Boarding Bus Laying Over At Terminus

A short video showing passengers boarding a low floor trolleybus whilst it lays over at its city centre terminus (a location known as Claraplatz) in Basle, Switzerland.

Because of the use of a wide angle lens the image quality is not very good, and the corners are clipped (this was not visible in the camcorder's viewfinder).

In some ways these buses are more like trams than buses. For instance, thanks to wheel hub motors they have an completely flat low floor. The driver sits in a proper cab with a bulkhead with a proper door separating him/her from the passengers.

Off-vehicle ticketing means that all fares are paid at machines at bus stops - or passengers must hold prepaid passes.

The doors are opened by passengers pushing a button and if no-one else is boarding will self-close after a set number of seconds.

Whilst (as the film shows) these vehicles do not have 'level boarding', they are still of a low floor easy access design.

Inside the bus the section between the two pairs of doors is an open area with handrails for standing passengers, for parents with children in pushchairs, etc.

The vehicle was built by Neoplan. In the Basle fleet it is number 923. The trolleybuses in this fleet feature flywheels which absorb braking energy and release it during acceleration, making them a claimed 23% more energy efficient than other trolleybuses. The flywheels also give them a claimed 1km of off-wire capability.

Unfortunately Basle decided to close it trolleybus system and use CNG powered buses. Toronto Canada did this many years ago and very much regrets this decision as the hoped for cost savings were not realised.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Basle
• Neoplan
• trolleybus
• obus
• trackless
• trakless
• bus
• filobus
• Basel
• electric
• low
• floor
• accessible
• access
• ticket
• fare
• transport
• transit

[SlobusNS]

Where have these trolleybuses finished, since Basel has no more trolley lines?

[citytransportinfo]

@SlobusNS

Some are in eastern Europe, I forget exactly where - in Bulgaria, I think. But maybe only 7 of them. As for the rest, I do not know.

Simon

[SlobusNS]

Is this Neoplan?

[citytransportinfo]

yes, its a Neoplan

[WMATAvids]

Looks like a nicely planned service.

[SlobusNS]

@citytransportinfo Thanks!

[jemdude22]

We have buses in Singapore with this type of doors.

[citytransportinfo]

yes, it is unsual for a bus... but this bus is more like a tram, as the driver sits in a fully enclosed cab just like a tram and a train.

[sega31098]

I've seen quite a few tramcar and tube doors close like that, though, just not buses.

[citytransportinfo]

Things are done differently overseas!

Simon