Hafencity Riverbus
The HafenCity Riverbus ( spelling HafenCity RiverBus ) is an amphibious vehicle used in the Hamburg tourism industry , which combines the moments of experience of a city tour with those of a harbor tour . The vehicle is a combination of a coach and a passenger ship and was the only means of transport of its kind in Germany for a year .
history
Before driving could start, several approval procedures had to be carried out, expert opinions obtained and test drives carried out. In addition to an EU internal approval, special approval from the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) was required. In addition, the vehicle also had to meet the technical requirements of the Inland Ship Inspection Regulations (BinSchUO) and the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO). After all permits were in place in March 2016, the bus, which cost around € 750,000, started on its first tour on April 16, 2016. The vehicle completed its maiden voyage a month earlier. A bus driver's license and inland navigation license are required for the driver. Another amphibious bus went into operation in Lübeck in May 2017.
Route
The journey starts in Hamburg's Speicherstadt at Brooktorkai 16 and leads through HafenCity to the Entenwerder peninsula in the Rothenburgsort district , where the bus slides over a ramp from the street into the water. From there he continues his journey up the Elbe, passing the Tiefstack lowland area , the second largest German storm surge barrier , the Billwerder Bay and the adjoining Holzhafen nature reserve, before returning to Entenwerder. The operating company had not received a permit for a trip in the direction of Landungsbrücken . The further route on land leads via the wholesale market and the Oberhafen back to the Speicherstadt to the starting point at Brooktorkai. Since the journey on the Elbe depends on the tides , there may be deviations or cancellations in terms of departure times as well as travel times or the route. The same applies to unfavorable wind conditions.
technology
The bus, built by the Budapest company Swimbus, is powered by an internal combustion engine with power transmission to the rear axle and two jet drives, each with its own motor. If one motor fails, the bus can continue with the second. In addition to the steering wheel for steering on the road, the bus has two joysticks on the side dashboard that are used to control the jet propulsion system for locomotion on the water. The vehicle reaches a top speed of 65 km / h on land and up to seven knots in water . Driving on the water can still be carried out up to wind force 6. The Riverbus is registered as a ship in the city of Lom, Bulgaria with the number 47000293. Due to the approval, the bus is also equipped with stop buttons, although it does not serve any stop during the entire journey. The bus can accommodate a maximum of 36 passengers and three crew members. To ensure that the swimming bus does not list on the water, the crew ensures that the seats are evenly distributed when boarding. Passengers are also prohibited from getting up during the river cruise. Due to the design, the bus does not have an on-board toilet.
Others
A round trip takes about 70 minutes, 40 minutes of which are on the road and about 30 minutes on the Elbe. From April to October there are five trips a day and from November to March four trips. The fare for adults and young people from the age of 15 is z. Z. € 32.50, children from five years of age and young people up to 14 years of age pay € 21 (as of September 2018) . Children under 5 are not allowed to ride. The Riverbus is operated by the two entrepreneurs Jan Peter Mahlstedt and Fred Franken with HafenCity Riverbus GmbH .
See also
Web links
- Official website of the operating company
- The swimming bus - Hamburg's first amphibious vehicle , ProSieben - Galileo , series: Lunch Break , episode 82, season 2016 from March 23, 2016 (Youtube April 26, 2016)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d I'll take the river today , sueddeutsche.de, May 24, 2016
- ↑ a b c d e By bus through the Elbe , hamburg.de
- ↑ a b c d e It splashes, it splashes, we swim - a ride in the Hafencity Riverbus , shz.de, May 25, 2016
- ↑ a b c Riverbus will swim through the Port of Hamburg from mid-April , morgenpost.de, March 17, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.ln-online.de/Lokales/Luebeck/Bitte-einstieg-Luebecks-Amphibienbus-startet-heute-seine-Touren
- ↑ Hamburg's amphibious bus is on the road to success , welt.de, June 20, 2016