Portal:Buses

The Buses Portal

A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for charter purposes, or through private ownership. Although buses typically carry between 30 and 100 passengers, some buses have a capacity of up to 300 passengers. The most common type is the single-deck rigid bus, with double-decker and articulated buses carrying larger loads, and midibuses and minibuses carrying smaller loads. Coaches are used for longer-distance services. Many types of buses, such as city transit buses and inter-city coaches, charge a fare. Other types, such as elementary or secondary school buses or shuttle buses within a post-secondary education campus, are free. In many jurisdictions, bus drivers require a special large vehicle licence above and beyond a regular driving license.

Buses may be used for scheduled bus transport, scheduled coach transport, school transport, private hire, or tourism; promotional buses may be used for political campaigns and others are privately operated for a wide range of purposes, including rock and pop band tour vehicles.

Horse-drawn omnibuses were used from the 1820s, followed by steam buses in the 1830s, and electric trolleybuses in 1882. The first internal combustion engine buses, or motor buses, were used in 1895. Recently, interest has been growing in hybrid electric buses, fuel cell buses, and electric buses, as well as buses powered by compressed natural gas or biodiesel. As of the 2010s, bus manufacturing is increasingly globalised, with the same designs appearing around the world. (Full article...)

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A southbound Blue Line bus at Wetmore Avenue Station in downtown Everett

Swift Bus Rapid Transit (stylized Swift, in italics) is a bus rapid transit system operated by Community Transit in Snohomish County, Washington, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. Swift consists of three routes that total over 40 miles (64 km) in length and cover urban portions of the county. The Blue Line, opened in 2009, runs on the State Route 99 corridor between Everett and Shoreline. The Green Line opened in 2019 and runs from the Boeing Everett Factory to Mill Creek and Bothell via State Route 527. It was followed by the Orange Line, which connects Lynnwood to Mill Creek, in 2024. The lines intersect at several points and also have stations that serve other transit systems, such as Link light rail and Sounder commuter rail.

Swift has the highest ridership of any Community Transit service, at 4.3 million in 2025. The service also has the highest frequency out of all Community Transit routes, ranging from 10 minutes on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., to 20 minutes during early mornings, late nights, and weekends. The network's stations and vehicles are accessible, featuring improved boarding for wheelchair users, and have designated bicycle parking inside buses. (Full article...)

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The O-Bahn Busway is a guided busway that is part of the bus rapid transit system servicing the northeastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. The original O-Bahn system is the one in the German city of Essen, and it was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic congestion by sharing tram tunnels.

Adelaide's O-Bahn was introduced in 1986 to service the city's rapidly expanding north-eastern suburbs, replacing an earlier plan for a tramway extension. The O-Bahn provides specially built track, combining elements of both bus and rail systems. The track is 12 kilometres (7 mi) long and includes three interchanges at Klemzig, Paradise and Tea Tree Plaza. Interchanges allow buses to enter and exit the busway and to continue on suburban routes, avoiding the need for passengers to transfer to another bus to continue their journey. Buses can travel at a maximum speed of 100 km/h (60 mph), but have been restricted to a 90 km/h (55 mph) speed limit since 2016. As of 2015^[update], the busway carried approximately 31,000 people per weekday. An additional section including a 670-metre (2,200 ft) tunnel opened in 2017 at the city end to reduce the number of congested intersections buses must traverse to enter the Adelaide city centre.

The development of the O-Bahn busway led to the development of the Torrens Linear Park from a run-down urban drain into an attractive public open space. It has also triggered urban development around the north-eastern terminus at Modbury. (

