From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Armoured
police bus
in Japan
Armoured
school buses
in
Israel
Armoured bus serving Jewish population of Palestine during 1936?1939 Arab Revolt
An
armoured bus
or
armored bus
is a type of
bus
which provides increased protection for passengers, usually against
small arms
and
improvised explosive devices
. The bus can be a stock commercial bus with retro-fitted
vehicle armour
as well as
bulletproof glass
, or a specially built
military armoured vehicle
. Lighter armoured buses are also used for
prisoner transport
.
History
[
edit
]
One of first the armored vehicles to be used in combat was the
Schneider-Brillie
who was built from the chassis of a Schneider P2-4000 bus
[1]
During World War I, civilian buses were pressed into service, especially by Great Britain and France, fulfilling several roles: to transport troops, supplies, and livestock, and as ambulances and mobile surgeries.
[2]
Britain used several hundred Daimler and
LGOC B-type
buses as troop transports, but they were not armoured. It was found that the windows were frequently broken by troops' equipment, and the glass was eventually removed. Wooden planks were fixed over the apertures, offering protection from the weather but not from hostile fire.
[3]
[4]
[5]
Armoured buses weigh considerably more than ordinary buses. As a result, they use more fuel, are prone to mechanical breakdowns, have very high maintenance costs and wear out faster.
[6]
Use of armoured buses
[
edit
]
Israel's
Egged
bus company says that all its bus lines in the
West Bank
use bulletproof buses.
[7]
Armored buses were considered the safest form of civilian transport on routes to and from the
Israeli settlements
, although questions have been raised about how effective such buses are. It was estimated the number of fatalities would be lower in the event of attacks on armored vehicles, but this has not always been the case.
[8]
Some Israeli school buses are armored due to the threat of
terrorist attacks
.
Manufacturers
[
edit
]
Merkavim
Ltd., an Israeli bus manufacturer jointly owned by the
Volvo
Bus Corporation and
Mayer Cars & Trucks Ltd
., has been producing armored buses since 1946. Its manufacturing facility in the
Caesarea
industrial park produces a wide range of buses for the local and international markets.
[9]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Montes, Gareth Lynn (2018-12-20).
"Blindado Schneider-Brillie"
.
Tank Encyclopedia
. Retrieved
2023-04-18
.
- ^
C. Ellis & D. Bishop, Military Transport of World War I, Blandford Press, 1970.
ISBN
0713707011
. pp 132, 133, 134, 138.
- ^
G.J. Robbins & J.B. Atkinson, The London B-Type Motor Omnibus, 1970, self-pub. pp 35-46
- ^
BRUCE, J. Graeme & CURTIS, Colin A. The London Motor Bus: Its Origins and Development, London Transport, 1973.
ISBN
0853290369
(pp to follow)
- ^
R. Larkin, Destination Western Front: London's Omnibuses Go to War, self-pub 2010.
ISBN
0956501400
(pp to follow)
- ^
Interim solution worked out for armored bus shortage
- ^
Interim solution worked out for armored bus shortage
- ^
Questions raised about armored buses
- ^
Merkavim company profile