Amfibus
‘Amfibus’ gets tryout on the Clyde
On the road the amfibus operates like a standard coach, but its chassis incorporates a hull, allowing the vehicle to float
James Bond might think it old hat, but a vehicle that can travel across both roads and water is proving to be something of a licence to thrill for Brian Souter, the boss of Stagecoach.
The £700,000 “amfibus”, borrowed by Stagecoach from a Dutch company that plans to operate five of them around Rotterdam, begins tests next week as a possible replacement for the Clyde ferry in Glasgow.
Based on a bus chassis, the amfibus incorporates a hull to allow the vehicle to float.
On the roads, it operates like a standard coach, but in the water it is driven by twin water jets and can reach up to 8 knots.
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An excited Mr Souter said: “Passengers can use the amfibus to travel over road and water without having to leave the comfort of their seat to change from a bus to a ferry.
“It shows the potential of Scotland’s rivers and estuaries to be links rather than barriers to travel.”
Stagecoach’s larger-than-life founder and chief executive might well be excited by it all, but for him it will not be a hands-on project.
Mr Souter, who has a PSV licence and has been known to drive Stagecoach’s buses, would not be able to drive the amfibus until he has a boatman’s licence.
A Dutch driver has been recruited for next week’s trial.