Factors to Consider When Choosing Bus Flooring

Passenger road transportation has been dominated by buses over the years. People travel interstate, intercity and even intra city through this mode of transportation. Most modern city dwellers prefer to use a bus for commuting from one point to another. But have you ever wondered how safe is the flooring inside the bus you are travelling in? Mentioned below are few factors that need to be considered when choosing the right type of flooring for buses.

Bus flooring has to bear a lot of weight; therefore, it needs to be sturdy. Choosing the right quality of flooring will ensure long life of the bus. Flooring of the bus performs various mechanical functions. One such function is that it safeguards the subfloor of the bus from various elements that can damage it.

Right choice of material: It is important to choose the right material for your bus floor. Some of the commonly used materials for bus floors are rubber, carpet, polymer and vinyl. Each material has its own advantages and shortfalls. For instance, rubber does not have seam openings; this prevents water seepage in bus floor and controls temperature fluctuation. On the other hand rubber is less resistant to abrasions when compared to polymer. A comparative study of these materials is essential before selecting the right option. Other factors to be considered while choosing the right material are product cost, maintenance cost, durability, thickness and compound. Aesthetics also need be given due importance when selecting the right type of flooring for a bus.

Easy to clean: Passengers love a clean bus and this is possible only when the flooring is easy to clean. Removing stains, dirt or mud from the flooring shouldn’t be difficult and cleaning process shouldn’t be time consuming either. Vinyl is the ideal choice for flooring in buses because it is easy to clean. Dry mopping or vacuuming can be done to clean vinyl flooring regularly. Even a good quality cleaner mixed in lukewarm water can be used to clean the floor when required. In case of air conditioned buses, it is necessary to keep the floor clean from dust or else it can lead to serious health related issues due to lack of ventilation inside the bus.

Safety of passengers: safety of passengers is the most important factor that should be considered when choosing the right material for flooring. There are various types of Safety Flooring available in the market in variety of materials. The floor needs to be slip resistant and give a good grip to walk on for passengers of all ages.

It is essential to safeguard the passengers because if the flooring is slippery, they can slip inside the bus and hurt themselves. 90% of slip accidents inside a bus or train are caused due to smooth floors or wet floors. Elderly passengers are more prone to slip accidents while boarding or alighting a bus. This makes it important to invest in high quality flooring this is slip resistant.