One of the biggest and the best vehicle in the world is a bus. There are a lot of benefits one gets by traveling by bus. A coach is a vehicle which is huge and carries a good number of people in it. It can easily travel thousands of kilometers, and one can get a comfortable ride on it.
History of Buses
Buses first started in France in 1823. Of course, at that time they were driven by horses. The vehicle was called an omnibus, meaning ‘for all’. Later it came to be known with a shorter name –the bus.
In 1833 the first buses running on steam propulsion were introduced in London. In 1895 the first fuel driven omnibus ran on the streets of Germany.
The buses in their current form plied from the 1950s.
Types of Buses
The buses differ regarding the capacity that they can carry or the area covered by them.
1. Minibusses
Minibusses are very small and can carry a small number of passengers. They are usually used on roads to carry office commuters for small distances. They are mostly run by private operators, sometimes outsourced by offices to the operators.
2. Regular bus
These are the standard buses. They may have a large capacity for passengers. They can be used as city buses or intercity buses and even school buses.
3. Sleeper coach
Sleeper coaches have a smaller capacity since the seating area doubles up as a sleeper. They are generally intercity buses traveling longer distances.
4. Open top buses
Open top buses are used mostly as tourist buses for sight-seeing, like the hop-on-hop-off buses run by the tourism departments. They have a limited capacity for carrying passengers as the aisle is wider and the seats smaller to afford a view outside. The upper deck is preferred in good weather to enjoy an open view.
5. Double-decker buses
These buses have a much bigger capacity because of the upper story being available for sitting. The area above the driver is also added for the passengers. Children enjoy the view from the top window.
6. Longer buses with connecting vestibules
These days buses have two or even three cars connected by flexible vestibules to maneuver in the streets. These have a large seating capacity and even a larger one for standing. These buses are mostly meant for commuting over short distances. They have additional features such as folding steps to get down or a folding ramp for handicapped or for prams. The interiors are equipped with space to keep the prams and also for heavy luggage.
The benefits of using a bus
Here are some benefits of the bus:
- Buses are the best mean of traveling while you are a student because you easily travel to your destination while having a comfortable ride and in addition to it, you get to know a lot of more people and make new friends.
- Traveling by bus is cheaper than a lot of other means of travel. As my Air, or by train you need to pay a lot more than what you pay for traveling by bus.
- Buses can take you to a destination where no other means of transportation is available. For example, if you want to travel to a village, buses are the best option.
Conclusion
Buses are a popular mode of transport for their access points being much more convenient as compared to trains or trams. They do not need too much additional infrastructure.