Midibus
Encyclopedia
Single-decker bus
A single-decker bus or single-decker is a bus that has a single deck for passengers. Normally the use of the term single-decker refers to a standard two-axled rigid bus, in direct contrast to the use of the term double-decker bus, which is essentially a single decked bus with an extra deck and...
minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between 8 metre and 11 metre long. While used in many parts of the world, the midibus is perhaps most common in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where operators have found them more economical
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, and to have a sufficient number of seats compared to full size single-decker buses.
Midibuses are often designed
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
to be light weight to save on diesel fuel (e.g. smaller wheels than on larger buses), making them not as durable as heavier 'full size' buses. Some midibuses, such as the Scania OmniTown
Scania OmniTown
The Scania OmniTown was a bus body sold in the United Kingdom. It utilised the Scania N94UB chassis , with East Lancashire Coachbuilders bodywork. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the OmniTown chassis or the Dennis Dart chassis...
, are heavier and therefore more durable.
Recently Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
has seen the introduction of the Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and VDL SB200
VDL SB200
The VDL SB200 is a light-weight 12m citybus produced from 2001 by VDL Bus International...
, both predominantly aimed at the UK market which, while being full size buses (in the fact that they are about 12 metre long), are related to midibuses in being light weight.
In some places such as Hong Kong, some bus routes have to be served by midibuses due to the winding roads along such routes.
US designs
The term "midibus" is not in common use in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, such smaller and lighter-duty buses not being employed in public transit
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
roles there except in some very specialized instances. San Francisco, for example, has some buses much smaller than its regular Orion
Orion Bus Industries
Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975...
transit buses for the routes that include some of the steeper and curvier hills.
In charter / tour roles, there is indeed a gap between the minibus (12-28 seats) and the touring coach (47-50 seats). Several shuttle bus companies such as Goshen Coaches
Goshen Coaches
Goshen Coach is a small bus builder located in Elkhart, Indiana. The company was founded in 1992 and is owned by Thor Industries of Jackson Center, OH....
and Crystal have manufactured rear-engined vehicles that have 30–35 seats, but no generic term has ever been applied to them. They are usually lumped together with their smaller "minibus" brethrens and called "minibus", or "shuttle bus". The only other alternative was to import a "short" (two-axle) version of European touring coaches, known often as "baby coaches", around 30 feet (9.1 m) long and equipped with some 30–32 seats.
In the early 2000s, ABC Companies did introduce a "mid-sized coach", the M1000 series, which was based on the Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is an American manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks in the United States. The company was founded as Freightliner Inc in 1942 and is now a division of Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of the German Daimler AG...
large truck frame. Compared to regular touring coaches, this mid-sized coach was about half the price ($150,000 as opposed to $300,000), but offers no luggage space under the cabin (any luggage space must be carved out of the main cabin) and which had a maximum of 40 seats (without any luggage). It was also front-engined
Front-engine design
A front-mounted engine describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the vehicle passenger compartment.Historically, this designation was used regardless of whether or not the entire engine was behind the front axle line...
, making it somewhat noisier than rear-engined
Rear-engine design
In automobile design, a rear-engine design layout places the engine at the rear of the vehicle. The center of gravity of the engine itself is past the rear axle...
vehicles.
Other manufacturers, including Goshen
Goshen Coaches
Goshen Coach is a small bus builder located in Elkhart, Indiana. The company was founded in 1992 and is owned by Thor Industries of Jackson Center, OH....
and Crystal, introduced similar vehicles based on other large truck frames, such as the GMC
GMC (General Motors division)
GMC is a manufacturer of trucks, vans, military vehicles, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors Company. In January 2007, GMC was GM's second-largest-selling North American vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac....
design.
Models of midibus
- Albion NimbusAlbion NimbusThe Albion Nimbus was an underfloor-engined, ultra-lightweight midibus or coach chassis, with a four-cylinder horizontal diesel engine and a gross vehicle weight of six tons. It was happiest on light rural bus duties and private hires. Operators who used it on heavy-duty bus routes found it...
