[sustran] Re: Bus purchase help needed [in Mauritius]
Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory
edelman at greenidea.eu
Thu Apr 17 11:51:17 JST 2008
... and here is a image of Bern's bagless biogas bus:
<http://www.motoresapleno.com.ar/Noticias/2007/12/13/Volvobus-biogas.JPG>
- T
szimmerman at worldbank.org wrote:
> An image of a Chinese bus of the type that was fueled with low pressure biogas
> (product of pig manure digestion at communal farms). Note gas bag instead of
> high pressure tanks on roof. S
>
> (See attached file: chinagas.jpg)
>
>
> Sam Zimmerman
> Senior Urban Transport Specialist
> Energy, Transport, Water Dept.
> 1818 H Street N.W.
> Washington, D.C. 20433
> Phone Numbers:
> Office: (202) 473-5399
> Mobile: (703) 835-4124
>
> Please visit the World Bank Urban Transport website @:
> http://www.worldbank.org/urbantransport
>
>
>
>
>
> "Todd Edelman,
> Green Idea Factory"
> <edelman at greenidea. To
> eu> Walter Hook <whook at itdp.org>
> cc
> 04/16/2008 11:31 AM 'Jonathan Richmond'
> <richmond at alum.mit.edu>,
> UTSG at JISCMAIL.AC.UK, 'Sustran List'
> Please respond to <Sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>,
> edelman at greenidea.e 'PLANET'
> u <PLANET at listserv.BUFFALO.EDU>,
> szimmerman at worldbank.org,
> iclei-africa at iclei.org,
> philippe_attey at yahoo.fr,
> uatp at uitp.com, POURBAIX Jerome
> <jerome.pourbaix at uitp.com>
> Subject
> Re: [sustran] Re: Bus purchase help
> needed [in Mauritius]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Jonathan,
>
> Your specifications mention nothing about type of engine/fuel source.
> What Walter said is true, but if you get all those things right what is
> the point if the fuel prices make the resulting ticket unaffordable
> and/or make it less interesting in comparison into a car?
>
> Both your Ministry and the NTC are members of UITP, and I am wondering
> if you have discussed fuel sources with them. Also, Moka Flacq plus
> Pamplemousses and Riviere du Rempart are members of ICLEI and might be
> able to get some advice or assistance and information about best
> practice from them. ICLEI, at least in Europe, is involved in a biofuel
> project. See www.biofuel-cities.eu <http://www.biofuel-cities.eu>
>
> I personally favour biogas from waste. Maybe you know all about it -- if
> so please forgive the following. If you have the proper and right
> mixture of feedstock for it (agricultural and household waste, sewerage
> waste, etc.) and can get it to a biogas reactor easily, then it could be
> the way to go. Start up costs are certainly higher than with petrol
> Diesel (the reactors plus the buses) but you will have a lot more
> control of and be able to predict fuel prices and availability then with
> petrol products. It seems to me like an island would like to have energy
> independence.
>
> There are several European biogas projects right now, such as
> www.biogasmax.com, but you can also just Google for biogas and
> transport. Most of the projects you will find involve small consumer
> biogas projects for cooking to larger scale projects for making
> electricity. For transport, biogas is more efficient if used for making
> electricity, but if you don't have electric vehicles...
>
> There also might be some EU projects which Mauritius can join, but it
> seems you might be working for a solution in the near-term. The GDP of
> your island is high in relation to the rest of Africa; you know better
> than I if you are a target country for development assistance. Sweden
> and also Germany are quite active in biogas development, especially
> Sweden for biogas buses.
>
> Let me know offlist if you want some more info. As you can see I have
> copied this email to people at ICLEI and UITP (again, please forgive me
> if it is redundant information).
>
> Kind regards,
> T
>
>
>
> Walter Hook wrote:
>
>> As this is a straight public sector bus procurement, you should check with
>> someone at FTA or with FTA experience. I am cc'ing sam Zimmerman now at the
>> world bank who might have a better idea. Certainly close dialog with the
>> operators is critical to understand the specific bus needs of the drive
>> cycle in Marituius, not sure what your roads are like or how low floor will
>> perform in those conditions. Certainly tests for anything new should be
>> done.
