Whynot? Eliminate the isle from tour buses. The buses would be the type that give local short tours. i.e. city tours, places of interest much like the tour at Cape Kennedy, Niagara Falls or the star singers tour around Nashville. Added seats could be added in the isles and the passengers would exit the bus via side doors located at each row or group of rows. The seats could also be grouped in platform and stair step fashion with two or three rows in each group. Each group of passengers would be able to see out forward and both sides though its own windshield. The bus driver would be located at the lowest level with increasingly higher levels to the rear each with its own windshield. The highest level would be at the very rear probably above the engine. There would be no need for a luggage compartment in the midsection of the bus as the bus is design for local travel and not for over the road long distant travel. Aerospace engineered steps/platforms would open and retrack from the side of the bus allowing passengers to enter and exit.
The advantage of this type of bus would be primarily two fold. All the passengers would have a better view and be able to look to both side of the bus. The tour operators would add 25 percent more passengers to each bus if just one row of seats were added down the isle. Passenger to driver ratio increases equates for added revenues for the tour owners.
I agree
No opinion
I disagree
Add your comment
Its better to conclude by saying<No comments>. Because if I start writing, it will become a book written but never sold.
Fascinating that someone would write a comment confessing no content.
I see the first two voters voted against but didn't say why. That's not very helpful.
If the windows were only 1 foot tall (and that's not very tall) and there were just ten rows of seats, the last row's windows would be ten feet above the front row's. And if the center isle is above the side seats, it will be even higher. That's a mighty tall bus! They would need ladders to reach the back seats. All the higher doors would be a challenge to use. It's also kind of nice to be able to see and visit with the other passengers on the bus.
Still, there is something to be said for designing a better tour bus. Maybe some of these ideas could be used.
At most only five or six windshields would be installed.... Each level on the bus would seat as many as 25 persons with a windshield for each group.... All being able it see more than 90 degrees to each side....
Wide aspect ratio "Hi Def" TV monitors, like laptop LCD screens, mounted facing rear on the backs of seats; passengers could select from front, rear, or side views from cameras mounted on the front, sides, and rear of the bus, or from prerecorded tour footage.
How much more would tourists be willing to pay for this?