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EDITORIAL
Page 21
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A revolutionary push l'hc rev of public passenger transport has been a forcing-house for design but none c)1 the resulting creations has been inore novel, or perhaps had more potential, than the Duple pusher-bus which xve reveal
excltisivel ('M this week. This exciting British project, soon to be given flesh, is n theoretician's fantasy but the concept of an experienced automotive engineer -working with one of the longest-established
companies in its field.
Although restrictive commercial laws have so far blocked the design's intended application in America there is still a chance for it there: even Greyhound, the largest US operator: does not vvant the homehrewed Transbtis because it would be too much of a compromise. 'I -he pusher -bus indeed has a worldwide potential using a variety of running units, and the possibility of British interest cannot be ruled out.
The obvious drawback of any such radical design (and it is likel5... to be offered only as a licence to build, not as manufactured vehicles) is that the most probable purchasers have already invested heavily in secondgeneration buses the I evland National, the Mercedes 03(15 and the Transbtis, for example. The project has been around for some time behind the scenes and no-one has yet taken it up But Mr Frank B. Ford, who has invested a large sum in the project, is not noted for backing unpromising horses. One of the great attractions of the design idea is that it is very flexible, leading to single-deck and doubledeck bus and coach applications of wide variety, And even if the whole vehicle had to wait for a third-generation psv niche, the main features such as the ultra-low floor and the separate power-pack module are relevant to present-day needs and could be used individually. A concept so full of good sense should not he allowed to languish without trial. With good engineering and construction it would offer passengers and operators considerable benefits.