>>
>> The track record for bus maintenance for public transport authorities in
>> Africa is pretty weak, security of the fleet from spare part theft,
>> contracts w/ the manufacturer for ongoing maintenance, perhaps contracting
>> out operations, with liability for the vehicle passing on to the operator,
>> etc, I should think are more serious concerns than the bus procurement
>> itself.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org
>> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf
>> Of Jonathan Richmond
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:20 AM
>> To: UTSG at JISCMAIL.AC.UK; Sustran List; PLANET
>> Subject: [sustran] Bus purchase help needed
>>
>>
>> Sorry to bother the more academic members of these lists, but I have been
>> grateful for some wonderfully helpful suggestions when posing previous
>> practical questions here -- so, here goes again!
>>
>> I need some help over bus purchases. The bus fleet here in Mauritius is of
>> very low quality: almost entirely with high floors, many steps to climb,
>> only one door -- slowing down entry and exit -- and no aircon.
>>
>> We are looking at ways to replace the total public and private sector
>> fleets of 2500 buses and are planning to do an initial procurement
>> exercise for the public bus company, National Transport Corporation,
>> ordering perhaps one hundred buses.
>>
>> We do not have the necessary expertise in writing the tender documents or
>> supervising the tender process. We are therefore using a fast-track tender
>> process to invite proposals to help us with this.
>>
>>
>> The requirements are:
>>
>> Conduct a brief analysis of operating requirements of Mauritius bus
>> operators and bus specifications required by the regulatory system
>>
>> Design a technical specification for low-floor, airconditioned
>>
> buses
>
>> that
>> includes bus body specification, air con specification and
>>
> passenger
>
>> safety.
>>
>> Finalize tender documents for procurement exercise.
>>
>> Provide a detailed study on the proposals submitted from each
>> tenderer,
>> with recommendations.
>>
>> Maintain contuct with tender winner to ensure prototype bus meeds
>> agreed
>> specifications.
>>
>> Conduct acceptance test before serial production.
>>
>> Develop maintenance regimes and design and deliver maintenane
>> handbook.
>>
>> Develop and implement essential training programs on maintenance.
>>
>>
>> The budget limit for fast-track tendering is 5 million Maurituan rs.
>> (US $193,800). All costs, inclusing cost of travel must be included in a
>> proposal that is no more than this amount.
>>
>> If any of you are qualified and interested to do this, please do get in
>> touch. Also, if you know others who might be interested, please pass this
>> on to them.
>>
>> Many thanks!!!
>>
>> --Jonathan!
>>
>> -----
>> Jonathan Richmond
>> Transport Adviser to the Government of Mauritius
>> Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping
>> New Government Centre, Level 4
>> Port Louis
>> Mauritius
>>
>> +230 707-1134 (Mauritius mobile: most reliable way to reach me)
>>
>> +1 (617) 395-4360 (US phone number rings at home -- call me in
>> Mauritius for the price of a call to the US).
>>
>> +44 (0)7978 807532 (UK mobile number, connects to mobile phone when in
>> wifi zone, or goes to voice mail). This is also a SIP number. If you
>> have a SIP phone you can reach me by dialing: sip:447978807532 at truphone.com
>>
>> e-mail: richmond at alum.mit.edu
>> http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
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> the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version
> is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss
> (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the
> confusing arrangement.
>
>> ================================================================
>> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable
>>
> and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global
> South').
>
>>
>
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------
>
> Todd Edelman
> Director
> Green Idea Factory
>
> Korunni 72
> CZ-10100 Praha 10
> Czech Republic
>
> Skype: toddedelman
> ++420 605 915 970
> ++420 222 517 832
>
> edelman at greenidea.eu
> http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/
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>
--
--------------------------------------------
Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory
Korunni 72
CZ-10100 Praha 10
Czech Republic
Skype: toddedelman
++420 605 915 970
++420 222 517 832
edelman at greenidea.eu
http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/
www.flickr.com/photos/edelman
Green Idea Factory is a member of World Carfree Network
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