn’t help but realize that same level of intensity and incredible morale the employees harbored. Toward the end of the day, they were actually singing together. Now that’s team chemistry.” busride.com

The interior of the Irizar i6 is as unique and elegant as the exterior design.

Irizar is manufacturing the two versions of the 45-foot i6 for North America from its facility in Spain. Both of integral monocoque construction, one at a height of 12.23 feet; while the Super-Cargo stands 12.89 feet and, as the name suggests, features considerably larger luggage bays and offers approximately 620 cubic feet of storage capacity. Widened to 102 inches from the European standard 96 inches, Irizar says the i6 meets all Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) compliance specifications.

Etxezarreta says prior to the sneak preview at ABA Marketplace in Louisville, KY, and the official launch at UMA Motorcoach EXPO in Atlanta, GA, in January, the Irizar Group devoted four years to research and development, engineering and design of the North American i6 models.

“This is in no way a prototype coach built from the ground up,” says Michael Haggerty, founder and chairman, INA Bus Sales, LLC, Las Vegas, NV, as well as CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN. “Currently more than 3,000 Irizar i6 motorcoaches are operating in Europe. In this case, Irizar thoughtfully and methodically adapted the basic i6 concept and design to meet U.S. standards and operator preferences.”

INA Bus Sales is now the exclusive distributor of Irizar coaches and aftermarket support in North America. Haggerty says the company will basically replicate the aftercare and follow-up service in much the same manner as CH Bus Sales.

“With the necessary support and aftermarket in place, INA Bus Sales demonstrates the same strong commitment to quality and excellence in representing the Irizar Group in North America,” says INA Bus Sales Chief Operations Officer Chad Dixon. “Both companies have come to the table with a long-term strategy for our partnership.”

Haggerty says INA Bus Sales collaborated closely with Irizar in the development stages long before the unveiling of this version of the i6.

“We encouraged the company early on to carefully examine the standard features on the current range of coach brands available in the U.S. and Canada,” he says. “As a result, these two North American models come equipped with many more features marked standard.

These proven and reliable systems and components are familiar to all North American operators.”

Specifically, the list of standard features includes a lane departure warning system, acceleration skid control, side shades, Alcoa aluminum wheels and Amaya Torino seats with foot rests, as well as a Cummins ISX engine, Allison B500 transmission and ZF axles.

The i6’s curved entryway leads to an LED-lighted aisle and ceiling.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

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The stainless steel monocoque frame Irizar i6 is an appealing and versatile high-end coach for commuter services and tours, drawing visual impact and curb appeal from its sleek, clean aerodynamic exterior design.

The i6 Irizar coaches present a distinguished European curb appeal that defines the brand characterized by a striking exterior profile, clean side paneling and a deep and lustrous paint quality.

“The exterior design certainly sets Irizar apart, but there is more to it than good looks,” Etxezarreta says. “The aerodynamic design also figures prominently in the promising fuel usage metrics.”

Though the i6 has little road time as yet, early reports put the fuel mileage at approximately 7.5 mpg.

The interior of the Irizar i6 is as unique and elegant as the exterior design. An ergonomic driver cockpit features integrated dashboard screens and a Bosch audio and video system. A curved entryway leads to an LED lighted aisle and ceiling.

The i6 for North America meets European roll-over testing.

Irizar says prior to the launch of any new coach, it conducts rigorous independent third-party testing on a test track to simulate approximately 7 million miles. Additional testing of the structure considers resistance to frontal collision and roll-overs, and, according to the company, is compliant with the R66.01 safety regulation.

“Our focus is safety and reliability, comfort and profitability,” Etxezarreta says. “To ensure those four pillars before we launch a new coach, we want to know the suspension is strong and the ride is smooth. We’ll incorporate any available product, system or resource to fulfill our goals for these four areas.”

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

The ergonomic driver cockpit of the i6 features integrated dashboard screens and a Bosch audio and video system.

He says the more refined electronic suspension provides greater stability through improved load and weight distribution.

Irizar Chief Operating Officer José Manuel Orcasitas and members of the executive team were on hand at the UMA Motorcoach EXPO for the official launch of the new coaches, which included the much anticipated unveiling of the i6 Super Cargo model. Orcasitas spoke to Irizar’s deep and abiding commitment throughout the entire organization for its new customers in the North American market.

“We look forward to our partnership with Irizar, and sharing in the genuine pride and enthusiasm this talented and experienced group brings to the brand,” Dixon says. “The Irizar i6 is state of the art, and one we see as a real differentiator. As North American coach operators experience the i6 and learn more about the value proposition Irizar and INA Bus Sales offers, I am confident our partnership will reflect the success Irizar has experienced in other countries.” busride.com

Driving behavior – Part 2 In this issue, BUSRide resumes an interview with the principals of GreenRoad, Austin, TX, the providers of a driver behavior modification program aimed at increasing driver and passenger safety, reducing fuel costs and gaining customer loyalty.

Driver behavior makes a huge impact on the passenger experience.

What’s the expected ROI for agencies investing in a driver behavior modification program?

