Ergonomics design strategy for the transit bus operators' workspace

Transit bus operators suffer from and complain of numerous musculoskeletal ailments and discomfort over the course of a work day. This result is not surprising when one critically evaluates the operators' work station in many transit buses. Ergonomics efforts in the design of the transit bus have lagged far behind those of the automobile and most aircrafts. This paper presents the design methodology and results of a project directed towards developing design guidelines for the transit bus operators' workstation. Two phases of the project are reported here: the preliminary geometric layout of the seating area with respect to driver anthropometry and component dimensions and the evaluation of a laboratory mock-up based on the results of the first two phases. The goal of this project is to apply relevant human engineering design principles to the transit bus so that future generations of bus operators can work in a safer, more comfortable, and more productive environment.