World's longest bus: Debuted in Germany, the megabus AutoTram Extra Grand is nearly 101ft long and can carry 256 passengers.
There are buses and then there is the AutoTram Extra Grand which debuted in Germany this week as the longest of its breed in the world. Developed by the boffins of the Fraunhofer Institute for Traffic and Infrastructure Systems, the bus is nearly 101 feet long, has four steering axles and can carry 256 passengers. The big bendy bus premiered in the eastern city of Dresden this week where it will soon roll into service with the local transportation authority on trial runs as Beijing and Shanghai placed their orders for the vehicle which costs about $10million (almost £6.3million) per bus.
Unsafe and unreliable: Bendy buses on several routes in London were banned in 2009 amid claims they were unsafe, unreliable and encourage fare-dodgers.
The good news for environmentalists is that it can run for long stretches on electric power. Matthias Klingner, the institute's director said: 'There is a lot of know-how invested in it. It's computer is highly efficient. 'The innovation of the AutoTram lies not only in its length, but most of all in its ability to be manoeuvred like a conventional 12 metre (39ft) city bus. 'There's no problem with the manoeuvrability and stability, but we have to see how such a long bus affects normal city traffic.'
Already orders: Made in Germany, the new bendy bus has already been ordered by Chinese cities Shanghai and Beijing.
German trial: This week the vehicle debuted in Dresden and will be part of the local transport on a trial basis. It combines the passenger capacity of a small train with the manouverability of a bus and runs on a hybrid engine that kicks in when the electric batteries run down, charging them as it propels the vehicle. Bus drivers will not require a special licence to drive the long, bendy bus thanks to a unique computer steering system which keeps the length of the bus precisely in line with the front carriage. The system is less expensive to run and cheaper to put into operation than a rail commuter system, prompting other cities to inquire about the super-sized buses. Dr Klinger said: 'The AutoTram has a considerable advantage compared to light rail systems.' While it is the longest bus in the world, the bus with the largest capacity is China's New Liner Series which has 300 seats on a 82ft bus.
Combines transport: The bus combines the passenger capacity of a small train and the maneouverability of a bus. Bendy buses in London were banned on several routes in 2009 after they were found to be responsible for many accidents. London's mayor Boris Johnson struggled to sell the 31 vehicles amid claims they were unsafe, unreliable and encourage fare-dodgers. They were taken out of service temporarily in 2005 after three caught on fire. Many were eventually sold to Malta in 2011. According to The Guardian Mr Johnson said at the time: 'These bulky and ungainly monstrosities were always more suitable for the wide open vistas of a Scandinavian airport than for London. 'I am glad to see the back of them.' Source: The Way I See It