Big Bus Tours, London, England, recently adopted such a program.

Big Bus Tours is the largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours in the world, providing sightseeing tours in 18 cities across three continents.

They wanted to give tourists on their buses a 3D-movie experience. For this reason, they needed drivers to not necessarily drive the posted speed limit but rather a company-mandated speed limit for optimal movie viewing. They wanted their customers to leave the vehicle valuing that unique mobile movie experience. With a driver behavior program, the transition was very easy for the Big Bus drivers. The ROI in that situation was the satisfaction of the tourists feeling that they had a special experience.

In April 2015, 3,200 megabus.com and Coach USA drivers started using the GreenRoad system to help reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, improve customer comfort and cut the risk of accidents. A key element of the initiative is a Green Driver incentive program giving employees the chance to earn “green points” for safe, efficient driving that are converted into financial benefits from a potential $1 million annual bonus pool. The ROI for Coach USA comes from satisfied customers and drivers.

Customer retention is the most important ROI in the coach market, because passengers have many choices. Driver behavior makes a huge impact on the passenger experience.

How does the makeup of a fleet determine what operators should be monitoring? How are bus and coach fleets unique in this regard?

A comprehensive performance management system will track performance based on a few key factors. The two most critical areas for

motorcoach operators are passenger safety and fuel economy. Driver behavior modification improves both of these areas.

Furthermore, when there’s blame, there’s certain to be a claim. Going to court is practically cost-prohibitive. Driver behavior modification and recording programs go a step beyond camera surveillance in mitigating false injury claims. Coupled with cameras, this provides a “360-view” of any incident that can happen on a moving bus.

What other benefits do driver behavior modification programs present?

The maintenance benefits are really quite simple. Drivers are controlling vehicles more carefully and appropriately, and this carries down to components like brakes. Some operators have reported as much as 20 to 25 percent reductions in annual maintenance costs because of reduced brake maintenance. There’s far less wear and tear on consumable parts, which adds up to huge savings over time.

Operators have also reported improved relationships between management, drivers and unions, because the data from driver behavior modification programs allows all involved to talk frankly and focus on solving mutual problems. Management now spends as much time as possible on positive reinforcement as they did previously on driver discipline.

GreenRoad was founded in 2004 to apply advanced mathematic modeling and cutting-edge technology to the problem of accurately predicting and intercepting risky driving. Today, GreenRoad transforms the way businesses manage their fleets at every level. Visit www.greenroad.com.

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Prevost appoints new president Raymond Leduc will oversee the Nova Bus, Prevost and Volvo bus brands in North America

Raymond Leduc was recently appointed as president of Nova Bus and Prevost. He will be responsible for Nova Bus, Prevost and Volvo bus brands in Canada and the United States. He will lead the strong team behind these three brands to continue to expand and grow the business.

“I am delighted to welcome Raymond Leduc to our North America organization,” said Ralph Acs, senior vice president, Volvo Buses, Business Region Americas. “Raymond Leduc represents a valuable addition to our team and I have full confidence that his experience, customer focus and leadership will significantly benefit the continued success of our threes brands in North America.”

“Joining the Nova Bus and Prevost team is truly exciting for me as I firmly believe that the bus industry offers ideal transit solutions to the economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by ever-growing cities,” Leduc said.

Raymond Leduc brings to Volvo extensive experience, with over 30 years in various leadership positions, in international companies such as Bell Helicopter and IBM Canada. His appointment was effective on February 1st and he will be located in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.

Nova Bus Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transit solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes hybrid electric buses, highcapacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transportation systems.

Following its Electro Mobility strategy, Nova Bus is moving forward with the electrification of its vehicle key components to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group. For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com.

Raymond Leduc

Prevost Prevost is a leading North American manufacturer of high-end commercial motorcoaches and a world leader in the production of the highest quality coaches for conversion. Prevost has its main manufacturing facilities in Sainte-Claire, Quebec and a commuter coach assembly line in Plattsburgh, NY. With the most extensive network in the United States and Canada, Prevost Parts and Service includes 11 strategically located service centers, more than 150 Prevost-trained and certified service providers, and a comprehensive parts network serving all makes and models. Prevost is part of the Volvo Group, a world leading manufacturer of trucks, buses, and construction equipment as well as marine and industrial engines. For more information, visit www.prevostcar.com.

Prevost is a leading North American manufacturer of high-end commercial motorcoaches.

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

busride.com

EQUAL ACCESS

Testing ensures safe accessibility

By Robert Portney There was a time when reinforcing a crack or failure simply meant throwing more steel at it. Today, however, advanced technology brings a much more analytical and scientific approach to assessing actual stress points.

REV Bus Group is one of a few OEMs that actually simulates the durability of a bus, as well as various crash events, to locate any stress and failure points that may need additional reinforcement. Physical testing follows in order to prove simulation findings.

With any new design, we start with a complete analysis of various failure modes. The next step is to develop a chart to predict failure modes in all circumstances, ranking them in the severity of the event; how difficult they are to detect; and when the failure might occur.

