Coach (bus)

This article is about vehicles called coaches. For other meanings of the word, see coach (disambiguation).

The original meaning of the term coach was that of a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger and of mail, that is covered for protection from the elements. The small Hungarian town of Kocs (pronounced "kotch") was the place of manufacture, from the 15th century onwards, of an exceptionally well designed example of such a vehicle with durable and comfortable suspension and steering; and from the Hungarian word kocsi (meaning "from Kocs") the name spread to several other European languages (compare Spanish and Portuguese coche and German Kutsche).

Overview

A 53 seat Volvo/Jonckheere tourist coach operated by Scancoaches of London parked near Tower Bridge.

In British English and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers. It is similar to a bus but is usually more comfortable and designed for longer-distance travel or touring.

The term coach appears in the formal names of many such firms in the US, though most people still call them bus lines.

There are two categories of motor coach: long distance inter-city coach service, and urban-suburban bus line.

Intercity coach service

File:Pegaso Irizar.JPG

c.1970 Spanish Pegaso coach with Irizar body

Late model Greyhound Lines Bus with seating for 55 passengers.

Intercity coach services compete with other means of long-distance travel, such as trains, planes, and automobiles. Thus, to make the trip comfortable, these coaches often have reclinable upholstered seats, a toilet, and air-conditioning. Many other components are similar to an airliner, with storage bins for carry-on luggage, small tables for small snacks, small televisions to show TV shows and/or videos, and passenger-controlled lights above each seat. Luggage is stored below the floor, and is accessible from outside panels. Because they are designed for long distance travel (instead of having to take on and discharge many passengers for very short runs), it is rare for a motor coach to have more than one door (save for a wheelchair-lift access) or standing room; especially on inter-city services.

This version of coach is also the common vehicle among charter services, touring industries, and private ownership. Prices for travelling by coach are usually cheaper than other modes of long distance transportation.

Urban-suburban bus line

Urban-suburban bus line is generally categorized as public transit, especially for large metropolitan transit networks. Usually these routes cover a relatively long distance compared to most transit bus routes, but still short — usually 40 miles in one direction. An urban-suburban bus line generally connects a suburban area to the downtown core.

Orion V, here used by Greater Vancouver's TransLink for suburban services.

The bus can be something as simple as a merely refitted school bus (which sometimes already contains overhead storage racks), or a standard transit bus modified to have some of the functionality of an interstate coach. The example shown here has the same dimensions as a standard transit bus, but with only one door and air conditioning. It provides accommodation for the disabled (through a lift at the front), and thus has a few high-back seats, usually in the front, that can be folded up for wheelchairs. The rest of the seats are reclining upholstered seats and have individual lights and overhead storage bins. Because it is a commuter bus, it has some (but not much) standing room, stop-request devices, and a farebox. This model also has a bike rack at the front to accommodate two bicycles. Some lines use a full-size interstate coach with on board toilet, such as the "TrainBus" service of West Coast Express

In terms of services, buses may run less frequently, and service fewer stops. One common arrangement is to have a few stops at the beginning of the trip, and a few near the end, since the majority of the trip is spent on a highway. Some stops may have service restrictions, such as ones that are boarding only and others which are discharge only. Some routes may only have scheduled trips in the morning, heading to the urban core, with other trips in the evening, heading toward suburbs only. They may also be used to supplement another service, as in West Coast Express' TrainBus, which runs when the commuter train is not in service.

Examples

Motorcoaches

• Scenicruiser
• Pegaso Z-403

Long distance coach line

North America

• Gray Coach and Gray Line Worldwide
• Greyhound Lines and Greyhound Lines of Canada
• Laidlaw
• Stagecoach Group
  • Coach USA and Coach Canada
• Trailways Transportation System
• Chinatown bus lines
  • Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc.
• Greyhound Australia
• Acadian Lines

Europe

• ALSA Spanish domestic and international coach operator
• Bus Éireann Irish inter-city coach services
• Eurolines European inter-city services
• National Express UK Inter-city coach services
• Scottish Citylink Scottish Inter-city Operator
• Swebus Express Swedish Inter-city coach services

Urban-suburban bus line

• TransLink, Greater Vancouver, Canada
• Laidlaw
• Virginia Overland Transportation
• Sydney Coach Terminal Sydney Australia
• Sydney Explorer sightseeing bus

Popular manufacturers of coaches

• Alexander Dennis
• Ayats
• Bova
• Irizar
• Jonckheere
• Mercedes-Benz
• Plaxton
• Scania AB
• Setra
• Van Hool
• Volvo Buses
• VDL Berkhof Valkenswaard

See also

• Basterna, ancient predecessor to the modern stagecoach
• Carriage
• Coach (rail)
• Motorcoach
• Pininfarina
• Stagecoach
• Sleeper bus

External links

• UK Bus Operator databases, PCV Trainer database and UK Bus Driving Jobs database
• Blog about the recruitment process, driver training, and general life as a bus driver
• Busway programs in the Netherlands, bi-articulated bus
• "A word for all: the odd history of "omnibus""
• Buses in Europe
• Bus type definitions
• Barraclou.com - Bus
• Bus Bus Bus PhotoBlog
• Swiss PostBus
• Hispano coach bodies.