Launched at Brooklands Museum, home of British land speed records, on Friday 17 April, a bold and inventive attempt at a new speed record for a service bus is the newest imaginative idea of Reading Buses to help champion its low emission Scania buses that run on Biomethane Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The company has announced that the unique bid to have the fastest bus in the world will take place on a banked circular track at Millbrook, just outside Bedford, on May 19.
At the same time as the compressed natural gas bus attempts the speed record, it is planned to issue the fastest ever on board ticket using their Ticketer system.
The event will be hosted by Brooklands Museum on April 17 where Reading Buses will unveil the Scania CNG bus - that runs on gas generated from cow poo. Brooklands is the perfect venue for the launch, with its rich history in setting land speed records as well as having the London Bus Museum on site.
Said Marketing and Communications Manager Jake Osman: “We thank Brooklands Museum for hosting this event. It has a wonderful history of the perfect marriage of speed and buses – which is what this event is all about.
“We are looking forward to being the bus company with the fastest bus in the world! We will take a hand-picked driver with the right experience in buses and motorsport, and we will be looking to push the bus to its limits.
“On the day of the attempt, we are aiming for a speed of at least 80 miles per hour which is around 50% faster than the normal 55 mph that the bus is limited to. And our driver will also issue a ticket whilst going round the track – giving our supplier Ticketer the fastest bus ticket ever issued.
“The bus, which is normally driven in service, has no major body or engine modifications other than slight tweaks and some high speed tyres. Once the day is over, the tweaks will be put back and it will go back into service.
“We are aware that if you search the internet for ‘fastest bus in the world’ you get what is basically a jet engine with a bus shell – that is not a bus. We are talking about having the REAL fastest bus in the world.”
The company and its sponsors are using this wacky attempt to promote a serious message as well.
“We want to increase awareness of CNG buses and biomethane as a viable fuel. We have invested heavily in this greener technology and foresee biomethane and CNG becoming the fuel of choice for many more operators. We have two compressors at our depot and are able to fill other gas vehicles such as taxis; trucks and our own gas powered engineering van.”
“The biomethane we buy is sourced through the Gas Vehicle Alliance and is carbon neutral certified. It is produced from cow manure and waste food – something that in itself is unusual. The fuel is very clean and produces very low levels of pollutants such as particulates and nitrous oxides as well as being from a carbon neutral source. It’s the ultimate in recycling.”
Jake revealed that Reading Buses sponsors already include Ticketer, Nimbus, Millbrook, Scania, ADL, Gas Vehicle Alliance, Michelin Solutions, Mix Telematics, Brooklands, TEK seating & USSC, route-ONE magazine and Numbercraft.