Then, we design to each of those failure modes and more importantly, test to help ensure they never happen.

Passenger safety is the first consideration in testing the structure, and that certainly includes safe accessibility for wheelchair passengers.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires specific testing for a wheelchair-accessible bus. Additionally, REV Bus Group has developed its own simulation for every pull test needed for the tiedowns and attachment points.

Once the overall durability testing is complete, attention is solely focused on the wheelchair areas. However, it first requires scientifically testing the underlying structure and proving it is sound; followed by quality checks at the weld points as the bus is being manufactured.

Of course, a low-floor bus alleviates many ADA concerns that involve

wheelchair lifts. The standard wheelchair ramp in a low-floor bus is far less complicated, simpler to operate and typically requires less maintenance. A ramp always works. If the electronic or hydraulic system is not functioning, the ramp can always be deployed manually very easily.

According to ADA guidelines, wheelchair access requires specific wheelchair footprints and maneuverability requirements in terms of turning radius. So OEMs look to the ADA and federal requirements, but also refer to the APTA guidelines to ensure wheelchair positions are compliant. Wheelchairs secure to restraints attached to the floor and a seatbelt attaches to the sidewall. REV Bus Group thoroughly tests these areas for structural soundness, as well.

Starting with the wheelchair ramp itself, OEMs cycle test the ramp to support 1,000 pounds in a simulation of a 7- to 10-year life cycle of the bus. The 1,000 pounds represents the weight of an individual and the typical mobility scooter. Side-impact and roof-crush testing is important as well, along with roll-over simulations. While these are not federal requirements, REV Bus Group takes safety very seriously and goes beyond the required testing for a typical transit bus.

REV Bus Group recently partnered with the University of Buffalo in a comprehensive accessibility study that involved more than 20 mobility-challenged individuals. Their assignment was to ride a bus and rate it for both for ease and comfort in maneuvering on and off the bus. REV Bus Group incorporated many of the observations gleaned from the study into their bus design.

The safest accessibility is dependent on FTA testing and analysis – and then subjecting those findings to the biggest test of all: feedback from the people who ride — and depend on — demandresponse vehicles.

Robert Portney is the engineering director for Champion Bus and Goshen Coach, part of the REV Bus Group. Portney has many years of valuable industry experience in bus and truck engineering and safety. Visit www.revgroup.com.

LF Transport and Krystal luxury bus showing their safety and maneuverability on the Homestead Miami Speedway.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

33

THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

SCANIA DEVELOPS

DOUBLE-DECKER

GAS BUS

By Doug Jack

This is how the Enviro400 body will appear on the Scania gas-powered bus.

n our industry, we must always be wary about describing any development as a world first, but Scania recently unveiled a doubledecker city bus chassis fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). I recall very old photographs from the World War II showing doubledecker buses with trailers that produced the natural gas, but the latest Scania is almost certainly a modern first.

Scania has its headquarters in Södertälje, Sweden, one half-hour south of Stockholm. The company builds a range of medium and heavy trucks through a very clever permutation of a relatively small number of parts.

It also builds a range of city bus, interurban, charter and express coaches using some of the truck engines and truck transmissions in some models.

The company’s degree of control over the creation of new parts is legendary, and a great benefit. For instance, Scania builds a range of five, six and eight-cylinder engines that all use one common piston. This not only helps to keep tight control on production costs, but greatly simplifies parts and service support. In most markets, select authorized truck dealers provide support for buses and coaches.

Scania has developed some of its engines to run on alternative fuels over the last two decades at least. It has promoted ethanol, principally in Sweden, with more than 800 buses running in Stockholm. In Sweden, there is an extensive forestry industry where ethanol is produced from the sap of felled trees. More recently, Scania has tried to promote ethanol in tropical countries where the fuel can be produced from renewable crops.

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

busride.com

THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

A general view from the front of the chassis. The yellow frames are temporary structures for delivery.

Scania also reckons to have built more than 4,000 gas engines in the last 20 years, for buses, trucks and industrial applications, with around half the output installed in buses. In Scandinavian markets, CNG and biogas are popular on political and environmental grounds.

An engine running on CNG produces 10-20 percent less CO2 than the latest and cleanest Euro 6 diesel engines. On biogas engines, a reduction in CO2 emissions can be as much as 90 percent.

Compared to other European markets, the United Kingdom has been slow to adopt gas as an alternative fuel to diesel. However, Scania worked with Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) to supply around 80 CNG-fueled buses to two customers in the last two to three years – and they have proved popular and reliable. The aluminium-framed bodywork was built by Alexander Dennis at is factory in Falkirk, Scotland, and the roof-mounted gas tanks were neatly concealed by shrouds.

Two of the reasons for resistance to gas-fueled buses have been the cost of providing a refueling infrastructure and the risk of being tied into long-term supply contracts. However, Scania has found a partner who is willing to supply the installations, freeing customers to shop around for the best fuel prices.

Another concern has been the risk of lower residual values, particularly on vehicles bought for fi xed-term contracts. The latest Scania CNG engine can similarly run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) which is simpler to store at a depot.

