File:Leyland National Business Commuter UTJ 595M - Flickr - EwoodEddie1968.jpg

new scientist 25 Oct 1973

Buses ain't wot they used to be

The old image of buses as cramped and uncomfortable is changing. The ultimate in luxury must surely be British Leyland's "Business Commuter" bus. It was originally designed as a public relations exercise, but the response has astonished Leyland executives - The National Bus Company has already ordered one. The bus is built on a standard Leyland national chassis(sic) but, among other things, seats only 20 passengers in aircraft-type seats. Twelve of these seats at the rear of the bus are "social" and equipped with tables and a bar. For the more serious minded there are twelve "super" seats each equipped as a mini office. The idea is that executives will book season tickets, and the full busload of 20 will be picked up one after the other from their homes. Super seatsd are fitted with a cassette tape recorder and dictaphone, a headset and selector for three radio stations and TV channels, plus intercom facilities linking with a secretarial section at the dront of the bus through which they can make telephone calls via a radiotelephone. The secretarial section, in addition to intercom , radiotelephone, public address and piped music facilities, also has an electric typewriter, electric copier, document shredder, and a mail outward box. Colour TV sets are provided at the front and rear and there is a colour video-cassette recorder so that homeward bound executives can watch daytime transmissions. The bus, after picking up its commuters, will run into the city centre in about an hour along a "bus only" lane at an average speed of 40 t0 50 mph.