Articulated bus
It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor.
Due to their high passenger capacity, articulated buses are often used as part of bus rapid transit schemes, and can include mechanical guidance.
Such vehicles have a capacity of around 200 people, and a length of about 25 m (82 ft); as such, they are used almost exclusively on high-capacity, high-frequency arterial routes and on bus rapid transit services.
[8] Engineering for the XMC-77 was carried out by the local firm of DeLeuw Cather & Co.[9] In the United States, articulated buses were imported from Europe and deployed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
King County Metro and Caltrans led a Pooled Purchase Consortium, formed in 1976, which later awarded a contract to the AM General/MAN joint venture responsible for assembling MAN SG 220 (from Germany) articulated buses in America.
[citation needed] The main benefits of an articulated bus over the double-decker bus are rapid simultaneous boarding and disembarkation through more and larger doors, increased stability arising from a lower centre of gravity, smaller frontal area giving less air resistance than double decker buses thus better fuel efficiency, often a smaller turning radius, higher maximum service speed, the ability to pass under low bridges, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.
In a period when articulated buses made up approximately 5% of the London bus fleet, they were involved in 20% of all bus-related deaths, statistics which eventually led to their replacement.
Articulated buses also struggle in snowy or icy conditions; because the rear axle delivers power, this causes the bus to “jackknife” or bend in the middle when attempting to go up a hill or through a snowdrift.
The trailer section of a "puller" bus can be subject to unusual centripetal forces, which many people can find uncomfortable, although this is not an issue with "pushers".
Nonetheless, the articulated bus is highly successful in Budapest, Hungary, where the BKV city transit company has been operating more than 1000 of them every day since the early 1970s.
From 3 July 2011 to 28 August 2013, articulated Mercedes Citaro buses purchased from London were used in Malta by the company Arriva on a number of routes across the country.
A number of serious engine fires resulted in their withdrawal from service, and they have also been responsible for causing an increase in traffic congestion and accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.
Modern technology has reduced the weight disadvantage, and the benefits of a continuous low floor allowing easier access plus additional entrance doors for smoother loading have led to reconsideration of the use of articulated buses in the UK.
With unsupervised "open boarding" through three doors and the requirement for pre-purchase of tickets, levels of fare-dodging on the new vehicles were found to be at least three times higher than on conventional buses where entry of passengers is monitored by the driver or conductor.
Since the articulated buses were tending to serve areas of relative deprivation it is suspected that this was a contributory factor in Transport for London (TfL) turning against the concept.
In the 2000s, a surge in BRT construction has reintroduced or re-purposed the articulated bus fleets for rapid transit usage in cities like Changzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Xiamen, Yancheng, Zaozhuang, and Zhengzhou.
PPD dominated Jakarta city bus service until 2004, when Transjakarta was established; it operates one of the longest BRT systems in the world.
[20] In Israel, the use of articulated buses—commonly called accordion bus, אוטובוס אקורדיון—is widespread, particularly in Gush Dan and Jerusalem, the two great urban centers of the country, as well as in Haifa (for the Metronit BRT system) and other cities such as Beersheba.
In 2023, Transmac imported two 18-meter Higer KLQ6186GHEV extended range electric articulated bus model that runs on the same route 51, 25BS and 26S as it's predecessor, first put into operation on 21 January 2024 as a after-show shuttle in Macau.
All Hispano Habit-bodied O405Gs have been retired from service as of December 2020 as part of Land Transport Authority's policy of a 100% wheelchair-accessible bus fleet.
In South America, they are used in Quito, São Paulo, Santiago, Curitiba, Barranquilla, Cali, Bucaramanga, Pereira, Cartagena, Medellín and Bogotá.
A number of prototype vehicles were delivered in 2008 & 2009 to operate on Sydney Buses' first Metrobus route, the M10 from Leichhardt to Kingsford and Maroubra Junction.
Newer models such as the Van Hool AG300 feature low floors while maintaining the puller design by placing the engine block off-center opposite to the second door.
Also, the unpowered rear axle is much simpler and carries no engine weight, facilitating the installation of counter-steering mechanisms to further decrease the turning radius.
In pusher buses, only the rear axle is powered by a rear-mounted internal combustion engine, and the longitudinal stability of the vehicle is maintained by active hydraulics mounted under the turntable.
This modern system makes it possible to build buses without steps and having low floors along their entire length, which simplifies access for passengers with limited mobility.
Modern low-floor pusher articulated buses also tend to suffer from suspension problems because their wheels lack sufficient travel to enable them to absorb typical road surface unevenness.
Electric articulated trolleybuses principally operate in hilly locations like Mexico City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C., where the steep grades preclude the use of combustion engines for motive power.
The Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Youngman (Jinhua Neoplan) has developed the 25 metres (82 ft) JNP6280G bi-articulated bus, deemed the "world's largest", which will be used in Beijing.
However, based on guidelines from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an articulated motorcoach (bus) driver is required to possess a Class B CDL.