The two main types of transit buses in the United Kingdom are midibuses (around 12 tons gross) and double-decker buses. The latter can be found all over the country, not just in London.

The big question with a gas-fueled double-decker bus is where to locate the gas tanks. They certainly cannot be mounted at roof level. Scania had previously used a specialist contractor, mi Vehicle Integration Ltd., based in the town of Leyland in the northwest of England to assemble diesel-powered double-decker chassis.

Standard modules were supplied from Sweden and incorporated in a full low-floor underframe, designed and built by mi Vehicle Integration. The front module consisted of the front axle, steering, suspension, driver’s platform and instruments. The rear module had a transversely mounted vertical engine, gearbox, driveline, dropcenter rear axle and suspension.

The chassis was built to an overall length of 37 feet, 6 inches and when bodied by Alexander, the overall height will be 14 feet, 3 inches.

The bus will be built to the standard overall European legal width limit of 8 feet, 4 inches.

By working closely together, the three partners ensured that 95 percent of the components in the latest generation Enviro400 doubledecker body were the same on the Scania underframe and Alexander Dennis’ own underframe with a Cummins diesel engine. This will be a major benefit in bodywork production.

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busride.com | BUSRIDE

35

THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

A view of the chassis from the rear looking forward.

The location of the gas tanks is ingenious. Three tanks with a combined capacity of nearly 772-pounds (350 kilogram) of gas were mounted, one above the other two, in a cradle over the offside front wheel so that they would fit neatly under the staircase of the completed bus. Four larger and longer tanks, each capable of holding around 320 pounds (of gas will be mounted in a stack at the rear of the upper deck, above the engine, resulting in the loss of the normal rearmost row of seats. On double-decker buses for export markets, ADL normally fits the air conditioning system above the engine and beneath the rearmost row of seats upstairs. However, air conditioning is not normally required for the British market.

The Scania ADL gas double-deckers will normally have 45 seats on the upper deck and around 28 or 29 seats on the lower deck, depending on the number of standing passengers. Although there is a weight penalty with gas tanks, it will probably be only around 600 pounds compared with a standard diesel vehicle to a similar specification.

Legally that might result in the loss of four to five standing passengers.

Currently, in the UK and quite a number of European countries,

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BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

the maximum permitted weight of a two-axle bus is 18 tons. However, the European Commission recognizes that ultra-clean engines and alternative fuels add to the unladen weight of buses and they are proposing to increase the limit to at least 19 tons.

The partners in the project thought that the increase in price, compared with a standard Euro 6 diesel bus, would be around 20 percent, but that now looks closer to 15 percent. The performance of the latest Scania CNG engine is equivalent to its diesel engines, and maintenance is relatively simple. Because of the lower price of gas, the payback period may typically be around five years.

There are grants in the United Kingdom to help with the purchase of vehicles with ultra low emissions. Normally, these pay the difference in price compared with a standard Euro 6 diesel bus. Scania and ADL said at the launch that they had firm enquires for around 200 units.

At least two major operators are believed to be well advanced in applying for grants and the first vehicle will become a demonstrator after completion.

The current price of oil and gas on world markets is lower than it has been at any time in the last 12 years. Here in Europe, we think that Saudi Arabia is hell-bent on making the fracking industry uneconomic in North America. It has, of course, also hit the price of North Sea oil in Norway and the United Kingdom.

However, that situation cannot go on forever. It is hurting the Saudi economy at a time when there are reports of succession and divisions within the ruling royal family. The lifting of sanctions against Iran, and its massive known reserves of oil, is likely to lead to further cheap supplies in the short to medium term.

However, this price cutting cannot continue forever, and the price of fossil fuels will have to rise. The Scania CNG double-decker project may therefore turn out to be inspired as a good long-term prospect.

Doug Jack is with Transport Resources in the United Kingdom.

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INSURANCE BASICS

Is your maintenance facility covered?

By Tim O’Bryan The continuing series with Tim O’Bryan, president of Service Insurance Agency, Richmond, VA, turns its attention to the maintenance facility, specifically Garage Liability and Garagekeepers Legal Liability. Both are important policies to consider for any operator conducting third-party maintenance.

With Garagekeepers Legal Liability, insurance an operator should assess the most expensive vehicle their garage works on, then pick a limit to cover the potential total value of that vehicle.

There is also a deductible that would apply, much like on their physical damage coverage.

What are the essential elements of insuring a maintenance facility?

There are two big policies: Garage Liability and Garagekeepers Legal Liability.

Garage Liability is similar to Auto Liability – it’s the liability that your work may have caused. For example: a garage owner or his/her employees are repairing another operator’s bus, but they make an error.

An accident occurs and it can be traced back to that garage. In this case, the garage would rely on its Garage Liability insurance.

Garagekeeper’s Legal Liability covers more physical damage. In the previous example, one of the garage owner’s employees might back another operator’s vehicle into a pole – causing physical damage and calling for Garagekeeper’s Legal Liability insurance.

