| 摘要 |
There is provided a front engined, rear wheel powered bus having a low floor (55) accessible to the infirm, that is to say having an access doorway (52) for passengers that gives directly (i.e. without any intervening steps) onto a passenger accommodation compartment or area and wherein the bottom of the doorway is less than about 400 mm above the height of the road. The bus comprises a first drive shaft section (30) driven by the engine and a second drive shaft section (34) driven by the first drive shaft section and driving the rear wheels (16). The first drive shaft section (30) is located at a height above the level of the entrance (52) and the said floor (55) and the second drive shaft section (34) extends below the said floor (55). The bus also includes a drop box (36) connecting the first and second drive shaft sections (30, 34) and having a drive input at the height of the first drive shaft section (30) and a driven output below the level of the input at the height of the second drive shaft section (34). Using the arrangement of the present invention, the bus can be built on the basis of a van or lorry chassis from which the central section (20) has been cut out and lowered.
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