The Environmental Advantages of the Bus

If you love traveling but you always feel a little bit guilty about how much it affects the environment, you’re certainly not alone — but there’s one travel option that might just be perfect for you: coach buses.

• Any of your local bus services, by nature, are much more environmentally friendly than other travel options. The mere fact that so many people can be transported in just one vehicle makes buses — from yellow school buses to charter bus services that can carry hundreds of passengers at once, and similar to other public transportation options, buses are naturally more friendly for the environment.
  

• More specifically, coach buses are so eco-friendly because they get great gas mileage, especially compared to other transportation options. Single passenger vehicles, like the cars that most people drive on a daily basis, get about 27 miles per gallon (MPG) per passenger; domestic airplanes get about 44 MPG, and commuter rail trains are slightly better, clocking in at around 92 MPG. Buses, however, are clearly the leaders in this race: on average, coach buses get about 206 MPG per passenger.
  

• The best part, however, is that the technology used in modern buses is constantly being re-developed by the same engineers who focus on making eco-friendly cars. There has been a big surge in interest regarding electric buses, which run on rechargeable batteries, and hybrid-electric buses, which have high-tech computers that automatically switch the engine between fuel power and battery power, depending on which option is the most efficient. Additionally, engineers have been focusing on developing bus engines that run on natural gas and bio-diesel, which are much better for the environment than traditional diesel fuel.

Now the conversation is yours — did we leave out any important or cool details about how buses are becoming one of the best eco-friendly travel options available? Be sure to share anything interesting with us in the comments section!