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General images

The following are images from various bus-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1An omnibus of the Compagnie générale des omnibus [fr] company (from Horse-drawn omnibus)
Image 2A Community Transit double-decker bus in Downtown Seattle, Washington (from Double-decker bus)
Image 3Van Hool Exquicity 18T in Parma (from Trolleybus)
Image 4A Paris omnibus in 1828 (from Horse-drawn omnibus)
Image 5A Taichung BRT Bus (from Articulated bus)
Image 6Bus stop with timetable attached (from Public transport bus service)
Image 7Phileas bus (from Guided bus)
Image 8Many low-floor buses feature extendable ramps. (from Low-floor bus)
Image 9Irisbus Crealis Neo, an optically guided TEOR bus in Rouen (from Guided bus)
Image 10The Perth Central Area Transit operates as a zero-fare basis for passengers in the Perth central business district (from Public transport bus service)
Image 11A Škoda 30 Tr trolleybus in Prague, which uses In-Motion Charging technology. (from Trolleybus)
Image 12Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC double-decker bus on Mexico City Metrobús' new line 7 running along Calzada de los Misterios (from Double-decker bus)
Image 13Volgren Optimus bodied Volvo B8RLEA of Transperth, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, November 2018 (from Articulated bus)
Image 14Insulated poles, contact shoes, and pull–ropes (from Trolleybus)
Image 15A San Francisco Muni trolleybus (ETI 14TrSF) climbing Nob Hill (from Trolleybus)
Image 161902 Thornycroft Steam bus used by London Road car Co Ltd (from Steam bus)
Image 17A preserved 1951 Kenworth bruck displayed at the Whitefish Depot (from Bruck (vehicle))
Image 18A semi-open top sightseeing bus in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (from Open top bus)
Image 19A Transit Systems Scania K280UB at Westfield Miranda (from Bus)
Image 20Hyundai County minibus being used as a city bus in Hoengseong, South Korea. (from Transit bus)
Image 21Geumgang Express Hyundai Universe in South Korea. (from Intercity bus service)
Image 22Trolleybus wire switch (Type Soviet Union) (from Trolleybus)
Image 23Japanese low-entry bus "omnibus" in Hamamatsu (from Low-floor bus)
Image 24Chevrolet AK Series shift bus (from Combination bus)
Image 2514.5-metre 1991 Delta Star 501 on Volvo B10M with cantilever tail lift (from Bruck (vehicle))
Image 26A private omnibus or "station bus" (from Horse-drawn omnibus)
Image 27 Almazora bodied Fuso Canter Modern PUV, Philippines (from Combination bus)
Image 28Hino Coach Bus in RMUTT (Pathumthani, Thailand) (from Coach (bus))
Image 29A Kowloon Motor Bus Alexander Dennis Enviro400 in Hong Kong (from Double-decker bus)
Image 30A bi-articulated bus used on the Brisbane Metro (from Bi-articulated bus)
Image 31Minibus vehicle from Suzuki Carry used as public transportation of Transjakarta in Indonesia (from Minibus)
Image 32Volvo B7R / 9700S (no. 792, AAI-840, 2006) operated by ExpressBus Savonlinja at Jyväskylä bus station (from Coach (bus))
Image 33John Scott Russell's Steam carriage in 1834 (from Steam bus)
Image 34Leyland B45 (prototype of the Olympian) on route 10 in Gibraltar (from Double-decker bus)
Image 35An operator livery complementing the bodywork features (from Bus manufacturing)
Image 36An intercity coach operated by Woods Coaches (from Public transport bus service)
Image 37A preserved Leyland Titan TD1 of Glasgow Corporation at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum (from Lowbridge double-deck bus)
Image 38New Flyer XT60 in Seattle (from Trolleybus)
Image 39Föli double-decker coach bus in Turku, Finland (from Double-decker bus)
Image 40A typical North American model in Toronto: the hybrid electric Nova Bus LFS with a bicycle rack at the front. (from Transit bus)
Image 41A bi-articulated Van Hool ExquiCity 24 on Mettis services at Metz, France (from Bi-articulated bus)
Image 42Diagram of a 1947-built Pullman Standard model 800 trolleybus, a type that operated in Valparaíso (Chile) until 2023 (from Trolleybus)
Image 43Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Ace used by Airport Limousine Bus in Tokyo, Japan (from Coach (bus))
Image 44Winnipeg Transit New Flyer D60LF on Route 77 (from Articulated bus)
Image 45Metrobus liveried Mercedes-Benz O 500 LE CNG (from Low-floor bus)
Image 46Yibin ART System, Yibin, China (from Guided bus)
Image 47Underground trolleybus at Kurobe Dam Station (from Trolleybus)
Image 482003 Helmark-bodied Scania K124EB double-decker bruck in Östersund (from Bruck (vehicle))
Image 49Interiors of coaches include many features not found in buses intended for shorter travel. (from Coach (bus))
Image 50US school bus (2007 IC CE) (from Bus)

Did you know? – show different entries

... that Cam Winton has held press conferences on a moving Metro Transit bus and in the largest pothole in Minneapolis?