Where should garage owners go for these policies?

Most major motorcoach insurance companies write their Garage Liability and Garagekeepers Legal Liability policies, because there’s a lot of “Good Samaritan” situations in the industry, for operators who only do this kind of work as a small percentage of their total revenue.

Everyone wants to help their neighbor, and it’s the right thing to do, but it leaves garages open to liabilities. Even if it’s just one third-party repair per year, think about coverage – or think about not doing it at all.

There’s no third option.

“For-hire” garages, or even garages working on many different types of vehicles, should seek a traditional garage policy from a garage insurer, not a motorcoach package. If operators are doing major engine work or major brake work for other people, they need to get the proper insurance coverage.

Property coverage on the building is an obvious necessity. Worker’s compensation for garage personnel is also needed.

If garage work is subcontracted out, make sure all subcontracted employees are also covered.

No matter what, the people on the coach need to be properly insured – either through your policies or verified through their employer.

When should operators obtain Garage Liability and Garagekeepers Legal Liability insurance?

There are some carriers that will write standalone policies for Garagekeepers Legal Liability, while others write Garage Liability as a product of completed operations function of General Liability (GL) coverage.

It depends on the carrier but at the very least, if an operator is working on other companies’ buses, even if it’s just as a “Good Samaritan” and at very random intervals, that represents an exposure.

Operators should invest in, at minimum, a $1 million Garage Liability policy and/or have their GL insurance include Garage Liability with the necessary endorsements.

Tim O’Bryan serves as president of Service Insurance Agency. Since 1952, the company has been committed to the transportation industry. Service Insurance Agency strives to provide the most knowledgeable advice and personal service to all of its valued customers. Visit them online at www.serviceins.com.

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SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE

Hybrid video recorders: a new solution

By Steven Winnefeld The technology for onboard mobile surveillance systems continues to evolve. Robust analog technology has been employed for many years, and now recently network IP cameras and recorders have gained momentum in transit industry vehicles, promoting enhanced video resolution and many new features. However this transition in recording formats is not happening instantaneously.

Often the excitement of seeing high definition video is quickly tempered by looking at the price tag and considering the logistics of updating a large fleet. Addressing these concerns is a new breed of video recorder; hybrids combine both analog and network inputs to create another option for onboard video recording. How can these new systems benefit you?

Analog Analog camera systems have been utilized in the mobile surveillance industry since its inception. Originally recording to video tape, they evolved to using digital storage media. Analog transmits the image and audio to the recorder, which must then process these signals into video. Typical analog system image resolution is limited to 720 x 480 pixels, otherwise known as D1. The video signal uses interlaced video frames to reduce bandwidth, and this often causes problems as rapidly moving objects can appear blurry. However, the cables and their connectors, typically BNC and Molex-type, are easily recognizable on vehicles and familiar to all maintenance and installation technicians.

And due to its wide adoption, analog components are increasingly cost-effective.

Network Network camera systems are increasingly gaining traction in mobile environments over the past few years. IP cameras process image and audio into video in the camera itself, which then transmits this video to a network video recorder via a singular Ethernet cable.

They provide high definition resolution, often at 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) like many home televisions – which produces some stunningly sharp images, and motion blur is reduced using progressive scanning.

Those benefits come at the cost of large amounts of data that must be transmitted and stored by the recorder and video management software, driving up prices. Since the security industry is just recently adapting digital technology to mobile environments, installers and operators are learning new hardware, tools and methods.

Hybrid Hybrid video recorders, such as Safety Vision’s Observer™ 4112 and 4120 models, combine both analog and network technology to create an additional choice. On the back of these systems, you will find a series of analog connections and an Ethernet port. Four IP cameras can be connected to a switch, which then connects to the Ethernet port, augmenting the analog cameras. The Foresight PRO software seamlessly plays back video from all of the cameras in one video file.

Hybrids present an ideal solution to the problem of upgrading from analog to network systems. Upgrading an entire fleet at once 38

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

Hybrid video recorders, such as Safety Vision’s Observer™ 4112 and 4120 models, combine both analog and network technology.

is an immense operational cost, as all of the old analog components must first be removed and a network infrastructure is installed in their place. Instead, hybrids can be installed in mid-life buses so as to allow the continued use of the analog cameras and cables. Where more definition is needed from video cameras, up to four additional or replacement HD cameras can be installed in critical positions.

The gradual conversion to full IP camera bus networks costs less as older buses due to be decommissioned can take advantage of hybrid technology using existing analog camera infrastructure.

Expenses can also be controlled in installations by strategically placing network IP cameras where they are most effective. An IP camera pointed out of the front windshield will capture the long field of view ahead of the bus, and the resolution allows you to zoom in on fine objects such as license plates and signs. Other locations that benefit from this zoom are doors and fareboxes. Multiple analog cameras can efficiently capture shorter distances in the bus interior, minimizing the overall system cost.

These situations illustrate the immediate benefits hybrid video recorders can provide. They are “the best of both worlds,” taking advantage of the incredible resolution of network IP cameras and the cost-effectiveness of analog systems to create a new flexible solution with new surveillance possibilities.

