Coach (bus)
A coach is a bus used for longer-distance service, in contrast to transit buses that are typically used within a single metropolitan region. Often used for touring, intercity, and international bus service, coaches are also used for private charter for various purposes.
Deriving the name from horse-drawn carriages and stagecoaches that carried passengers, luggage, and mail, modern motor coaches are almost always high-floor buses, with a separate luggage hold mounted below the passenger compartment. In contrast to transit buses, motor coaches typically feature forward-facing seating, with no provision for standing. Other accommodations may include on-board restrooms, televisions, and overhead luggage space.
History
Background
Horse-drawn chariots and carriages ("coaches") were used by the wealthy and powerful where the roads were of a high enough standard from possibly 3000 BC. In Hungary, during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus in the 15th century, the wheelwrights of Kocs began to build a horse-drawn vehicle with steel-spring suspension. This "cart of Kocs" as the Hungarians called it (Hungarian: kocsi szekér) soon became popular all over Europe. The imperial post service employed the first horse-drawn mail coaches in Europe since Roman times in 1650, and as they started in the town of Kocs, the use of these mail coaches gave rise to the term "coach".[1] Stagecoaches (drawn by horses) were used for transport between cities from about 1500 in Great Britain until displaced by the arrival of the railways.[2]
One of the earliest motorised vehicles was the charabanc, which was used for short journeys and excursions until the early years of the 20th century. The first "motor coaches" were purchased by operators of those horse-drawn vehicles in the early 20th century[3] by operators such as Royal Blue Coach Services, who purchased their first charabanc in 1913[4] and were running 72 coaches by 1926.[5]
Features
Coaches, as they hold passengers for significant periods of time on long journeys, are designed for comfort. They vary considerably in quality from country to country and within countries. Higher specification vehicles include luxury seats and air conditioning. Coaches typically have only a single, narrow door, but sometimes they have two doors, as an increased loading time is acceptable due to infrequent stops. Some characteristics include:
- Comfortable seats that may include a folding table, armrests, and recliner. Comfort is considered to be an important feature in coaches.[6]
- Luggage racks above the seats where passengers can access their carry-on baggage during the journey
- Baggage holds, accessed from outside the vehicle, often under the main floor or at the rear, where passengers' luggage can be stowed away from the seating area
- Passenger service units, mounted overhead, on which personal reading lights and air conditioning ducts can be controlled and used by individual passengers with little disturbance to other passengers
- On-board rest rooms fitted with chemical toilets, hand basins and hand sanitizer.
- On some coaches, on-board entertainment including movies may be shown to passengers
- On-board refreshment service or vending machines
- Wheelchair accommodation, possibly including a wheelchair lift for access
- Curtains, useful on overnight services
- Onboard Wi-Fi access
- Onboard AC power
Manufacture
Coaches, like buses, may be fully built by integrated manufacturers, or a separate chassis consisting of only an engine, wheels and basic frame may be delivered to a coachwork factory for a body to be added. A few coaches are built with monocoque bodies without a chassis frame. Integrated manufacturers (most of whom also supply chassis) include Autosan, Scania, Fuso, and Alexander Dennis. Major coachwork providers (some of whom can build their own chassis) include Van Hool, Neoplan, Marcopolo, Irizar, MCI, Prevost, Volvo and Designline.
Regulations
In some European countries following the 1958 type certification treaty, coach (that is vehicle of type M2 or M3) type certification is regulated by regulation number 107 from the UNECE.
Image gallery
Modern coaches
A representative selection of vehicles currently (or recently) in use in different parts of the world.
- Greyhound Lines MCI 102DL3
- A 56-passenger Prevost coach
- Marcopolo S.A. luxury coaches at Valladolid, Mexico
- Marcopolo Paradiso G7 1800 Double Decker bus
- Divo coachwork from Hispano Carrocera(Tata Motors) on a Mercedes-Benz chassis
- Victory Liner Inc. Provincial Coach (made by Del Monte Motor Works, Inc. on a MAN 16.290 HOCL chassis) (Philippines)
- Van Hool sleeper coach 14 bunks, lounge area and galley
- A double-decker Neoplan Jumbocruiser
- A Hyundai Universe Xpress Noble from 2012
- Neoplan Skyliner
- A Kia Granbird Silkroad from 2015 at the Seoul Motor Show
- A 2015 Kia Granbird operated by Grupo Luque in Panama City, showing its interior
- GOLAZ-5291 Cruise at Russia
- Volzhanin-5285 from Russia
- Intercity coach Autosan Lider 9 eco is used also as school coach
- Millennium Luxury Coaches built on a Prevost chassis. Used for leisure.
