This section describes the following types of Guided Bus system currently in operation around the world:
- Kerb Guided Bus
- Slot Guided Bus
- Optically Guided Bus
Kerb Guided Bus
Kerb guided buses have to date been the most commonly used guidance technology in the UK. This system requires a dedicated guided bus track of approximately 2.5 metres in width. Guided buses are fitted with special guide wheels which connect with the vertical face of the kerbs at either side of the track to guide the bus.
In the UK this type of guided bus system has largely been used to provide bus priority at congested locations through the provision of short sections of guideway to bypass general traffic queues. There are however some examples of kerb guided bus systems which include a higher degree of segregation and therefore offer a bus rapid transit link e.g. The O-bahn in Adelaide and the proposed “SuperCAM” Route linking Cambridge, St Ives and Huntingdon.
Examples of kerb guided bus systems:
Optically Guided Bus
Optical guidance is a fairly recent development in guidance technology which enables a bus to be guided via markings on the road surface. The system works using cameras mounted on the bus and monitoring devices which are able to recognise the road markings and guide the bus along the specified path. Optical guidance technology also has certain accessibility benefits by ensuring that the bus pulls up close to the kerb edge thus helping to achieve level boarding at bus stops.
Examples of Optical guidance systems:
Slot Guided Bus
Slot guided bus systems require a single rail or groove to be embedded in the road surface which is then used to guide buses along their route. Slot guidance systems can be fully segregated from other road users or can be combined with general traffic in the same way that some tram systems are.
Some of the slot guided bus systems in operation also include overhead electricity cables to power the buses e.g. the “rubber tyred tram” in the French towns of Caen and Nancy and the new “Translohr” system which is currently in development and is due to be introduced in several French and Italian towns. Although these systems are essentially electrically powered guided buses they aim to replicate the image and quality of a tram.
Examples of slot guidance:
- Nancy, France (more information)
- Caen, France (more information)
- Padua, Italy (Translohr system to be introduced early 2006)
- Clermont Ferrand, France (Translohr due to be introduced in Sept 2006)