... that the first series of On the Buses, a British sitcom written by Chesney and Wolfe, was rejected by the BBC but accepted by London Weekend Television?

... that Werner Heubeck, the managing director of Ulsterbus during The Troubles, was known for personally removing IRA bombs from buses to keep them running on time?

... that French manufacturer Vétra built trolleybuses (example pictured) for transit systems in 12 countries, on three continents?

... that Newton Corner has at various times been a commuter rail depot, a trolley station, and now a busy bus stop?

... that Peter Stuart, who formed the band Dog's Eye View, toured with Paula Cole by following her tour bus in his rental car?

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Selected image

These are images selected by Wikimedia Commons, as either Quality, Valued, or Featured images.

Image 1A MAN Lion's City of BSAG, Bremen Hauptbahnhof
Image 2An Iveco Crossway of Blaguss, Vienna
Image 3View from Slussen towards Gamla stan (Old town) and Riddarholmen. In the background Kungsholmen and Stockholm City Hall.
Image 4A Setra S 415 NF of the operator BahnBus Hochstift, in Paderborn bus terminal.
Image 5Buses in Oslo
Image 6A Mercedes Citaro O530, of the Oxford Bus Company
Image 7A Karosa Bus in Olomouc
Image 8A trolleybus in Brno, Czech Republic
Image 9A preserved Bristol SUS, which was operated by Western National
Image 10An Irisbus Agora Line vehicle in Avignon, France
Image 11The Agora and de l'Assut de l'Or Bridge – Part of the Arts and Science complex in Valencia
Image 12A bus at the University of Nottingham
Image 13A KMB bus, in Hong Kong
Image 14An abandoned bus in the Atacama Desert
Image 15The freight trolley TG-5, Vinnitsa, Ukraine.
Image 16A trolleybus in Novosibirsk, Russia
Image 17A Connexionsbuses operated Scania Omnidekka, at Thorpe Arch industrial estate, Wetherby.
Image 18A Leyland Olympian, and the Grade II listed Angel Inn
Image 19An East Lancs bodied Volvo B10M, owned by Hilton's travel, Newton-Le-Willows
Image 20A Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy, Karosa B 732 in Prague
Image 21Trolleybuses outside Salzburg Hbf, Austria
Image 22A preserved BVG MAN SD200, operating Berlin bus 218

Bus People

Image 1
Karuna Ratna Tuladhar (Nepali: करुणारत्न तुलाधर) (23 October 1920 – 19 July 2008) was a pioneer of Nepalese public transport. He was proprietor of Nepal Transport Service which he and his brother Lupau Ratna Tuladhar founded in 1959. This was Nepal's first public bus service which linked the capital Kathmandu with the railhead of Amlekhganj, 190 kilometers to the south near the Indian border.

The same year, Nepal Transport Service also started the first local shuttle between Kathmandu and Patan (Lalitpur), one of the three cities in the Kathmandu Valley. (Read More)
Image 2
Samuel Ledgard (1874–1952) was a Leeds entrepreneur who became a major West Yorkshire Independent bus operator. Following his death in 1952, his executors continued to operate the Samuel Ledgard bus company until 1967, when it was acquired by the West Yorkshire Road Car Company. (Read More)
Image 3
Ann Heron Gloag DBE (née Souter; born 10 December 1942) is a Scottish businesswoman, activist, and charity campaigner. She is co-founder of the transport company Stagecoach Group.

According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2024, Gloag and her brother, Sir Brian Souter, are worth £815 million, an increase of £35 million from the previous year.

In 2023, Gloag put Beaufort Castle, her Category A listed residence in the Scottish Highlands, up for sale at £7.5 million. Located near Kiltarlity, 13 miles west of Inverness, the castle was originally built in the 12th century and then rebuilt in 1880. Gloag purchased the historic estate, which includes a 26-bedroom principal property, a chapel, six residential cottages and 127 acres of land, in 1994 for approximately £1.5 million. (Read More)
Image 4
Robert R. Kiley (September 16, 1935 – August 9, 2016) was an American public transit planner and supervisor known for his ability to rehabilitate transit systems experiencing serious problems. From 2001 to 2006 he was the first commissioner of Transport for London, the public organisation that runs and maintains London's public transport network.

