Amphibious bus may replace ferry

Leading international public transport group, Stagecoach, is undertaking trials of an amphibious bus - 'amfibus' - on the River Clyde near Glasgow in Scotland.
February 1, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Leading international public transport group, 805 Stagecoach, is undertaking trials of an amphibious bus - 'amfibus' - on the River Clyde near Glasgow in Scotland. The US$1 million bus, based on a 609 Volvo chassis, can carry 50 passengers and is built in Holland by 2054 Dutch Amphibious Transport Vehicles BV (DAT) of Nijmegen. Fitted with a Euro 5-compatible engine, it can travel at 8kt (14.8km/h) in the water and has a maximum road speed of 100km/h.

2050 Strathclyde Partnership for Transport operates the 500-year-old Renfrew to Yoker ferry service and concedes that it is a vital transport link, catering for 140,000 passenger journeys a year. Nevertheless, in January it decided to axe the ferry at the end of March to save nearly US$650,000 a year.

Plans to replace the ferry with the 'amfibus' will not just involve crossing the river between Renfrew and Yoker. Instead it will run by road from Braehead to the Renfrew Ferry slipway, cross the Clyde to Yoker, and then continue by road to Clydebank.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: "This is an exciting transport project that would provide a seamless bus connection between two important local communities. Passengers can use the amfibus to travel over road and water without having to change from a bus to a ferry."

Souter says that the vehicle demonstrates the potential of rivers and estuaries to be links rather than barriers to travel.

Related Content

  • How C/AVs could serve rural communities
    July 23, 2019
    In Ireland, there is low population density and a lot of rain – which can make last-mile journeys a trial. Orla O’Halloran at Arup has some thoughts on how C/AVs could serve rural communities Connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) have the potential to be a vital link for people in rural communities, as part of a wider Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solution. That is the view of Orla O’Halloran, intelligent mobility consultant at Arup. She believes that MaaS needs to be considered in conjunction with ot
    Read More
  • Scotland’s speed cameras upgrade
    January 23, 2013
    Transport Scotland has announced a US$3.8 million package to replace safety cameras across the country. The safety cameras, which detect motorists driving above the speed limit, will be upgraded to digital technology. The new cameras will offer a number of benefits including improved reliability, faster processing of offences and clearer images of offending vehicles. A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: "Road safety is a priority for this government and we are making good progress towards meeting the amb
    Read More
  • Silos are last century’s thinking
    April 21, 2016
    After 45 years in transportation, Ken Philmus sees the need for major change in a sector currently ill-prepared to meet the challenge of funding and rapidly advancing technological change. Having worked in both the public and private sectors, Ken Philmus, currently senior vice president of transportation solutions at Xerox, appreciates both approaches, but times are changing and he believes the sector needs to change too. “I like trains, planes and automobiles but I love the concept of mobility and that’s w
    Read More
  • First electric car ferry goes into operation in Norway
    May 19, 2015
    The world’s first electrical car and passenger ferry powered by batteries has entered service in Norway. The unique solution is a result of a competition that Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration launched in 2010. The ferry only uses 150 kWh per route, which corresponds to three days use of electricity in a standard Norwegian household. Built in conjunction with shipbuilder Fjellstrand, Siemens installed the complete electric propulsion system and install
    Read More

Highlighted Content