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13th April 1973, Page 64
13th April 1973
Page 64
Page 64, 13th April 1973 — european scene
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

by Bill Godwin CI Vienna goes for low-speed gas; precinct vans and buses

IT IS an established but ironic fact that many of the ideas which are no more than pipe-dreams of traffic planners and transport engineers here in the UK are being put into practice in other European centres where problems of congestion, pollution. etc, if not entirely illusory, are on an altogether smaller scale.

Last April I reported the work carried out by Steyr of Austria on the development of a novel city delivery van which, based on conventional mechanical units, was a styling exercise to provide valuable operating data for a new series of light vehicles. These are being built for use in the extensive city centre pedestrian precinct in Vienna which may be extended ultimately to cover the entire area of over a square mile encircled by the famous Ringstrasse. Already the city has indicated its intention of buying up to 150 Steyr "City Buses"—Haffinger-based minis with 10 seats and space for another 10 standing passengers — most of which will be required to serve routes traversing the precinct.

The van version — named "Citcar" — has been derived from the same basic design which, first and foremost, is for an environmentally acceptable vehicle using LPG fuel for the front-wheel-drive power pack. Particular attention has been given to the choice of a suitable automatic transmission to provide two speed ranges — ie up to 7 mph within the precinct and at normal traffic speeds for conventional road operation.

While the wider use of the new van will depend to a great deal on a tax or financial inducement given to firms and operators requiring access to the precinct the city's decision to use LPG fuelled buses on such a large scale has now taken the concept of minibus operation out of the purely experimental phase.

El Vienna 2

THE AIR-COOLED two-cylinder Haflinger engine of 643 cc has been de-rated to produce 14.6 bhp for those units destined for precinct service. Total encapsulation and additional sound insulation for air intakes and exhaust reduce the noise level almost to that of a battery electric vehicle. A 60-litre (13.2gal) gas tank allows up to 30 hours of operation or approximately 330km.

A separate 30-litre tank supplies the independent heating system. As already mentioned Haflinger components are used extensively in the construction of the new minis which have a specially developed chassis integrated with three tubular frame hoops panelled with grp sides and roof. The unladen weight of 1800kg (1 tan I5cwt) allows a payload of 1500kg — 20 passengers — to be carried.

Front-wheel drive and independent

suspension all round have enabled the floor height to be kept between 25 to 30cm above the road. There are five bench-type seats on each side of the "City Bus" and passengers board through a driver-operated jack-knife door, Paris fashion, at the rear.

Although electric vehicles had been carefully considered for operation in Vienna their high unladen weight and limited range finally ruled them out while operating experience gained with the city's duel-fuel full size psv over the past two years provided some of the engineering background for the new minis.

D Buses to bolster Dutch railways

WITH DUTCH rail fares rising faster than the country's general cost-of-living index the decline of rail passengers is expected to continue until 1974 when the effect of new measures now being introduced is expected to arrest this trend.

Foremost among the remedial features are plans to make better use of existing bus services as rail feeders by introducing uniform fare structures and transfer tickets to save time at interchange points, more co-ordination of timetables and the inclusion of rail services in the large conurbations into the general transport pattern on the model of the successful schemes in Hamburg and elsewhere.

While most of the railway-associated interurban road services in the Netherlands are providing a better frequency than the rail services which they have replaced, it is becoming increasingly clear that to retain a measure of competitiveness with the private car there is a growing demand for new express routes. Initially these routes will connect some of the new satellite with selected Intercity rail stations at overall travelling times which will be at least 25 per cent faster than existing stage services.

The construction of additional purposebuilt train /bus interchanges will form an integral part of the railways' survival programme for the next few years. One of the earlier experimental projects, the sale of multi-journey tram and bus tickets at railway booking offices, has now become a facility much valued by travellers between any of the large cities. The tickets valid for use in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Arnhem, etc, obviate the need for luggage-laden passengers to fumble for small change -usually essential for self-service fare collection — after leaving the train.


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