| 22-01-2008 Germany's
auto driveline and chassis technology maker ZF Friedrichshafen AG is on a roll
in Beijing. The company's designs are used in the world's most advanced buses
that can move more people faster and help alleviate road congestion. Part of its
efforts are in a system known as bus rapid transit (BRT) that uses dedicated traffic
lanes, which has proven successful after the first line debuted in Beijing almost
two years ago. China's first BRT lane in Beijing has given a glimmer of hope to
tens of thousands commuters desperate for smooth aboveground traffic. "It's
a de facto bus-based metro instead of trains," says Wolfgang Schilha, senior
Vice-President of Commercial Vehicle and Special Driveline Technology Division
of ZF Group. "Cost for building a fast bus lane is only one-tenth of that
of subway for each kilometer. The BRT system has accelerated the transport of
passengers and attracted many back to public transportation," according to
Wang Zhentao, technology engineer with the Beijing BRT operational monitoring
and control center. As
sole supplier of the bus driveline system, automatic transmission, low-floor axle
and steering gear for BRT buses in China, ZF enhanced its leading position by
closing a slew of deals with its business counterparts in Beijing. Around 200
buses that to run on BRT Lines 2 and 3 will be equipped with the ZF's axles and
steering system. The company is also providing axles and the steering system to
1,300 low-floor buses for Beijing Public Transport Corp.
Editor:
Frederick Wei from Chinabuses.com
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