A short history of buses
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The first omnibuses were carriages pulled by teams of horses and could transport large numbers of people around the cities. 'Omnibus' means 'for all' in Latin. It was shortened to 'bus' as omnibuses became more popular. |
| Later there were bigger and faster steam-driven buses but the fares were too expensive for many people. |  |
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When they decided to make double-decker buses, with long bench seats fixed to the roofs, the upstairs seats were much cheaper as they were open to the weather! |
| Buses then started to have petrol engines to make them move faster. |  |
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In the 1930s, staircases and drivers cabs were protected from the weather. |
| Trolleybuses collected electricity from overhead cables to power them. |  |
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By the 1960s, diesel engines were often placed at the back of buses to make it easier for people to climb in at the front. |
| Today, buses have completely flat floors and very low steps to make them easier for older people or people in wheelchairs or with pushchairs to use them. Some buses bend in the middle like this one so that they can carry more people and still get round corners! |  |
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This is a bus of the future. It is designed to be good for the environment. It produces fewer fumes than other modern buses. |
How would you like to travel from one place to another? Describe the vehicle that would take you there and explain why you would choose it. Draw how the vehicle would look.
Use the 'Old or modern 1' downloadable activity sheet to help you with your ideas.
You can download high resolution versions of images on this page at the 'gallery'
