A motorized, multi-passenger vehicle built to operate on scheduled public transit routes. The term originally distinguished internal-combustion transit vehicles from horse-drawn or electric trolley models. While largely replaced by the simple word bus in English-speaking transit systems, it remains the standard technical designation in several European and international regulatory frameworks.
Heard on the job
The regional authority just released the new autobus procurement guidelines for rural routes.
Insider tip
In North America, using this word signals you are either referencing historic transit documents or translating from a francophone transit agency like those in Quebec.
Also heard as
- motorbus
- bus