Follow that Bus?

Recyclers located near a bus manufacturing plant may be in a healthy spot for scrap generation, according to a short-term forecast on bus manufacturing trends.

A study by the Freedonia Group Inc., Cleveland, predicts that bus manufacturers will churn out some 65,000 more units annually by 2010, with North America accounting for nearly 10,000 of those.

In its “World Buses” study, the market research firm points to the Asia/Pacific region as the fastest-growing bus maker, with 5.2 percent average annual growth predicted between now and 2010. But the North American market is also seen as robust, with a 3.4 percent annual growth rate predicted.

“The United States and Canada have thriving markets for specially-designed school buses,” a news release from the Freedonia Group states. “The U.S. also lacks the dynamic passenger train, tram and subway systems so common in Europe and Japan, making bus travel the primary mass transit option in many U.S. cities,” according to the research firm.

The high cost of petroleum could be a factor in favor of increased bus production, according to the Freedonia Group. “Rising fuel prices worldwide should boost demand for buses, which represent one of the most fuel-efficient methods for transporting passengers,” according to the study’s authors.

The complete detailed report on bus manufacturing can be obtained by the Freedonia Group, which can be contacted through its Web site at www.freedoniagroup.com.