Steven Winnefeld is documentation specialist for Safety Vision, LLC, a pioneer in mobile video surveillance systems. Safety Vision prides itself on its institutional knowledge. Visit Safety Vision at www.safetyvision.com. For a complete set of references please visit: http://bit.ly/1IwdQCu.

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TransIT

Personnel management

By Mark Anderson

On first thought, bus transportation management commonly has to do with operating and maintaining equipment. But the fact is, the first concern is with the people doing the work in every area of the the business. Management begins in personnel. As the company relies on employees’ quality work, their fair treatment and oversight also requires accurate management.

Currently, bus companies may keep personnel records on Excel spreadsheets, or even with a hard copy folder for each employee. One folder might be for training, another for compliance issues. The safety department will maintain a spreadsheet on accidents; operations will keep track of attendance. Some companies attempt to be more “innovative” by putting all this information into one comprehensive file. Nonetheless, this still has more to do with tracking issues than actually managing performance in each area.

The preferred solution is a system to compile all this information in one cloud-based database for each employee that presents a more comprehensive performance record. For example, a manager might be talking with an employee about his attendance, but also see where that same employee is having accidents. The data in each area — i.e. attendance, discipline, safety, compliance — contributes to the opportunity for a more comprehensive evaluation.

The solution is technology that makes this process simpler and more accessible. The technology solutions that companies such as Trackit provides help agencies take their current paper-based process to paperless forms on a tablet to collect data, store and analyze information. These cloud-based solutions are simple to implement and very cost effective.

The management tracking categories may include incidents, accidents, employee attendance and training and compliancy. The searchable data is available for planning, analyzing risk or staying compliant with federal, state and local requirements.

A cloud-based personnel management system establishes the flexibility to enter and track only what is important to the business; and provides alerts, action items and to-do lists to help managers determine the correct outcomes and track progress.

Tracking performance in every operational area is critical for any transit agency. For example, training records must document not only initial training that qualifies an employee, but also that person’s retraining and any continuing certifications.

Because a transit agency is a government entity, it will always face the risk of a lawsuit. In the event of an accident or serious event, from a liability standpoint all documentation must show evidence of a complete and correct training program. If something happens on a bus or train, we need proper documentation to show that employees are trained and retrained routinely. Typically, relying solely on the trainer to create the necessary documents, that denote and prove what was taught and when, leaves room for error. As a court will subpoena such records, the agency needs a system to provide the proper documentation easily and without delay.

In another scenario, just to be safe from defense attorneys, agencies must also have proof of a strict policy for additional, rehabilitative training following any preventable accident. A general description of “what we normally do” will not suffice in this day and age.

GPS data, pictured here with Trackit Manager, can be very useful when tracking safety incidents.

But how best to manage all the records? How to store all agency assessments on one PC or tablet for quicker and easier access? To show what, when, where and how the agency carried out these assessments?

Agencies must be able to follow up on assessments, and then be able to discuss this information with the employee.

Given the approximate 40 minutes required to manually process each paper record, the number of administrative hours saved by switching to tablet forms and uploading to a database becomes very apparent — especially at a time when administrative requirements keep rising as the available personnel to help fulfill them keeps dropping. Technology can help bridge that gap, for example; quickly complete the accident form on the tablet and select submit. All the details, including photos and diagrams, are submitted at one time and it’s done.

Behavioral safety is another critical area to consider, and one in which technology can aid in implementing the desired skills and behaviors for drivers and customer service representatives, and provide a roadmap for the training. The technology will enable the organization to provide a consistent message by including the behaviors into Coaching Reports.

Asset management and a system-safety approach are main elements to MAP-21. The transit industry has taken a system-safety approach for some time, but could perhaps be more formal in how it assesses, reports and follows up on issues that concern safety.

Tracking technology ensures consistency across the organization through accurate recording keeping, and provides the needed evidence in challenges from courts and labor unions. Everyone in the agency adheres to the same criteria and the same training and advice, which ultimately lowers the accident rates; and guides management to safer, more efficient operations by noting desired behaviors and recording consistent evaluations, and giving uniform advice across the board.

Mark Anderson is president of Trackit LLC, La Mesa, CA. Trackit Manager provides paperless digital tools to systematically collect – track – analyze —and allows managers to act on the personnel data generated by transit agencies. Visit www.trackittransit.com.

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39

Key ELD questions answered What operators need to know as the rule becomes law

By Mike McDonal

After the FMCSA-specified deadlines, any driver currently using paper logs will need to convert to a certified ELD.

The recently released, highly anticipated 516-page Electronic Log Device (ELD) rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) covers the spectrum from technical configuration requirements to driver harassment violations.

use this new equipment correctly. Begin with small groups of drivers and track their progress weekly. As each group becomes comfortable with the equipment and feels settled into the new routine, begin another group in the training process.

What is the deadline to install ELDs? As of December 15, 2015, anyone not yet using any type of ELD has until December 16, 2017 to register and install a certified ELD in the fleet. Operators now using an AOBRD prior to the ELD Rule have until December 2019.

