Analysis reveals passenger comfort differences in diesel-powered and electric buses over cobblestone roads, highlighting WBV implications.
Whole-body vibration (WBV) represents a significant health and comfort concern in modern public transportation systems. This study compares vibration exposure in two types of articulated city buses — diesel-powered and fully electric— under real operating conditions in one of European city (1 million inhabitants). Measurements were conducted at three seating positions (front, middle, rear) across four surface types: smooth asphalt, mixed asphalt-rail, cobblestone, and idle. Triaxial accelerometers recorded accelerations processed according to ISO 2631-1. The frequency-weighted root mean square (RMS) served as the principal comfort indicator, while FFT spectra provided spectral insight. Results show up differences in vibrations, and therefore passenger comfort, in both buses powered by different energy sources (the research was conducted in the period May - July 2025). The article highlights additional inconveniences resulting from operating the buses on roads.
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Bochenek et al. (2025) studied this question.
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