Armoured buses

An armoured bus or armored bus is a type of bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

 which provides increased protection for passengers, usually against small arms

Small arms

Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...

 and improvised explosive device

Improvised explosive device

An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...

s. The bus can be a stock commercial bus with retro-fitted vehicle armour

Vehicle armour

Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include tanks, aircraft, and ships....

 as well as bulletproof glass

Bulletproof glass

Bulletproof glass is a type of strong but optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by bullets, but is not completely impenetrable. It is usually made from a combination of two or more types of glass, one hard and one soft...

, or a specially built military armoured vehicle. Lighter armoured buses are also used for prisoner transport

Prisoner transport

Prisoner transport describes the transportation of prisoners by land, air and water. It is performed by law enforcement agencies and their armed agents or officers. Handcuffs are often the minimum restraint, however the additional precaution of leg irons is more often taken, particularly if the...

.

History

During World War 1 LGOC B-type

LGOC B-type

The LGOC B-type is a model of double-decker bus that was introduced in London on 1910. It was both built and operated by the London General Omnibus Company .-History:...

 buses fitted with 2 inches (50.8 mm) planks to provide some protection were used to move troops behind the lines.

Temsa

TEMSA

Temsa Global is a coach, bus and light truck manufacturer located in Adana, Turkey. The company is part of the Sabanci Group, a large Turkish industrial and commercial conglomerate...

, a Turkish bus manufacturer, made the world's first armoured passenger bus. The bus was displayed at the 9th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF'09). The bus was tested in Germany with bombs and multiple calibres of ammunition.

Armored buses weigh considerably more than ordinary buses. As a result, they use more fuel, are prone to mechanical breakdowns, have very high maintenance costs and wear out faster.

Use of armoured buses

In Israel, the use of armoured school buses is mandatory due to drive-by shooting

Drive-by shooting

A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...

, suicide bombing and other tactics employed by Palestinian militants, who often target civilian buses traveling on city and intercity roads. Israel's Egged bus company says that all its bus lines in the West Bank

West Bank

The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...

 use bulletproof buses.Armored buses were considered the safest form of civilian transport on routes to and from the Israeli settlements, although questions have been raised about how effective such buses are. It was estimated the number of fatalities would be lower in the event of attacks on armored vehicles, but this has not always been the case.

Manufacturers

Merkavim Ltd., an Israeli bus manufacturer jointly owned by the Volvo

Volvo

AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...

 Bus Corporation and Mayer Cars & Trucks Ltd., has been producing armored buses since 1946. Its manufacturing facility in the Caesarea industrial park produces a wide range of buses for the local and international markets.

See also

• Non-military armoured vehicles
  Non-military armored vehicles
  Non-military armored vehicles are armored vehicles used outside of professional armed forces. While primarily invented and used for defense from an equally well armed organized force, armor technology has found a number of other uses outside of this military context.-Internal security...
  
  
• Armoured personnel carrier
  Armoured personnel carrier
  An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
  
  
• Police vehicle
• List of buses