Welcome to the Bus Industry News

INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE UPGRADED

India's central government has approved a proposal to upgrade 5000km of existing highway at a cost of US$1.63 billion. Contracts for the work are expected to be awarded within the next few months. At the same time the New Delhi municipality unfolded plans to improve the local infrastructure, among others to better facilitate the growing public transport.

SEVENTY YEARS OF AIR SUSPENSION

Modern buses are unimaginable without air suspension. Buses and coaches were the first vehicles which were fitted with this type of suspension. The first buses with air suspension appeared some 70 years ago on the US roads, when Firestone introduced the Airide. In Europe Dunlop and Conti were the forerunners, launching their system by the mid-1950’s. The first European bus fitted with air suspension was the Magirus Saturn II of 1957.

IKARBUS SHARES SOLD TO RUSSIAN COMPANY

The Russian company "Avtodetal servis" recently bought 39,22 per cent of the Belgrade manufacturer "Ikarbus" for 7,12 million euros, according to Srecko Nijemcevic, the director of this company. The complete capital of "Ikarbus" is estimated to be about 17 million euros.

MAN BUS PRODUCTION FINALLY PROFITABLE

After a long period of being a loss-making activity, bus manufacturing at MAN finally seems to have reached the status of profitability. According to financial data issued by the Munich truck and bus manufacturer it earned 3 million euros with it’s MAN and Neoplan bus activities in the first six months of 2008, the German journal Automobilwoche analyses.

LONDON FIRES TRANSYS FROM US$190 MILLION A YEAR OYSTER CARD CONTRACT

Transys, the consortium owned by Electronic Data Systems , Cubic Corp.'s transportation systems unit, Fujitsu's services unit and WS Atkins, responsible for operating London’s Oyster ticketing system has had its contract revoked by Transport for London (TfL) in a move aimed at saving millions.