Who else needs ELD training?

ELD training includes the drivers, dispatchers, schedulers, as well as sales staff. The ELD calculates the duty status to the second as opposed to formerly rounding up or down to a 15-minute interval.

Charter sales staff will need to verify customer itineraries closer than ever to ensure ample off-duty time for the driver and to stay within driving and on-duty regulations. A violation will show for a driver not off for eight hours before the next dispatch.

Who needs an ELD? After these deadlines, any driver currently using paper logs will need to convert to a certified ELD. The 100-air mile exemption, as well as the consecutive hours rule, still applies to all drivers. Any driver who completes eight or less logs in a 30-day period will not need to use an ELD. Discuss these options with the ELD providers under consideration, and ask how they record time for drivers in these situations.

What are the benefits of an ELD system?

An ELD system has the capability to do more than electronic log keeping. System providers include additional features at the time of purchase or any time after that provide data to help operators in many other ways. An ELD supplier should be able to configure a fleet management system to provide GPS, Wi-Fi, video and specialized metrics to improve fleet efficiency and driver safety performance.

Such an enhanced system could prove beneficial for operators hoping to move Beyond Compliance, a topic FMCSA is currently considering, by providing data to help BASIC safety scores. Operators who think only an ELD will suffice should at least choose a system that can grow with the company, rather than invest in additional hardware down the road.

How does an operator choose the correct ELD system?

Research various ELDs available in this new market, and visit the FMCSA website to be sure any unit under consideration is registered and certified. This certification process will be forthcoming over the next few months as FMCSA receives and considers submissions from vendors.

What is the best way to train drivers on ELDs? It will take time to install the system and train drivers and staff to 40

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

What prohibitions does ELD guard against?

Commercial carriers need to ensure drivers understand the consequences of these specific behaviors that could result in an out of service notice. Proper documentation is required to substantiate the log and avert a ruling of falsification.

Personal Conveyance – Refer to the Hours of Service regulations that cover authorized use of a company vehicle for personal use.

Unassigned Driving Time – A driver not identified as the designated operator of a commercial vehicle for a specific stretch of time or distance traveled is in violation.

Driver Coercion – The Hours of Service rules and ELDs will figure strongly in protecting drivers from charter customers and passengers who insist on a schedule in clear violation of hours-of-service restrictions and other safety regulations.

Driver Harassment – Any action by a motor carrier taken toward a driver known to be an HOS violation constitutes driver harassment, and only applies if the action involved information from an ELD, or other technology used in combination with an ELD. How bus and coach operators use — or do not use — ELDs will profoundly affect the entire operation. As of now, the best advice is not to wait any longer to select and install an ELD system.

Mike McDonal serves as product director, regulatory compliance, for Saucon Technologies, Bethlehem, PA. Hundreds of motor coach companies trust Saucon Technologies, using the pinpoint GPS tracking, extensive reporting options, and dispatch tools that Saucon offers. Visit www.saucontds.com.

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FUEL SAVINGS BUSRide spoke with George Kalet, CNG applications and key account manager for Atlas Copco, Gas and Process Group, this month to discuss compressed natural gas (CNG) for transit buses. In this issue, we discuss the fuel savings benefits of CNG, as well as the current price of diesel and sustainability considerations associated with natural gas.

In general, how do natural gas prices compare to diesel prices?

The price of CNG is usually much lower and more stable than the “roller coaster ride” of diesel fuel prices. When we take each factor into account, be it vehicle cost or maintenance facility modification, we find that CNG presents a significant cost benefit along with a quality of life benefit from environmental impacts and noise pollution.

Initial costs are higher, but those costs are repaid in fuel savings.

Now, in many markets, gasoline and diesel comes at a lower price than natural gas. This, however, is both temporary and “artificial.”

The worldwide market is flooded with oil, as production is up, but prices are down as European states’ demand for oil is low because of floundering economies and increased production of more energyefficient vehicles. Furthermore, the U.S. “shale boom,” which we’ll explain later, is also driving down prices. Overall, it’s a very temporary situation.

Are natural gas prices volatile?

Natural gas prices are very stable, though they used to be very volatile like the price of oil. When the price of oil went up, the price of natural gas went up with it because they were essentially coming from the same place – natural gas had been a byproduct of petroleum processing. However, the prices have been decoupled from petroleum totally because of shale discoveries in the U.S. Producers have developed a cost-effective way to recover that gas, which has held prices very stable. That’s in spite of the fact that consumption is going up, as power plants and large utility users come online with natural gas – the price still isn’t rising. It’s forecasted to hold stable for the next 15 years.

Prices have been decoupled from petroleum.

Aside from fuel savings, what other savings can be gleaned from adopting CNG? Cleaner-burning fuel means less frequent oil changes, which saves money. It affects the overall operating costs of the fleet, because it’s a gaseous fuel and there are no carbon deposits left in the engine to be picked up by the lube oil system.