- Double-decker Neoplans operating the Oxford to London coach route
- A Van Hool TD925 Megabus in New York City
- A Barons Bus MCI J4500 from Cleveland, Ohio in Toronto, Ontario - November 2018.
- Caetano Levante Volvo B9R at Carfax, Oxford
- Caetano Levante Volvo B11R in London Place, Oxford
- Plaxton-bodied Volvo B9R operated by National Express
- Plaxton-bodied Volvo tri-axle bus
- BYD C9 electric coach bus, side view
- BYD C9 electric coach bus, front view
- Higer KLQ 6129Q in Jordan
- Higer KLQ 6896Q in Kiev, Ukraine
- King Long buses in Beijing, China, October 2012
- Front view of a King Long bus
- A shorter King Long bus
- MAN Truck & Bus coach
- An Irizar i6 built on a MAN chassis
- Greyhound Lines MCI 102DL3 Coach bus
- Fleet of brand-new MCI D4500's
- Prevost H3-45 of Tai Pan Tours
- Prevost X3-45 (2011)
- Designline EcoCoach bus
- Nishinihon JR Bus Mitsubishi Fuso Aero King
- Mitsubishi Fuso Aero King with an LED display
- A Fuso RM bus operated by Kamalan Bus Inc. in Taiwan
- A Long Win Bus Alexander Dennis Enviro500
- A Newer Model Long Win Bus Alexander Dennis Enviro500
- Autosan Eurolider 12 at Transexpo 2009
- Autosan Gemini coach bus
- A Zyle Daewoo Commercial Vehicle BX212 for Sugisaki Kankō Bus, Japan
- A Nan Jye-bodied Zyle Daewoo Commercial Vehicle BH117K in Taiwan.
- Temsa Diamond Bus in Mannheim
- VDL Futura from 2012
- An Iveco Bus (Irisbus) Magelys at Busworld 2007
- Otokar Navigo at the International fair of Bus and Coach (FIAA) 2008
- BMC Probus at FIAA 2008
- Setra S 415 GT
- Setra S 431 DT
- FlixBus Setra S 431 DT in Berlin
- Setra S 417 HDH in Mannheim
- Busscar Double Decker bus
- Busscar Vissta Buss Elegance 360
- DINA S.A. Linner from 2012
- A Yutong ZK6129H coach supplied to Crosville Motor Services in the UK
Vintage coaches
A selection of vehicles in use in different parts of the world in the past.
- A Leyland Tiger used by Southdown Motor Services in England
- Bedford SB 1961 coach owned by MacBraynes Bus
- Bedford VAL
- An early 1980s Mitsubishi Fuso coach with FHI body
- Short bodied Dennis 1931 King Alfred
- Greyhound Lines MCI MC 6 coach built by Motor Coach Industries
- Zis-127 in Tallinn
See also
- Intercity bus driver
- Intercity bus service
- Carriage
- Coach (carriage)
- Coach (rail)
- Coach transport in the United Kingdom
- Double-decker bus
- Family Motor Coach Association
- List of buses
- Motor bus
- Multi-axle bus
- Sleeper bus
- Side loader bus
- Transit bus
References
- Mackay, James (1988). The Guinness Book of Stamps. Guinness Publishing LTD, Enfield, UK. p. 26.
- Dyos, H. J. & Aldcroft, D. H. (1969) British Transport, an economic survey Penguin Books, p. 225.
- W C Standerwick Ltd by Peter Gould
- Anderson & Frankis, p. 28–29.
- Anderson & Frankis, p. 41.
- Cooperative design, visualization, and engineering: third international... By Yuhua Luo, page 141
- Anderson, R. C. A. and Frankis, G. (1970). History of Royal Blue Express Services. David & Charles.
External links
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