Bus carrier Greyhound launched recently buses that are meant to revolutionise bus travel. At a launch party that was held in Kyalami, the company displayed buses that have taken them over two years to make a reality.
Called Dreamliners, these new buses are packed with features that are meant to making travelling by bus more convenient and comfortable.
Some of the features include headrests and seats created with memory foam,while the chair can recline to up to 150 degrees in order to give passengers the opportunity to relax in the seat. There are also services such as, complimentary refreshments and newspapers along the route, charging pods for electronic devices located underneath the passenger’s seat, and USB ports in each chair in order to provide passengers with access to a wide selection of movies as well as four channels to switch between.
In size, the bus is about 14.5 meters long, which makes it the longest commercial double decker bus in the country at the moment. It also has additional safety features such as emergency brake assist, adaptive cruise control and lane assist, which will provide the driver with sufficient warning that the bus is not in it’s correct lanes on the road.
The interior of the luxury dream liners. Photo:Supplied
Leon Nelson,Technical Director Unitrans Passenger explained that while it had been a long process attempting to get the buses into the country.Ensuring that the bus meets all the requirements without sacrificing quality, had been a hard and demanding ask. However Nelson added that the buses served to reiterate the company’s promise to create transport that is comfortable and stylish.
Each bus will have onboard attendants that are clad in a stylish navy blue suit that fits in with Greyhound’s colours.
The bus itself is decorated in Blues and Whites that are Greyhound’s colour scheme. The bus floors are wooden, while handles are made out of metal and the doors are a transparent glass material. They look sophisticated and modern.
“We want passengers to know two things about this bus. The one is safety because there are no other buses in South Africa with these safety features. And the second thing is the comfort. We want the passenger’s comfort levels to be superior. Driving in comfort with all the safety features, what more could you ask for?” Nelson said.
He added that they believed that the additional features would also change the perceptions of travelers-marketing the buses as more luxury focused transportation.
“You can now use your laptop and cellphone on board, so now because of this a six hour journey can feel like half an hour. There’s are other things you can now do. Like order your food in advance for instance. So these features make it a completely different experience,” he added.
The date of operation for the buses is yet to be confirmed.The routes which these coaches will service are routes between: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Rates may range between R450 and R500 from Johannesburg to Durban or between R900 and R950 from Johannesburg to Cape Town. These prices however are an estimate and subject to change.
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