Explore Passenger Interactions and De-Escalation with FAAC at the 2023 APTA TRANSform Conference & Expo (October 9-11, Orlando, FL, Booth #2711)
Published on September 18, 2023

Every three years, APTA EXPO convenes the largest and longest-standing international trade show for the public transportation industry. Last held in 2021 amid pandemic delays, the conference was still eight thousand attendees strong. This year promises even more opportunities to learn and connect and is expected to be the largest EXPO since 2017. As ever, … Continued
Bus Operator Training for a Diverse Array of Fleet Vehicles
Published on July 12, 2023

As we’ve discussed in the past, one key to the effectiveness of public transport simulation training is “presence“—i.e., the trainee’s convincing subjective experience of being in an actual vehicle. As Rob Raheb (an internationally published author and expert in simulation and driver training) has noted: “The more realistic the simulation is, the more ‘buy-in’ from … Continued
Transit Response and Training for Unpredictable Passenger Interactions
Published on June 13, 2023

Staff retention problems continue to grow for almost every transit agency in the United States and Canada. According to the latest report from the American Public Transportation Association, more than 90% of all agencies surveyed faced transit operator shortages. And 84% of those agencies reported that staffing shortages were preventing them from providing full service. … Continued
Top Three Ways to Get the Most Out of a Bus Simulator Training Program
Published on May 23, 2023

Using immersive simulators for Bus Operator training has some obvious benefits, they allow you to: practice the mechanics of right and left-hand turns without the risks to safety or equipment, introduce foul-weather driving skills – even on a sunny day, practice situational awareness without endangering the public, review disablement and emergency procedures, and much more. … Continued
Three Training Tips to Ensure EV Bus Success
Published on April 20, 2023

Transit agencies are rightly concerned about deploying electric vehicles (EVs). According to Jason Francisco, Transportation Business Manager at FAAC Incorporated: “Everyone knows that an EV bus has a lot more torque than a conventional diesel bus, on top of a very different feel to the braking and deceleration. They know that creating a smooth and … Continued
Electric Bus Simulators with Integrated Assessment Tools Improve Transit Workforce Development
Published on March 14, 2023

The federal government is going all-in on a battery-powered future for mass transit—but transit agencies themselves aren’t so sure. Last year Vice President Harris announced a collection of new federal initiatives to cut carbon emissions from buses and trucks. These initiatives include “$1.1 billion in new funding to help cities and states purchase electric buses … Continued
Using Simulation Training Technology to Embrace the “Safe System Approach”
Published on April 8, 2022

U.S. traffic fatalities have climbed throughout the pandemic, despite 30 years of steady declines. Early this year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that in just the first nine months of 2021 traffic fatalities increased 12%. That’s the largest such jump in fatalities since 1975. In total, 31,720 people died in traffic accidents … Continued
Public Transport Simulation Training Technology for Situational Awareness
Published on February 18, 2022
Fights on the bus. Verbal harassment and assault. A bus window smashed with a hurled rock. These aren’t new problems, nor unique to Detroit and other major urban hubs. But the tight labor market and high-stress/high-stakes nature of operating public transit in a COVID context has helped the rest of the world sit up and … Continued
“Buying the Bus is the Easy Part” EV/ZEB Bus Driver Training Challenges
Published on January 28, 2022

Given the realities of climate change and energy production, we are moving to a ZEB (zero-emissions bus) world sooner than later and not looking back. As more agencies explore what it will take to transition their fleet, they’re beginning to appreciate that, as one European transit agency recently put it, “buying the [zero-emissions] bus is … Continued
EV Bus Driver Training to Combat “Range anxiety”
Published on August 20, 2021

It’s no wonder that coach companies and transit agencies are investing millions in new electric buses. In many regions, shifting to EV mass transit will be a game changer. And mass transit, with its emphasis on low-speed stop-and-go driving is perfect for EV buses relying on regenerative braking, turning that traditional fuel-waster into a valuable … Continued