The history of bus travel

The busses that are around in the 21st century are completely different to those that were first built in the early 19th century. The development of bus transportation, as well as its purpose, effectiveness and ease of use however, has seen a relatively linear progression over the last 200 years.

 

In the middle of the 17th century, Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, inventor and philosopher established the first ever public bus line which ran in Paris using a horse and buggy, a method that was kept throughout its short 15 year run. After the decline of this service, the bus service was not seen again until the year 1824. The first modern public bus line (which was not limited to the aristocracy) was set up between Manchester and Liverpool in 1824 by the toll keeper between the towns, John Greenwood. This service differed from that of a stagecoach (which had already been in use in many areas) in that it allowed passengers to board and get off at any point during the ride, meaning that there were a number of fares per trip, instead of one booked client.

 

Greenwood later added more routes and as a result he sparked up a new trend and found himself up against competitors until 1865, when most of them amalgamated into one company. The same kind of service arose in France around 1826, where the owner pioneered the first ever school bus.

 

The next pioneering in the bus travel industry came in the 1830s in the form of steam-powered busses, which were not only faster but also safer to travel on roads that were hazardous for horse drawn carriages. However, heavy taxes caused them to limit their services somewhat, and in England, the first Locomotive Act limited the speed of automotive vehicles to 5mph in cities and 10mph in the countryside.

 

At around the same time, trolley pulled bus services started emerging in England, creating a huge network of electrically powered road travel for the first time. The first ever passenger-carrying trolley bus in Dresden, Germany in 1901, which ran for three short years until 1904.

 

Motor propelled busses 9the obvious precursor to the types of busses we see today emerged around the end of the 19th century, and the first busses carried a maximum of 6 passengers and was not very cost effective, so there was no profitability. In 1898, the first double decker bus emerged for use in London, carrying up to 16 passengers at the same time, and became the market standard for the next century in England.

What will the future of bus travel be like?

Road transport as we know it today has only been around for the last 100 years, ever since the advent of the mass production vehicles that have become almost a necessity for our everyday lives. It is strange to think that we have come so far in terms of transportation in the last 100 years. After all, rail transport has been around for over a thousand years (some of the earliest railroads were built by Chinese Emperors during the early Ming Dynasty), and the model used by rail transport companies remains relatively unchanged (though it has become increasingly more sophisticated and high-tech). Could the future of bus transit have the same fate as that? Will it remain much like it is now, and only get more technologically sophisticated?

 

In 2013, South African born Canadian entrepreneur Elon Musk unveiled his plans to develop what he dubbed the ‘Hyperloop’, a transit system he plan sot install in California that will travel at speeds of up to 1200km/h using its streamlined design and air pressure to keep the transporter in a semi-levitated state (much like an air-hockey table). While this technology is still a good few years away from being put into development (and even more time before it will be perfected and implemented worldwide), there is definitely a growing trend in innovation in the mass transportation industry. In 2010, a California based company developed the first ever solar powered bus which is now part of a working fleet of vehicles that provide luxury private transportation in California.

 

For the last 5 years, Japanese companies have been experimenting with train-bus hybrid vehicles that have both steel wheels for use on rails and rubber tyres suitable for the road. This project aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the amount of time the bus needs to use fossil fuels to run by spending a significant amount of time on the electrically powered rail system.

 

For now, these advancements are still relatively young and will take a lot of time to be developed into fully functional business models, but they already indicate the way of the future of bus travel (and mass transportation in general). Perhaps in the next 100 years we will have completely self-sufficient high-speed transporters that don’t even need wheels to move around (such as the model proposed by Elon Musk), or perhaps the line between types of transport will be blurred, with the creation of bus-train hybrids, and even possibly train-boat hybrids able to traverse oceans. One thing is almost certain, however, and that is the fact that things are already starting to look a lot different to what they did just a decade ago.

Playing games and staying entertained on long journeys.

Keeping yourself entertained on a long journey is difficult. Most of the time, especially if you’re in a car, on a bus or on a train, you will have nothing but time to look out the window at the endless hills you’re likely to encounter. The following is a short list of suggestions for ways to keep yourself (and your family) entertained and make sure that you are able to enjoy the trip.

 

 

Technology:

 

One of the easiest ways to keep a child entertained nowadays is by giving them access to technology. It will allow them to keep themselves entertained without having to bug you too much, so you are free to enjoy the scenery on your trip, or take a nap to pass the time.

 

Various technological options are available for your children, ranging from portable media players that can hold their favorite movies and TV shows, or handheld game consoles that will keep them entertained for a large portion of your trip.

