News

Moscow to launch amphibious bus service

The Moscow City Government plans to launch floating buses to be used on a popular tourist route, RIA Novosti information agency reported. 

The buses will run and float from the popular Zaryadye Park to Red Square and Christ the Savior Cathedral, with other attractions along the way as well.

“The work to test new city transport vehicles will begin as early as in 2020”, the press statement from the MosTransProyekt public transport planning institute said.

The city authorities will allocate nearly RUR 0.5 bln ($7.6 mio) for purchasing and maintaining innovative buses. The information on the supplier company is not yet known.

A number of amphibious buses have a sloped bottom, similar to a motor boat or a cutter. The driver’s cabin can be equipped with a wireless station and marine navigation gear.

Floating vehicles are already in use in large world cities. The service debuted in San Francisco. Now Boston, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Budapest, Rotterdam and Amsterdam have a fleet of amphibious buses as well. In the past, such multipurpose vehicles were used mostly by the military; in Russia, amphibious vehicles, or hydroplanes, were in use in the 1930s.

Previous ArticleNext Article