Speed Record Brings New Meaning to Bus Driver Training

A couple of months ago, we brought you the story of the UK’s first ‘poo bus’ powered by biomethane gas. The unique bus operates in Bristol powered by fuel made partly from human waste and raw sewage. Not to be outdone, Reading Buses has thrown down the gauntlet by way of setting a new land speed record for its own poo bus. Their state-of-the-art vehicle is powered by biomethane made from cow manure. All of this is poo bussing is giving a new meaning to bus driver training.

The BBC reports that Reading Buses took their ‘Bus Hound’ to Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford, where it achieved a maximum lap speed of 76.785 mph. The usual top speed for the bus is in the range of 56 mph. It ferries passengers around Reading, proudly displaying its status as a poo bus through its black and white paint scheme meant to resemble a cow.

So why did they do it? Reading Buses’ chief engineer John Bickerton told the BBC that they wanted to “get the image of bus transport away from being dirty, smelly, and slow.” They believe they achieved that goal by demonstrating a standard passenger bus can run extremely quickly without being uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there is little call for a passenger bus that can travel at nearly 77 mph on the open road.

For the record, the mark set by Bus Hound applies only to standard passenger buses. The Guinness record for the entire bus class is upwards of 150 mph. No need to worry about the poo bus going that fast – passengers would not be able to get on and off anyway.

Bus Driver Training

We enjoy bringing you stories about things such as the poo buses. It gives us an opportunity to step back and look at the lighter side of the haulage and transport sectors. That said, we take our commitment to bus driver training very seriously. The HGV Training Centre works very hard to ensure all of our training classes are comprehensive, in compliance with the law and above and beyond industry standards.

We offer bus driver training at nearly four dozen facilities around the UK. Our classes are taught by experienced professionals who know what it takes to prepare our students to pass their tests. As just one example, our PCV students pass the theory exam on the first try at a rate of 92%.

We train our bus drivers to be safe and efficient while behind the wheel. Training includes legally mandated CPC training & certification, which, according to current regulations, is required at least once every five years. All PCV drivers were required to be CPC trained and certified no later than September 2013. It is now a regular part of our training regimen.

A career as a professional bus driver is one that offers both monetary and personal rewards. If it is one that interests you, contact us to learn more about convenient and affordable bus driver training.

Sources:

BBC – https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-32801974