Bus & Coach News
SearchBuses, coaches and their operators, technologies, manufacturing or markets.

CitySwift platform cuts London bus journey times by 1.5%
CitySwift says journey times on London bus routes optimised with its platform have fallen by 1.5%. The programme covers more than 650 routes, with 200 improved so far; passengers are projected to save more than 25 million hours over three years.

Melbourne depot planned with charging capacity for more than 130 electric buses
CDC and Zenobē are partnering on a depot in Truganina, Melbourne, with 65 dual-lead DC chargers and provision for 20 more. The project will support the rollout of electric buses in Melbourne’s western growth corridor.


ITS World Congress previews South Korea’s connected and autonomous mobility projects
The 2026 ITS World Congress in Gangneung will showcase South Korea’s mobility initiatives, including Seoul’s permanent autonomous night-bus service, Gangneung’s transport-control centre and demand-responsive buses, and projects planned across the country.


Victoria tenders for 800 zero-emission buses as Queensland opts for diesel
Victoria has opened a tender for four bus franchises covering about 800 buses and 49 million annual service kilometres. The move contrasts with Queensland’s plan to tender for 630 new diesel buses.


GMV showcases public transport systems at FIAA 2026
At FIAA in Madrid, GMV presented its ITS SUITE platform and onboard equipment for passenger transport, including systems used by transport authorities in Madrid and Barcelona. The company also joined a panel on connectivity, AI, fleet management and transport safety.


Kinetic electrifies Melbourne depot for 60 electric buses
Kinetic has completed upgrades at its Sunshine West depot in Melbourne, increasing charging capacity from 24 to 66 buses and providing infrastructure for up to 82. The site will operate 60 battery-electric buses by year-end, supported by overhead gantries, fast chargers and automated load management.


Sydney Airport begins rollout of 50 electric buses
Sydney Airport has begun deploying 50 BCI electric buses, comprising 25 apron buses and 25 shuttle buses, to replace diesel vehicles used for passenger transport and airfield operations. The rollout supports the airport’s target of net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.


SABOA conference highlights funding and infrastructure barriers to bus electrification
South Africa’s bus industry used the SABOA 2026 conference to discuss electrification, funding reform, infrastructure, cross-border regulation and digital transformation. Johannesburg is assessing bus-fleet electrification, while operators highlighted financing, workforce and safety challenges.


Putco adds six accessible Mercedes-Benz buses to South African fleet
Putco has received six Mercedes-Benz Low Entry buses, built with Marcopolo bodies, for its South African fleet. The universally accessible vehicles are designed to improve boarding and travel for disabled and mobility-impaired passengers, and are due to enter service shortly.


Peak Mobility launches predictive dispatching tool for electric bus fleets
Peak Mobility will debut Predictive Dispatching at InnoTrans 2026. The PEAK.DMS extension links vehicle assignment, charging and depot parking, forecasting state of charge across activity chains to support electric and mixed bus-fleet dispatching.


Coach group expands Microlise compliance technology across 16 operators
The Coach Travel Group is using Microlise compliance platforms across 16 UK operators, more than 500 vehicles and 1,000 drivers. Shared live data, dashboards and reporting are intended to improve oversight while operators retain day-to-day fleet responsibility.


West Tarneit station opens with expanded bus links
West Tarneit station has opened in Melbourne’s west with a 400-space car park, bus interchange and accessible platforms. More than 1,100 weekly bus services have been added, while larger trains will increase Wyndham Vale line peak capacity by up to 50%.


GMV to supply 126 ticket validators for Rabat bus network
GMV will supply 126 ticket validators for Rabat’s bus network, expanding the electronic fare-collection system and building on its earlier modernisation of 350 buses with CAD/AVL and passenger-information systems.


Avanza selects GMV for connected bus-fleet technology in Málaga and Marbella
Avanza will deploy more than 200 GMV DTD205 onboard platforms across its Málaga and Marbella bus fleets. The 5G-enabled hardware integrates ticketing, CAD/AVL, passenger information and vehicle systems, supported by GMV’s scalable Deepsy software and enhanced GNSS positioning.


ZF TraXon 2 transmission debuts in HINO’s new S’elega coach
ZF’s TraXon 2 automated manual transmission with integrated Intarder has debuted in HINO’s new S’elega premium coach in Japan. The collaboration also includes ZF braking, suspension and radar-based driver-assistance technologies.