With the number of heavy-duty trucks and tour buses coming onboard with CNG, we’re seeing a big increase in the amount of fueling stations around the country. Around 907 fueling stations are operating in the United States, with more coming into service each day.

What quality-of-life benefits does CNG present?

This should play into cost savings but it is almost an intangible benefit: CNG lessens the health risks of people around it. That’s a big incentive for bus fleets to go with natural gas, because of diesel exhaust pollutants and vapor fumes coming from the fuel system. It’s and much healthier experience for drivers, passengers and mechanics to not have to deal with the dirt and grime and everything else associated with liquid petroleum fuels.

Visit www.atlascopco.us for more information.

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41

DELIVERIES ABC COMPANIES / VAN HOOL added

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2

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Louisiana Motor Coach St, Marrero, LA

Transportation Charter Service Orange, CA

Metro McAllen McAllen, TX

Louisiana Motor Coach received two new 2016 Van Hool CX35 40 passenger luxury motorcoaches on Monday, February 1, during United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Motorcoach EXPO 2016, outside of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The CX35s are powered by a 345 HP Cummins ISL engine coupled to an Allison B500 G5 transmission.

The company opted for wood-grained flooring, leather-trimmed seats, the REI HD Entertainment system, Wi-Fi and other amenities including the EYERIDE 800 PRO safety monitoring option that supplements all Van Hool standard safety equipment.

As the new Van Hool 35-foot CX model rolled into UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2016 in Atlanta, California-based operator Transportation Charter Service (TCS) was among the first to take delivery on the new mid-size coach. The Van Hool CX35 offers a wide range of exclusive features unique to the small-coach market. Passengers can expect the same smooth rideability of the Van Hool full-size CX45 model and a host of comfort features. Other highlights include full-size coach height offering a roomy and spacious cabin design, front-to-rear flat floor design with no step-up throughout, an integrated A/C system that provides maximized luggage space below, a curved passenger entry and the same uniform step height as the CX45 for passenger boarding.

Complete Coach Works (CCW) recently delivered two Zero Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS) buses that include a wireless charging system provided by Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE) to the City of McAllen’s Transit Department, Metro McAllen (McAllen). The ZEPS powered buses create significant carbon savings by eliminating activities involved in manufacturing a new bus. The rehabbed buses cost a fraction of what a new allelectric bus would cost, helping minimize budget and environmental impact.

CH BUS SALES / TEMSA added

ARBOC SPECIALTY VEHICLES

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COMPLETE COACH WORKS added

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Royal Excursion South Bend, IN

Turtle Tours Tamuning, Guam

Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ

TEMSA Global, along with their exclusive U.S. distributor CH Bus Sales, attended the UMA Motorcoach EXPO in Atlanta and introduced the newly enhanced TS 35E mid-sized coach. The unveiling took place at a press conference on Tuesday, February 2, and included a First Order Presentation to Royal Excursion. Upgraded features include an updated and modern look to the front face and rear door, new styling in the entryway with added LED tread lighting on the steps, new overhead reading lights, and enclosed parcel racks.

Driver ergonomics is improved with an enlarged driver area (increased by 4 inches), updated ergonomic buttons, and an updated dashboard cover. Improving the serviceability of the coach was a large factor in the vehicle enhancement and is accomplished with a three-piece front bumper, three-piece rear engine door, stacked alternators, and 315-size tires.

Over the last four decades, Turtle Tours has expanded services to offer tours, mass transit services to local residents, and other transportation needs for the military and many island tourists that visit the beautiful island of Guam. Turtle Tours’ TS 30 coaches have enhanced features such as 110V plugs and an elite REI A/V system with three 15-inch monitors. The TS 30 has independent front suspension and automatic transmission, contributing to a smooth, comfortable drive. An American driveline (Cummins/Allison) providing excellent power and optimum serviceability combined with superb European quality creates a high quality driving experience. This coach is a fully integral mid-sized coach that provides the same level of comfort and amenities as a full-size coach.

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, a leader in the low floor bus market, recently announced the Spirit of Liberty is finally starting to ship from their manufacturing plant in Middlebury, IN. The first bus is heading to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. The bus was sold through Creative Bus Sales by Marcus Hoffman.

“This is a very proud moment for ARBOC,” said Don Roberts, president and CEO of ARBOC. “We have spent years designing and testing this bus and it is great to finally realize all the hard work has paid off.”

BUSRIDE | MARCH / APRIL . 2016

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Saves fuel.

Wastes the competition.

The Volvo 9700 makes productivity a priority, with superb handling, minimal maintenance and superior uptime. Now with a choice of transmission integrated with the power of a Volvo engine for maximum fuel efficiency. Your passengers will get a coach experience they’ll choose again and again. www.prevostcar.com

Finally, a 35-Foot Mid-Size that Looks and Feels Like a 45-Foot Coach

Can You Tell the Difference?

Closely modeled after the Van Hool CX45, the new CX35 answers the demand for a smaller mid-size coach in the marketplace without sacrificing comfort, luggage capacity or headroom.

www.abc-companies.com abcinfo@abc-companies.com