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Get What You Need: Four Tips for Tour Bus Sales
Purchasing a tour bus is a large undertaking for any organization. Deciding on seat configuration, passenger needs, and a variety of other amenities can seem overwhelming. Here we’ll explore four tips for tour bus sales to help you make the right choice for your next purchase.
Before beginning the process of shopping through preferred manufacture and model, it is vital to understand how the bus will be used. The answers to these questions below will impact seating options, fuel options, the overall size of the bus, and passenger amenities.
- What is the average age of the passengers riding your vehicle?
- Is there a need for handicap or wheelchair seating?
- Where will the bus be likely to travel? Will it go cross-country or have a fixed route?
- How many people will you need to transport?
- Will my passengersbe travelling with luggage? If so, how much and how large?
Seating Options
This first question to ask is how many people will ride in the bus. There are configurations available from seven to 45 passengers for a traditional shuttle bus. Once you know how many seats you will need, it is time to look at for wheelchair lifts or ramps. Where you will be loading and unloading your passengers, will determine your need. A lift can be great those that are only worried about passengers that are wheelchair bound. Whereas a low floor ramp will cater those who have limited mobility who may not have need a wheelchair.
Once your seat configuration is set, choosing seat styles and storage options is the next step. Seats come in a variety of fabric choices. Most manufacturers provide fabrics that are resistant to wear and tear, but it will be up to you to make the final call. If storage space is needed there are several options available. Buses can have interior luggage racks, overhead storage and rear storage. It is important to understand how much space each option provides and if there are restrictions on the size of the items that can be stored.
Fuel Options
In today’s world there are several options for fuel for buses. Traditional gas and diesel can sometimes be expensive, though it is the most readily available. You’ll never need to worry about where you’ll fuel up for your next run.
Propane is another option that can be less expensive and is available in all 50 states. Propane is not available at every gas station, but many across the United States do carry it.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is another option that is up to 40% less expensive than regular gas. Though popularity has increased throughout the years, stations are not always available in more rural areas. If this is your preference and there is not a local station that carries CNG check with local energy providers. They may have an unmanned station that can be utilized.
Before choosing an alternative fuel type it is vital to understand the local infrastructure for refueling. If the bus is intended to travel across the country verify the fuel type you select is available where you intend to travel. Without the appropriate fuel source, you could find that you bus purchase wasn’t as great as you thought it would be.
Passenger Amenities
Passenger amenities on a bus depend largely on how the bus will be used. Amenities include:
- Heating and air conditioning for passengers and driver
- Voice announcement systems
- Signage inside and outside the bus
- Bike rack
- Tinted windows
- Individual reading lights
- Ceiling grab rails
- Entrance grab rails
- DVD player with individual flip down monitors
Amenities available will vary according to the manufacturer chosen, size and style of bus. Some amenities can be added after the bus is bought, while more extensive amenities must be built into the bus.
Making the right choices before purchasing a tour bus will ensure it is comfortable for passengers and is used for many years. Choose your options carefully and you’ll be happy with your purchase for many years to come.