ZF to showcase rail, bus and aftermarket technologies at InnoTrans 2026
ZF will present rail driveline and chassis systems, predictive-maintenance platform connect@rail, aftermarket repowering and bus technologies at InnoTrans 2026. Highlights include the CeTrax 2 electric drive, ZF Bus Connect fleet management and a new rail product innovation.


Queensland plans 630 buses while abandoning electric-bus mandate
Queensland plans to procure up to 630 buses to replace its ageing fleet, with transport minister Brent Mickelberg indicating they will not be electric. The decision reverses the previous government’s zero-emission bus procurement plans and contrasts with electric-bus expansion in other Australian states.


Abu Dhabi launches 30 solar-powered bus shelters
Abu Dhabi Mobility has installed 30 solar-powered bus shelters across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Zayed City. The shelters provide lighting and digital passenger information panels, supporting the emirate’s smart and sustainable transport infrastructure goals.


Cambridge self-driving bus programme secures £3.88m funding
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has secured £3.88m in UK government funding to extend self-driving bus trials, including a planned deployment on Cambridgeshire’s guided busway. The Commercialising Connector project will assess safety, accessibility, ticketing and customer experience ahead of potential commercial services.


Imagry and UNVI partner on driverless electric buses for Germany
Imagry and UNVI will integrate AI-based driverless technology into UNVI electric buses, with the first 10.3-metre vehicle due to deploy on a German project in Q3 2026. UBSI is supporting integration, compliance, leasing and operations.


ZF Aftermarket shortlisted for two fleet technology awards
ZF Aftermarket has been shortlisted for two Automechanika Innovation Awards: Bus Connect Remote Diagnostics, which enables remote bus diagnostics, and SCALAR Asset Insights, which provides trailer health histories from diagnostic data.


Perth expands electric buses but faces grid-planning challenge
Transperth has completed its largest electric-bus depot in Perth, with 56 dual chargers and 112 plugs. Further depot upgrades and five battery-electric ferries are planned, but the rollout highlights the need for coordinated, precinct-scale grid planning.


Microlise partners with Ferdia to connect coach operations and fleet data
Microlise has partnered with UK coach-management platform Ferdia to integrate coach operations software with fleet intelligence, telematics and compliance tools. The combined platform is intended to reduce manual administration, improve planning and provide operators with a connected view of fleet and driver performance.


US senators question FMCSA over truck and bus crash data
US senators have asked FMCSA to explain possible undercounting of large-truck and bus crashes and a sharp fall in motor-carrier enforcement cases, citing concerns that incomplete safety data could hinder action against high-risk operators.


Queensland expands Gold Coast transport routes and road upgrades
Queensland has announced two new Gold Coast east-west transport routes and road upgrades, including expanded bus lanes, a new station and preservation of a future rail corridor to Gold Coast Airport ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.


Urban design plan approved for Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway upgrades
Victoria has approved the urban design plan for Eastern Freeway upgrades between Hoddle Street and Burke Road in Melbourne. The project will add freeway capacity, bus lanes, traffic-management technology and walking and cycling connections.


South African team to test electric minibus taxis in 2023
GoMetro, MiX by Powerfleet, HSW, ACDC Dynamics and Stellenbosch University are forming a project team to test electric minibus taxis in South Africa. Trials near Stellenbosch and a national roadshow will assess operational suitability and support wider taxi-sector electrification.


2026 Driver CPC rules and fleet compliance explained
A 2026 guide explains Driver CPC’s five-year, 35-hour training requirement, the distinction between National and International CPC, requalification after expiry and how fleets can track driver compliance.


GMV to add 258 validators across Granada’s urban bus fleet
GMV will add 258 TV100 validators to Granada’s urban bus fleet, enabling boarding through middle and rear doors with card, QR and mobile payment. Deployment has begun on Line 4, with the full rollout due by mid-2027.


Peak Mobility launches range-aware depot dispatching software
Peak Mobility will demonstrate Predictive Dispatching, a PEAK.DMS extension that plans full-day vehicle blocks across electric, hybrid and diesel fleets using range, charging and depot-dwell data. The tool will be showcased at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin.


Perth completes Australia’s largest electric-bus depot upgrade
Perth’s Karrinyup bus depot has added 56 dual chargers and 112 plugs, supporting 53 electric buses and planned expansion to 110. The upgrade is part of a A$250 million programme expanding electric-bus infrastructure across the city.