 

Books:

 

While technology is the obvious choice children in this day and age, taking books and fun reading or puzzle solving material along for the ride might help entertain them when the batteries run dead, or they eventually get bored of playing the same game over and over.

 

Depending on your child’s reading level, take along some books that will entertain them, teach them, or allow them to develop skills such as puzzle solving and math skills (Sudoku and crosswords are always fun alternatives to books, as they are easily turned into games by children).

 

Traditional Fun:

 

If neither of the above options seem viable to you, you could always opt for more traditional methods of fun and time wasting. Since children love playing games, no matter where they are, use the scenery around you to amuse them. Play Eye Spy, word games or use sing-a longs (if you’re sure you’ll be able to live through all the noise). Travel Bingo is another fun game that you can play and pretty much make up as you go along. Use a sheet of paper for each person and divide it up into five rows and five columns, leaving the middle block open as a ‘free slot’. In each of the other blocks, write something that you think you might encounter on your trip. The first person to see, hear, or experience a complete row or column of these wins.

 

Video games:

 

Portable video game consoles have been getting handier over the last decade, and with that has come increased battery life. You can now take your portable console or handheld game along with you (or even play on your smartphone or tablet) to keep you company. Many newer coaches have plug points, and a wide variety of handheld gaming devices support third party portable chargers that plug into your cigarette lighter or the USB port on your radio.

Why travelling by bus is a safer option.

 

Safety on the roads is one of the biggest issues facing South Africa at the moment, and results in countless deaths each year. The problems on the road are caused by a number of factors, from drunk or tired drivers, general fatigue and mechanical failure, to negligent driving and hazardous road conditions.

 

Travelling in a bus may, for some obvious reasons seem safer than being in a car, For one, its bigger, so you wouldn’t expect the same dangers as you would in a smaller vehicle. However that doesn’t mean that there aren’t hazards. This is why it is imperative to wear a seatbelt and perform all of the necessary checks when stepping into any sort of vehicle, no matter the size, or the distance you will be travelling. It should also be noted that the number of accidents that take place on the roads that involve busses is minute compared to those involving cars and smaller vehicles.

 

Larger bus coach companies like Greyhound have professional drivers on all of their routes, which means that you will be in the best possible hands throughout your trip. However, there are a lot of things that may happen along the way, not all of them related to the safety of the vehicle itself that you can safeguard yourself against, and it is always recommended that you take these precautions in order to make your trip as pleasant as possible.

 

For instance, if you’re travelling in a bus that has luggage storage in an undercarriage, make sure your bags are well marked with your contact details, and that they are securely locked in case of theft. If the luggage compartments are overhead, make sure to keep your luggage close by, and keep an eye on it at all times, if possible.

 

These factors make it obvious that choosing bus travel is both safer and more convenient for anyone wanting to travel long distances. Having more space available to you to roam, as well as not being put under pressure to drive (having a professional driver doing all of the hard work for you) are only some of the reasons why many people prefer bus travel to other methods.

Preparing for your first long-distance bus ride.

 

Most of us aren't used to spending a lot of time on the road. Travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town by car only takes around 14-15 hours, compared to the 6 hours it takes to get from Johannesburg to Durban. Travelling on a bus, however, is a whole new ball game. Although you won’t be the one driving, the drive may seem even more daunting, since it takes much longer than travelling by car or plane. Your first time especially could be a bit difficult to navigate, since the long hours, cramped space and general tediousness of the trip will end up taking its toll.

 

The problem with being stuck on a bus for extended periods of time is usually not that the bus is ill fitted to take passengers on long journeys in comfort, but rather that people tend to get bored extremely quickly when not in control of what it is they’re doing.  This is why it is important to know what to do in order to prepare yourself for such a long, winding journey. There are countless options that will work well enough to keep you occupied for just long enough to perhaps survive the trip.

 

First, you may want to get yourself settled in as quickly as possible. Make sure you are comfortable in your seating position. Bring a small neck pillow or some sort of device that you can rest on if you plan on getting some sleep. Just make sure that its soft enough to allow you to sleep. Don’t try sleeping on your laptop bag!

 

Something that is very important, and should probably be stressed most of all, given our tendency to get bored as people, is entertainment. Bring something with you that you enjoy. Movies on a laptop, smartphone or tablet, music on a portable player, iPod or smartphone, games, books or crossword or Sudoku puzzles will all help keep you distracted when you get too fed up with staring out of the window.

 

Remember to take snacks and food with you onto the bus, especially if it is a long one. Staying hydrated and fed will help you relax and also stop you from losing concentration if you are doing something fun. Also, try to keep yourself in a good mood, and remember that there are other people on the bus too. Don’t make everything uncomfortable by being difficult or rude to the people sitting around you.