Innovative transport concepts with ZF
The Bus Rapid Transit public transport system
Everywhere in the world, rapidly growing cities are struggling with similar problems: roads congested by single-occupant cars jeopardize public mobility and health. The solution: an efficient and flexible public transport system, like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), the investment in which is very quickly recouped. With its low-floor technology, ZF contributes to the success of the system.
Bus Rapid Transit in operation
The BRT One line launched operation in 2006 - just two years after planning was initiated. On Beijing’s north-south axis, 90 ultramodern low-floor articulated buses operate a 15.8 km route at 3-minute intervals. During rush hour, the frequency is increased to every 50 seconds. The buses run in dedicated bus lanes, and the route encompasses 17 stops and 7 transport hubs. The BRT One bus service runs from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is used by up to 140,000 passengers every day. Because of this success, two additional BRT services are to be started in the capital in 2008, with a total of 18 new lines planned for Beijing. Now, several Chinese cities are building and planning BRT systems – and they all have one thing in common, they make exclusive use of low-floor buses.
More information at http://www.chinastc.org
The principle of low-floor technology
The focus of BRT is to operate bus services in separate, dedicated bus lanes, allowing rapid and reliable public transport from suburbs to the city center and back. Low-floor buses equipped with ZF technology give the BRT concept added advantages:
- There is no need for raised platform stops, because the ZF axle systems allow street-level boarding and deboarding at normal bus stops. There are also no raised platforms or steps in the center aisle inside the bus. This reduces bus standing times at stops by around a half.
- The Ecomat 4 six-speed automatic transmission ensures a smooth, quiet ride. Designed for the frequent starts and stops of city bus operation, the Ecomat 4 also reduces fuel consumption and emissions.
- Designed for use with low-floor axles, the Servocom steering system is extremely compact and requires less steering effort to reduce strain on the driver.
