150 Passengers in a Single-decker
Page 69
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THE first of two articulated buses 55 ft. 3 in. long was placed in experimental service last week by the Amsterdam Municipal Transport Department. They are capable of carrying 150 passengers-47 seated and 103 standing.
Although Amsterdam is by British standards a small city (population 850,000), peak-hour traffic is heavy and the large number of bicycles adds to the difficulties of operating public service vehicles. The new buses are designed to carry the maximum number of passengers with minimum delay at stops for loading and unloading.
They form an interesting contrast with Britain's approach to the same problem, as evidenced by the new crushloaders for the Mexborough and Swinton Traction Co., Ltd., described on the opposite page. stered in red leather, are in pairs and face forward, although there are single seats on the left of the semi-trailer and on the right immediately behind the rear door of the prime mover.
All doors arc controlled by the conductor, who has a microphone to give
• warning that they are about to close. The action of the doors is automatically halted inimediately the rubber-protected edges 'meet an obstruction. The conductor can give the signal to start only after the doors are completely-closed. The driver and conductor can communicate with one another by radiotelephone.
Two heating systems are installed. The prime mover has a Dreiha system making use of the engine water, whilst Wchasto oil-burning equipment is installed in the semi-trailer.
Amsterdam municipality has 64 A.E.C. vehicles and has ordered, another 45 through Kemper en Van Twist Diesel N.V., of Dortrecht, the A.C.V. agents. After the inaugural run of the A.E.C.-Kassbohrer, officials of the police and the municipal transport department e4ressed satisfaction with it. In its blue and silver livery it attracted great attention from the public, the Press, . and television and newsreel cameramen.
The second. model, which has just been delivered to Amsterdam, will be exhibited on the joint Verheul and Van Twist' stands at the Amsterdam Motor Show, which opens next Thursday.