‘AmfibusA?ai??i??ai??? gets tryout on the Clyde – You Think TransLink Will Order Some?

From the lighter side of transit, an amphibious bus.

Maybe TransLink doesn’t need SeaBus anymore and will buy a fleet of Amphibious buses for a no transfer journey from the North Shore to Vancouver and no more worries about traffic gridlock at the tunnel or the Alex Fraser Bridge, just drive down a boat ramp and………………….

Hey ………… just kidding!

Ai??Ai??

Ai??Ai??

‘AmfibusA?ai??i??ai??? gets tryout on the Clyde

From the Times On Line

Angela Jameson

James Bond might think it old hat, but a vehicle that can travel across both roads and water is proving to be something of a licence to thrill for Brian Souter, the boss of Stagecoach.

The Ai??A?700,000 A?ai??i??Ai??amfibusA?ai??i??A?, borrowed by Stagecoach from a Dutch company that plans to operate five of them around Rotterdam, begins tests next week as a possible replacement for the Clyde ferry in Glasgow.

Based on a bus chassis, the amfibus incorporates a hull to allow the vehicle to float.

On the roads, it operates like a standard coach, but in the water it is driven by twin water jets and can reach up to 8 knots.

An excited Mr Souter said: A?ai??i??Ai??Passengers can use the amfibus to travel over road and water without having to leave the comfort of their seat to change from a bus to a ferry.

A?ai??i??Ai??It shows the potential of ScotlandA?ai??i??ai???s rivers and estuaries to be links rather than barriers to travel.A?ai??i??A?

StagecoachA?ai??i??ai???s larger-than-life founder and chief executive might well be excited by it all, but for him it will not be a hands-on project.

Mr Souter, who has a PSV licence and has been known to drive StagecoachA?ai??i??ai???s buses, would not be able to drive the amfibus until he has a boatmanA?ai??i??ai???s licence.

A Dutch driver has been recruited for next weekA?ai??i??ai???s trial.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article7015824.ece

Category: zweisystem · Tags: , ,

Comments

No Responses to “‘AmfibusA?ai??i??ai??? gets tryout on the Clyde – You Think TransLink Will Order Some?”
  1. John says:

    haha super cool
    although 8 knots might be a bit slow crossing the burrard inlet.
    And who has a boatman’s license? Bus driver’s union not going to like that

Leave A Comment