SEATING works to improve fuel efficiency By Jürgen Mill The virtues of fuel efficiency Although the use of public transportation is saving over 4 billion gallons of fuel annually that would otherwise end up in the gas tanks of private vehicles, the combined fuel consumption of motorcoaches in North America alone is enough to fill […]
Fleet optimization: one size does not fit all By Kevin Price Optimization: what does it mean for a fleet, and how can it be achieved? Here’s one definition of optimization: “Finding an alternative with the most cost effective or highest achievable performance under the given constraints, by maximizing desired factors and minimizing undesired ones.” That’s […]
By Brett Koenig For years, transit asset managers have been tasked with the challenge of maximizing fleet performance and availability while minimizing costs. Recent federal regulations will also soon require transit agencies to begin tracking data on asset condition (“state of good repair”). Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems have emerged as the central tool used […]
GPS tracking provides an efficient future By Jonathan Durkee Huskey Trailways built its name transporting precious cargo. No less than two U.S. presidents and their 90-person entourages have chartered its motorcoaches while traveling through Missouri. The U.S. military regularly relies on it to transport personnel. And students participating in the government’s Job Corps youth training […]
Calculating the ROI of transit surveillance By Lori Jetha Safety and security are at the core of every successful transit system operation, but when it comes time to cough up the money to upgrade surveillance equipment, it can often be difficult to secure funding. Getting the budget for an upgrade is usually the first hurdle […]
All kinds of drive systems at UITP The International Union of Public Transport (UITP) held its biennial Congress and Exhibition in the northern Italian city of Milan, June 8-10. Although Rome is the capital, Milan is the country’s financial and industrial powerhouse. The exhibition was spread over two large halls. The lower one was occupied […]
By Prevost Prep Pre-trip prep If conditions look bad, get off the road. Anticipate a change in weather. Check a weather report before departure and always be prepared for sudden changes in road conditions. In threatening weather, the pre-trip inspection should include attention to tires, tire […]
The Southwest of public transit bus companies By Mary Sue O’Melia If there is an incident that causes a significant delay in service or inconvenience for your customers, what are your policies and practices for dealing with the customer? How does your agency define good customer service? Poor customer service examples In the past month, […]
The benefits of cloud-based management By Estee Woods As riders become more “wired,” transit agencies are modifying their services to be more in line with modern technology. Cloud-based management frees up agency resources in this regard, enabling agencies to reduce their in-house responsibilities and provide faster, better service for riders. King County, WA, has become […]
The benefits of telematics and driver coaching By Dick Mahany Gone are the days of fleets being out of communication with drivers until they return from a trip. As technology has advanced and become more affordable, fleet managers have discovered more ways than ever to improve the performance of their drivers and track the movement […]