Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904
Issue link: https://metromag.epubxp.com/i/391573
Safety is a priority in public transportation, and backing up paratransit buses creates a potentially dangerous situation. The combination of limited visibility and the need to maneuver around pedestrians and other vehicles has the potential for disaster. The MOR-Vision Backup Camera System is an automatic driver safety aide for buses. It includes a backup camera mounted at the rear of the bus that sends video images when in reverse, to a monitor installed in the interior mirror. The MOR-Vision Backup Camera System also has the capacity for additional interior and side cameras for added security. You can enhance the visibility in and around your vehicle by adding a second camera to your backup safety system. SEE MORE WITH MOR-VISION INTEGRATED MIRROR / MONITOR BACKUP CAMERA SYSTEM FOR ALL TYPES OF BUSES The standard STSK5530 kit comes with the 6" x 16" mirror/monitor and the STSC109B rear look down camera for safe reversal of the vehicle. CAM 1 VIEW BACKUP CAMERA For information call or visit: TEL: 800-227-2095 FAX: 718-297-0323 Technology Products: www.roscovision.com Mirror Products: www.roscomirrors.com Upgrade your STSK5530 kit by adding a second camera for an interior or second exterior view or a Dual-Vision XC ™ continous recording system for a complete safety system. OPTIONAL 2ND CAMERA INTERIOR VIEW OPTIONAL 2ND CAMERA EXTERIOR VIEW 103 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 m ETRO m AGAZINE > says Gary Krapf, president for Krapf 's Coaches. "We have renewed the three contracts we currently have multiple times and view them as very successful." Krapf says the Request for Proposals (RFP) process typically associated with public transportation service bids can be daunting, especially for smaller "mom and pop-type" motorcoach operators. "The first time you see one of these RFPs, which are like two inches thick, it can really scare an operator away, to be honest," says Krapf. "Trough time and experience, we now have gotten to the point that we have just developed a tem- plate to respond to these things." Krapf says that his father Dale and their operation began exploring P3-type arrangements even before 1994, when then President Ronald Reagan created legislation pushing for transit agencies to subcontract a percentage of their ser- vices. He says that over the years, he has seen even more competition for con- tracts as they come back up for rebid. " We re a l l y d o s e e m o re c o m p e t i - tion, including from some of the na- tional contracting companies as well as some local and regional private motor- coach operations," Krapf says. "Normal- ly, if you're doing a good job, have estab- lished the relationships and the price is reasonable, you are able to retain the contracts, however." K ra p f 's a l s o ha s s e v e ra l o t h e r P 3 transportation agreements with TMAs, where the operation provides shuttle services in both Pennsylvania and Del- aware, which often are partially funded through federal Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) grants. Krapf says there is literally a TMA for every suburban county of Philadelphia. "In one particular case, a TMA took a service I had been operating that was un- funded and they found funding for it, so we worked together to run that service on a sole source contract as opposed to an RFP process," he explains. "To me, that's a true P3 — working together to really make something happen." Krapf says one way operators can stay aware of these types of opportunities as they arise, is to join the TMAs in their areas and interact with members of the local transportation agenc y's board, if not outright becoming a member of that board. K r a p f s a y s b e i n g a c t i v e i n t h e s e groups has opened the doors for other business opportunities. "A lot of the membership of the TMAs are engineering and planning frms," he explains. "By forging relationships with those folks, I became involved in the planning process for a project at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which was par- tially being converted into a corporate center that now has 143 companies, with thousands of employees. We now oper- ate four corporate shuttles to the Navy Yard daily, which has been incredibly successful for our business."