It’s no car-swallowing behemoth, but Volvo’s new Gran Artic 300 bus is a sizable transit machine. Developed specially in Brazil for its bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, the 98-foot-long vehicle features what the company claims is the world’s largest bus chassis.
The design essentially adds a third passenger compartment to the more conventional two-section articulated bus. The change dramatically increases vehicle capacity while reducing the number of bus drivers (and operational costs) for a given route.
Volvo unveiled the world’s first bi-articulated buses in 1992, and has continued to improve the design. This latest iteration is supposed to hold up to 300 passengers.
“This vehicle will provide more efficient transportation systems, offering a higher quality for the passengers and improved cost efficiency for the transport operators,” said Fabiano Todeschini, head of Volvo Bus Latin America.
The challenges of a longer bus design are overcome by operating it within a BRT system, which runs vehicles in dedicated bus lanes and picks up passengers who’ve prepaid at bus stations. In terms of passenger logistics like ticketing, stops, and schedules, a longer bus like the Gran Artic 300 works more like a rail system than a traditional public transit bus.
Via: Economic Times
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