Driving a bus for ten minutes

Day one of the show has yet to begin and Peter Moses is already seated in a bus. The driving instructor and teaching head at Gullivers Verkehrsakademie is waiting to give interested trade visitors a glimpse of what it is like to be behind the wheel of a public transport bus. He beckons me onboard with a friendly gesture and offers me the seat behind the wheel.

The white Isuzu CITIPORT owned by Gulliver is 12 metres long. More than five rear view mirrors make sure that I, the bus driver, have everything under control in and around the vehicle. The cabin with its over 30 buttons is daunting. Despite there being no one except Peter Moses and the photographer onboard I can sense the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. How much bigger would it be if the bus were full of passengers? The driving instructor carefully helps me navigate my way out of the parking spot. All I can think of is not to dent the minibus of Tremonia Mobility parked next to us.

Experience the acceleration

Trade visitors can also try out the vehicles of Tremonia Mobility, but to do so they must have a bus driver’s licence. An hour earlier I was a passenger while Jonas Kanaan, managing director of Rhenic, nimbly navigated the exhibition grounds with this model. The City 45 Electric made a lasting impression on him. “I am satisfied. It helps me experience the acceleration myself. In the end, every minute a bus is on the roads costs money”, Kanaan says.

I would rather not be told how much my trip would cost the bus industry in normal service. Travelling at what feels like 15 kph, I crawl along the grounds and discover the vehicle’s length makes it necessary to take in all kinds of different viewing angles. Nevertheless, Peter Moses makes me feel safe and I actually manage to park the bus in its original spot. Moses enjoys being a bus and HGV driving instructor. “What particularly motivates me is the fact we urgently need bus and HGV drivers. We can’t talk about the mobility transformation without taking that into account”, he says.

My ten minutes behind the wheel are up. The experience has helped me to appreciate bus drivers and what they do in a completely different way. Interested trade visitors have until Thursday evening to try out a bus on the test circuit in front of hub27, either as a passenger or behind the wheel. Verband Innovativer Fahrschulen (VIFD) has a coach directly available, while ARTHUR BUS, MAN Truck & Bus, Omnicar, Ebusco and Daimler Buses are present on the outdoor display site.