The International Bus Roadeo is an annual bus driving and bus maintenance competition, or roadeo, hosted by the American Public Transportation Association.[1] A grand prize is given to the bus transit system with the highest composite bus operation and bus maintenance score.[2] The bus driving competition consists of an obstacle course.[3] For the bus maintenance competition, teams of mechanics must locate and fix defects in a number of bus power trains and other systems.
The International Bus Roadeo is the final competition in a system of qualifying roadeos held at the regional, state, and district levels. Bus operators from across North American are represented at the roadeo.[4] For instance, the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority Roadeo winners go on to a state competition in Waco.[5] The winners of each regional or state roadeo go on to represent their region at the international roadeo.[6]
The 2016 International Bus Roadeo was held in Charlotte, North Carolina in May.[7]
The name "roadeo" is derived from the rodeo competition.[8] The original roadeos, which began in 1937,[8] featured trucks in various categories going through the same obstacles that the bus drivers go through in the current roadeo.[9]
The first International Bus Roadeo was held in 1976.[10] Regional competitions below the international one have been held since at least 1982.[11]
Each transit system is allowed to compete in the bus operation competition (the "operators' roadeo"), the bus maintenance competition (the "technicians' roadeo"), or both.[12]
On the day before the competition, the bus operators are required to inspect an inspection bus and find eight planted mechanical defects, as well as one planted security-related defect. The mechanical defects can appear in areas such as flooring and seats; the security-related defect may consist of an "abandoned" briefcase or package.[12]
Bus operators must drive their buses through a course containing various obstacles while under a strict time limit:[12]
As drivers negotiate the obstacle course, their buses are equipped with a device that generates a "smoothness of operation" score.[12] Awards are given in the thirty-five-foot bus and forty-foot-bus categories.[14]
Bus maintenance teams usually consist of three employees from a transit system. In the technicians' roadeo, technicians must diagnose and repair various mechanical issues with buses. The roadeo consists of a number of portions:[12]