Impacts of Standardized vs. Nonstandardized Bus Fleets

摘要

Most transit systems operate buses produced by several different manufacturers of differing vehicle configurations with varying requirements for maintenance procedures and personnel training. Maintenance managers have long contended that mixed fleets are more costly to maintain and operate and have attempted to achieve some standardization by specifying common components. A survey of recent bus procurements of a large cross section of transit agencies identified the costs of training, capital, parts inventory, and operations resulting from the introduction of new buses into the fleet. The range of operating and maintenance costs for each subsystem for buses produced by different manufacturers of varying vehicle configurations were compared. The analysis formed the basis for an uncomplicated method for use by transit managers to estimate and evaluate the costs and benefits of standardized versus nonstandardized bus fleets in their procurement programs.