Swedes stay on the rails
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• Volvo Bus and Scania are developing ways for their vehicles to be used on guided busways, as more authorities are considering these systems.
Volvo Bus has developed a guidewheel for its MOM citybus on behalf of South Yorkshire Transport. The guidewheel attaches to the chassis by a forged steel arm and runs in a pre-cast concrete guideway reinforced with steel rails up to 180mm from ground level. Scania has also designed a guided mechanism for its N113 standard and low-floor chassis, which Yorkshire Rider and Hull City Transport are believed to be interested in. It uses guide arms attached to the steering mechanism and these arms are directed by two raised guideways of steel or concrete located on either side of the bus.
Some authorities are considering guided systems as a low-cost option to light rail. Guided rail costs about iltn per kilometre, compared with £5075m for a light rail corridor.
Both manufacturers believe the guided systems may increase interest in articulated buses, which they are keen to make in right-hand drive, Volvo has supplied around 3,000 artic buses to the Netherlands, Japan and Australia.