Kiley also worked as a CIA agent, CEO of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, deputy mayor of Boston, chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and president and CEO of the New York City Partnership. He is credited as being the architect of the revival of Boston and New York's ailing public transport systems in the 1970s and 1980s respectively.

Kiley unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Boston in 1983. (Read More)
Image 5
Werner Wolfgang Heubeck (24 October 1923 – 19 October 2009) was a German–British transport executive who was managing director of the Northern Ireland transport companies Ulsterbus and Citybus. (Read More)
Image 6
Sir Moir Lockhead OBE DHC (born 25 April 1945 in County Durham, England) is an English businessman. He was Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of UK transport group FirstGroup. Originally a mechanical engineer, he left school (West Cornforth Secondary Modern) at 15 to become apprentice mechanic in a bus garage in Darlington, before working for a short period as a management trainee with Tarmac. In 1979, he was appointed Chief Engineer of Glasgow City Transport. He joined Grampian Regional Transport in 1985 as General Manager, and went on to lead the successful employee buy-out as GRT Group.

He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1996 for services to the bus industry. He is a past President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport. He was knighted in the 2008 Birthday Honours. In 2009, the University of Aberdeen awarded him a Doctorate honoris causa (DHC). In 2010, he was awarded the VisitScotland Silver Thistle Award for outstanding services to the tourism industry in Scotland.

In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Scottish Rugby Union. In 2014, he was re-appointed for a second three-year term. In 2014, he was appointed Chairman of the National Trust for Scotland.

In January 2011, First Great Western powercar 43160 was named Sir Moir Lockhead as was First ScotRail diesel multiple unit 170401 in March 2011. (Read More)
Image 7
Kathleen Andrews (née Smith; May 17, 1940 – November 17, 2013) was a British-Canadian bus driver and transport manager. Her pioneering role as the first female Transit Operator, Dispatcher and Manager in Edmonton, Alberta was later commemorated by the city.

Kathleen Smith grew up in Rochdale, Lancashire and migrated to Edmonton aged 14. She graduated from Ross Sheppard Composite High School in 1959. Following a marriage and subsequent divorce, she sought full-time employment to support her family, which led to joining the Edmonton Transit System (ETS) in 1975. She initially fulfilled the role of Bus Information Clerk, before becoming the first female bus driver that May. After three years, she became the first female Bus Dispatcher, and was eventually promoted to manager of Special Service charter buses. She was commended by the council as being the first female in any significant management capacity in the city. She continued to drive school buses after her retirement from ETS in 1998, and died of cancer in November 2013.

In 2014, the city council created the Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage at a cost of $196 million, covering 500,000 square feet of space and accommodating 300 buses and 700 drivers. The garage did not open officially until February 2020. (Read More)
Image 8
Julian Henry Peddle (born November 1954) is an entrepreneur who has worked in the bus industry since the early 1980s, having owned or part-owned numerous bus companies. He spent 11 years as co-owner of Stevensons of Uttoxeter between 1983 and 1994, having previously been its traffic manager. During the late 1990s and early 2000s he ran Status Group, a group of small bus companies spread across England which included BakerBus, Choice Travel and MK Metro. He was a major shareholder in Tellings-Golden Miller and Centrebus Holdings before their sale to Arriva. (Read More)
Image 9
John Greenwood (born 1788, died 1851), transport entrepreneur, was the keeper of a toll-gate in Pendleton on the Manchester to Liverpool turnpike. In 1824 he purchased a horse and a cart with several seats and began an omnibus service, probably the first one in the United Kingdom, between Pendleton and Manchester. His pioneering idea was to offer a service where, unlike with a stagecoach, no prior booking was necessary and the driver would pick up or set down passengers anywhere on request. Later on he added daily services to Buxton, Chester, and Sheffield.

John Greenwood, and a number of competitors, created a network of omnibus services, often acting as feeders to the railways. When he died in 1851 he left a flourishing business to his son, also named John (II) (b. 12 May 1818, d. 21 March 1886), which in that year became the Manchester Carriage Company.

By gestation, and amalgamation, in 1880, this became the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company, led by John Greenwood (II). Following the council taking control of passenger transport services, in 1903, the residuary operations became The Manchester Carriage Co. (1903) Ltd, led by John Greenwood (III) (b. 1856).

For how this initial service developed, see Timeline of public passenger transport operations in Manchester. (Read More)