- from 1955-65 - Bedford VAS - From 1961-87
- Bedford JJLBedford JJLThe Bedford JJL was an innovative but ultimately unsuccessful bus model built by Bedford Vehicles. The JJL could have been a success, but was ahead of its time in predicting the boom in the midibus market, as seen by the success of the Dennis Dart....
- an early unsuccessful attempt at a purpose built midibus 1975-81 - BristolBristol Commercial VehiclesBristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer of in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built....
SU - 1960-6 - Dennis DominoDennis DominoThe Dennis Domino is a midibus built by Hestair Dennis in Guildford, England between 1984 and 1985. It is, in essence, a scaled down Dominator. Developed for intensive urban work, the Domino was fitted with Perkins T6.354.4 turbocharged engine, Maxwell automatic transmission, front radiator, full...
- Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
- Dennis/Transbus/Alexander Dennis Dart SLF
- Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart
- FAPFabrika automobila PribojFabrika automobila Priboj is a Serbian manufacturer of trucks and buses. Founded in 1953, the company enjoys a long-standing relationship with Mercedes-Benz, which provides engines and licenses for many of FAP's vehicles....
A-402 - Hino MelphaHino MelphaThe Hino Melpha is a medium-duty bus built by Hino. The range was primarily available as tourist coach.- Models :*Melpha 7 7m **KK-CH1JFEA*Melpha 9 9m **KK-RR1JJFA*Melpha 9m **PB-RR7JJAA...
- Hino RainbowHino RainbowThe Hino Rainbow is a medium-duty bus built by Hino. The range was primarily available as city bus and tourist coach. Asia Motors made a badge engineered version called the Asia Cosmos.- Rainbow RJ/RR :*First generation...
- Heuliez GX117
- Heuliez GX127
- IkarusIkarus BusIkarus is a bus manufacturer based in Budapest, Hungary. It was established in 1895 as Uhri Imre Kovács- és Kocsigyártó Üzeme .-History:...
405 - IkarbusIkarbusIkarbus is a Serbian bus manufacturer based in the Belgrade urban municipality of Zemun. The company was originally established as an aircraft manufacturer in 1923, under the name “Ikarus – the first Serbian airplane, car and engine industry Kovacevic and Co” in Novi Sad by Dimitrije Konjovic,...
ik-107 - Irisbus CitelisIrisbus CitelisIrisbus Citelis is a wheelchair-accessible city bus produced by Irisbus. It was introduced in 2005 to replace the Agora. It comes in two varieties: Citelis 12, which is of standard length, and Citelis 18, which is articulated and has a length of . Citelis models use Euro 4, Euro 5 & EEV engines...
10 - Isuzu Erga MioIsuzu Erga MioThe Isuzu Erga Mio is a medium-duty bus built by Isuzu. The range was primarily available as city bus.- External links :...
- Isuzu Gala MioIsuzu Gala MioThe Isuzu Gala Mio is a medium-duty bus built by Isuzu. The range was primarily available as tourist coach.-Second generation:The second generation Gala Mio is a rebadged Hino Melpha.* PB-RR7JJAJ * BDG-RR7JJBJ...
- Isuzu Journey-KIsuzu Journey-KThe Isuzu Erga Journey-K is a midibus built by Isuzu. The range was primarily available as city bus and tourist coach.- Isuzu medium-duty buses :*BK30 *CCM370/410 *K-CCM370/410 *K-CDM370/410...
- Kravtex Credo EN9,5
- Leyland SwiftLeyland SwiftThe Leyland Swift was a midibus chassis built by Leyland Bus from 1987, sharing many components with the Roadrunner light truck but with the engine relocated to behind the front axle which was itself set back to permit a passenger entrance in the front overhang...