OTA vehicle updates raise cybersecurity concerns after bus investigations
Analysts and transport authorities warn that over-the-air vehicle updates could expose connected systems to cyberattacks. Investigations of Yutong buses in Norway, the UK and Denmark found potential routes to battery and power controls, while US experts urged tighter security reviews and data disclosures.


Spain’s first autonomous on-demand bus launches at Mercamadrid
Project MOBILITIES FOR EU has deployed Spain’s first autonomous on-demand bus at Mercamadrid. The fully electric shuttle uses autonomous driving and 5G connectivity to provide flexible mobility within the logistics hub.

Zonar survey finds school fleets face major 2026 readiness gaps
Zonar’s survey of 128 US student-transport leaders found only 15% of fleets fully ready for the 2026-27 school year. Staffing and route coverage were the leading challenge, while 36% planned no new technology investment.
Zonar launches reimagined Bus Suite web portal
Zonar has launched a reimagined Bus Suite web portal that has unified routing, dispatch, GPS tracking, student ridership and field-trip management into a single platform, and has introduced AI-assisted schedule adjustments and enhanced real-time route visibility for K–12 districts.

South Australia opens major electric bus charging hub
South Australia has commissioned its first major electric-bus charging hub at Morphettville, with 60 chargers and an A$9m upgrade to support 60 battery buses; the rollout has been projected to reduce emissions by about 4,500 tonnes annually.


Cummins Updates Engine DEF Inducement Calibrations
Cummins has begun updating engine calibrations to extend time before DEF inducements, increase final derate speeds for certain applications and support emissions compliance; revised calibrations have been offered for over 1.5 million medium- and heavy-duty engines across select model years.


Australia’s first locally made electric articulated bus unveiled
Volgren and Volvo have unveiled Australia’s first locally made electric articulated bus in Perth. Two 18-metre BZL Electric Articulated buses will be tested before entering Transperth service around August.


NSW commits $6.5bn for electric buses and depots
New South Wales government has committed $6.5 billion over ten years to procure at least 1,700 electric buses and construct 17 charging depots, and has included a $561.4 million transport affordability package in the state budget.


London reaches 3,000 zero-emission buses
Transport for London has marked the launch of its 3,000th zero-emission bus, has grown the fleet a hundredfold over the past decade and has expanded service to more than 200 routes, delivering estimated annual CO2 savings of 100,000 tonnes.


Scania to supply 91 electric buses to VR Sweden
Scania has agreed to supply 91 Fencer F1 battery electric buses to VR Sweden for Södertälje and Nykvarn services, which have been specified with 445 kWh batteries and 73-minute 5-95% charging times; the deal has included long-term service support.


Saucon expands 2026 webinar series for motorcoach and fleet operators
Saucon is running an expert-led webinar series on motorcoach and fleet operations, covering telematics-based driver performance, safety investigations, hours of service and marketing applications. Further sessions are scheduled throughout 2026.


San Francisco school district to deploy 104 electric buses with V2G
San Francisco Unified School District has purchased 104 electric school buses from Zum, supported by bidirectional charging infrastructure. Deployment is planned by August 2026, with the fleet expected to return about 3GWh of energy to the local grid annually during peak periods.


New and expanded bus services to improve South West Sydney connections
New and expanded bus routes will launch across South West Sydney from 5 July, including services connecting growing communities with Western Sydney Airport, schools, hospitals, transport hubs and employment precincts.


VR orders 91 Scania battery-electric buses
VR has ordered 91 Scania Fencer f1 battery-electric buses and they have been scheduled to enter service from June 2027 in Södertälje; 32 4×2 and 59 6×2 units have been specified, all with 445 kWh batteries.


Viking launches electric motor coach for guest transport in Vienna
Viking has put its first fully electric motor coach into service in Vienna, carrying up to 49 passengers. The cruise operator plans to introduce more electric coaches across Europe in the coming years.


Construction begins on Sydney electric-bus depot
Construction has begun on a $145 million Macquarie Park depot to charge 150 electric buses; it has been jointly funded by state and federal governments, contracted to Fulton Hogan and has been scheduled to be operational in 2028.


C-ITS Deployment for Public Transport in Europe
The webinar has presented operational C-ITS deployments across Germany, Czechia and Austria, has highlighted measurable benefits in travel times, timetable stability and safety, and has identified interoperability and integration as ongoing challenges.

