BIC’s submission to the NTC points to a raft of issues which need to be looked at in a review
BIC’s submission to the NTC points to a raft of issues which need to be looked at in a review of Performance Based Standards (PBS).
The issues in the past which have deterred bus manufacturers moving towards a PBS solution have included costs and the inability to use the vehicle across state borders.
Issues include cost, as each individual vehicle has to be tested or assessed in order to pass with no guarantees to pass, which is and expensive trial and error method of testing.
The other major issue has been jurisdictional. Vehicles which can drive happily under a permit scheme in one state often can’t pass the PBS, or can’t operate in a bordering state.
Essentially this limits the value of going through the PBS process for the manufacturer.
The irony is the core parameters of PBS will have to be re-defined to accommodate the bus industry so we can truly mass produce vehicles which have enhanced productivity and performance gains.