Allison Transmission Launches PTS Automatic for China School Buses
2012-02-15 Source：www.chinabuses.org
www.chinabuses.org: School Bus safety is a key reason why Allison Transmission is introducing the Pupil Transport/Shuttle Series (PTS) of fully automatic transmissions in China.
BEIJING, CHINA –For the first time outside of North America, Allison Transmission launches the Pupil Transport/Shuttle Series (PTS) of automatic transmissions specially designed for school buses at the 2012 First China School Bus Development Seminar and International School Bus Exhibition. Held at the China National Conference Center in Beijing from Feb. 15-18, 2012, the exhibition was organized by the China National Committee for the Well Being of the Youth, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, State Administration of Work Safety, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, in conjunction with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the Society of Automotive Engineers of China, and the China Automotive Technology & Research Center. The Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China Public Security Bureau and the All-China Journalists Association co-organized the exhibition.
In response to market needs in China, Allison is making the PTS available to provide end users with an advanced solution for increased school bus safety. The Allison automatic PTS not only enables easy maneuverability which allows drivers to devote their attention to the road, but also includes a special feature to help strengthen school bus safety. “Direction Change Enable” involves integrating the transmission’s electronic controls with the bus to prohibit the driver from shifting out of Neutral into Drive or Reverse without first pressing a dash switch or applying the service brakes, thus safeguarding against unwanted directional changes.
Today, school bus drivers in China manually control their vehicles; they are not able to have both hands on the wheel, as one hand is always busy shifting gears. As a result, drivers can’t completely focus on road conditions, which can potentially lead to school bus accidents due to driver distraction.
In pursuit of better school bus safety, the US began replacing manual transmissions with automatics back in the 1970’s. During the last 40 years, Allison fully automatic transmissions have become the standard for providing safe school bus transportation.
Terry Parker, Transportation Manager for the Bellevue School District in Washington explained, “Safety is the most important factor when it comes to deciding on our school buses. From more than 10 years ago when I had my first encounter with school buses, I have not seen one with a manual transmission. Our school buses are equipped with Allison transmissions.” The school district has 94 school buses, transporting 3,900 students to and from school daily and to and from extracurricular activities on weekends.
Richard Gnehm has been driving a school bus for over 17 years. He is well-schooled in the benefits offered by an automatic transmission, saying, “School bus drivers have great responsibilities and a heavy workload. The activity and the noise inside the bus combined with the road conditions during driving exert a tremendous amount of pressure on us. Automatic maneuverability gives me one less thing to worry about. With two hands on the wheel and more attention on the road, I feel my safe driving is more guaranteed.”
According to Michael Headly, Vice President of International Marketing, Sales and Service for Allison Transmission, every state in the US has either mandated automatic transmissions for school buses, or specified an automatic transmission for new bus purchases. Allison’s 2000PTS and 3000PTS transmissions have been the standard configurations for types C and D school buses for many years. Automatic transmissions meet standard federal and state requirements and now comprise nearly 100% of market share in the US.
Headly commented, “We are very honored to have been an integral part of school bus safety over the past 40 years and are excited to be part of the 2012 First China School Bus Exhibition. Allison values the opportunity to introduce the American advanced PTS automatic transmissions to China. We want to share our considerable experience supporting school bus safety in North America and Europe and contribute to safe, reliable and comfortable transportation for Chinese students.”
The PTS transmissions being launched by Allison at the exhibition meet the strict requirements of the American school bus industry. At the same time, Allison looks forward to assisting with the development of a new and promising chapter for school bus safety in China.
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