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Thanks to Simon Atkinson - a well known Christchurch bus user, bus enthusiast and worker for better mobility access for disabled persons, who passed on this photo he took of one of the latest Designline Go-Wellington trolley buses last year. Considering what a tiny country we are, in terms of population, city size and public transport use, it is not unimpressive that the bus design is local; as are the carbon fibre poles which I believe have virtually eliminated the (well remembered!) tendency of Wellington trolley buses to regularly come off the overhead wires. These allow buses to change lanes or drive easily around obstacles without losing contact.
I imagine few Christchurch people would be happy about returning to a mass of overhead wires in the central city area but given their greater pulling power, smoother acceleration and less intrusive presence in built up areas, the possibility of using trolley buses on one or two Christchurch busways with minimal CBD corridors can not be entirely dismissed
Given that trolleybuses generally have a top speed around 60 km/h, and that Christchurch is flat, CNG buses would probably be more suitable for busway operation.
ReplyDeleteHi Brent I know fleets of CNG buses are quite widely used overseas, but when Metro/Redbus trialled a gas powered conventional bus (perhaps it wasn't CNG) on the number 18 route here about five years ago it always seem to have a slightly warm farty smell. I found it quite off putting, a little bit nauseating. Whether this was the reason, or other problems, this technology went no further in Christchurch on suburban routes.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise trolley buses had such a relatively low top speed, so thanks for that info.