- MAN 14.220
- MAN 14.240
- MAN Lion's CityMAN Lion's CityMAN Lion's City is a city bus built by the German truck and bus manufacturer MAN Nutzfahrzeuge since 2000. A new generation was launched in 2004....
(Midi) - MCW MetroriderMCW MetroriderThe MCW Metrorider, launched by MCW at the 1986 Motor Show, was a midibus designed built by Metro Cammell Weymann between 1986 and 1989. Constructed in two lengths, 7.0 m and 8.4 m, the Metrorider was an integral bus, marking it out from its van-based rivals of the time.It was the second...
- Marshall Minibus
- Mercedes-Benz O520 Cito
- Mercedes-Benz O530K (Citaro K)Mercedes-Benz O530 CitaroThe Mercedes-Benz Citaro is the current Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus mainstream single-decker bus intended for public transport, introduced in 1997 and replaced the Mercedes-Benz O405/O405N series...
- Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Midi MJ/MK/Aero Midi-SMitsubishi Fuso Aero MidiThe Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Midi is a medium-duty bus built by Mitsubishi Fuso. It is primarily available as city and sightseeing buses.Its principal competitors are Isuzu Erga Mio, Nissan Diesel Space Runner RM and Hino Rainbow....
- New Flyer IndustriesNew Flyer IndustriesNew Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...
D30LF / 35LF - Nissan Diesel Space Runner JPNissan Diesel Space Runner JPThe Nissan Diesel Space Runner JP is a medium-duty bus built by Nissan Diesel. The range was primarily available as city bus.- External links :*...
- Nissan Diesel Space Runner RMNissan Diesel Space Runner RMThe Nissan Diesel Space Runner RM is a midium-duty bus built by Nissan Diesel. The range was primarily available as city bus.- Models :*RM90 *K-RM80 *P-RM81 *P-RB80 *U-RM/JM210...
- Optare ExcelOptare ExcelThe Optare Excel is a low-floor full-size single-decker bus manufactured by Optare.Manufactured as an integral bus, the Excel was launched in 1995 as one of the first low-floor single-deck vehicles. The styling of the body was in keeping with existing Optare products, especially at the rear...
- Optare MetroRiderOptare MetroRiderThe Optare MetroRider was a midibus built by Optare between 1989 and 2000. Optare based the original design on the MCW Metrorider after Optare bought the rights following a decision by MCW to end bus production. This model also replaced the less successful StarRider.The MetroRider was an integral...
- Optare SoloOptare SoloThe Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
- Optare VersaOptare VersaThe Optare Versa is a midibus built by Optare in its Leeds factory. It was officially launched in Britain at the Euro Bus Expo 2006 at the NEC, Birmingham, on 7 November 2006, with the first order of 25 buses being placed by Stagecoach on the same day....
- Scania OmniTownScania OmniTownThe Scania OmniTown was a bus body sold in the United Kingdom. It utilised the Scania N94UB chassis , with East Lancashire Coachbuilders bodywork. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the OmniTown chassis or the Dennis Dart chassis...
- SOR CN 8.5
- VDL SB120VDL SB120The VDL SB120 is a low-floor light-weight midibus produced from 1999 by VDL Bus International of the Netherlands primarily for the UK market....
- VDL SB180
- Volvo B6/B6LEVolvo B6The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 2000. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994.The Volvo B6/B6LE chassis was built to compete with the Dennis Dart/Dart SLF chassis. It could be fitted with Volvo TD63E/TD63ES engine...
- Volvo B6BLE
- Wright StreetLiteWright StreetLiteThe Wright StreetLite is a low-floor midibus introduced by Wrightbus of Ballymena, Northern Ireland during the summer of 2010.-Versions:The StreetLite is available in two differing body styles. The door forward version has the door placed before the front axle of the vehicle...
Related buses
- Alexander Dennis Enviro300
- VDL SB200VDL SB200The VDL SB200 is a light-weight 12m citybus produced from 2001 by VDL Bus International...