Long-distance bus travel is booming across Europe and within Ireland. To make sure the journey stays comfortable and the bus restroom is operational at all times, Vogelsang assists intercity bus companies with their wastewater disposal.Especially in Germany, the demand for intercity bus services is stronger than ever. This would be unequivocally good news, if not for a little-discussed problem that has still not yet been fully resolved: What happens on long journeys when the toilets are “full”?
On every intercity bus, the wastewater is collected in a tank below the rows of seats. If the tank is full, the consequence for the passengers is that the restroom is closed, and they have to wait until the next rest stop.
What should be done with the wastewater from intercity buses? This question has thus far lacked a satisfactory answer, leading to improper release of the wastewater.
“To prevent this, there needs to be an environmentally friendly way of disposing of wastewater at service stations, truck stops and rest areas that can be operated easily by the bus drivers themselves,” says Christoph Meyer zu Holsten, Transport Project Manager at Vogelsang GmbH & Co.KG. “Our idea was to provide intercity buses with a means of disposal as an additional service when they stop, in collaboration with service stations for example.”
The aim is greater travelling comfort for the passengers because the restrooms are emptied regularly and are consequently operational at any moment. The method: a comprehensive network of disposal stations for the high number of long-distance and intercity buses.
“Operators of service stations, truck stops and rest areas require an easy-to-operate, environmentally friendly solution for wastewater disposal that they can offer to intercity bus companies.”
Christoph Meyer zu Holsten, Project Manager at Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG
With RoadPump Plus, Vogelsang has developed a special supply and disposal system for this purpose,
which bus drivers can use to drain the wastewater tanks hygienically. To ensure that on-site
requirements were met, Vogelsang developed the disposal station together with the Rosenow truck stop in
Kiel, Germany [see interview on pages 36–37]. The RoadPump Plus has been in use there since June.
The central component of the RoadPump Plus is a Vogelsang rotary lobe pump from the VX series, which suctions out faecal matter and wastewater and disposes of it safely and hygienically in a collection tank. The system is compact in design, like a petrol pump, and fits neatly into a row of existing petrol pumps. This allows the bus drivers to refuel while also making sure the wastewater tank is drained at the
same time. Fresh water for toilet flushing and drinking water for hand washing, coffee and catering services
are supplied to the buses via separate hoses.
The wastewater can either be directly suctioned out via a suction coupling and hose or can be released and collected in a collecting trolley. It is then pumped into the sewer system or a collection tank for
transportation to the local wastewater treatment plant.
The whole process takes place without any soiling of the ground or unpleasant odours. The pump is not sensitive to foreign matter. This is important so it can withstand the toilet paper, pieces of cloth, and other
objects that frequently end up in wastewater.
An attractive feature of the RoadPump Plus for operators of truck stops and service stations is that it can be integrated into their payment and authorisation systems. In the view of Thorsten Schlüter, owner and operator of Rosenow truck stop in Kiel, “The RoadPump Plus creates a supply network for intercity bus companies that we as operators benefit from financially. The bus drivers lose hardly any time and don’t harm the environment during disposal. But the most obvious benefit to the passengers is that they are no longer confronted with closed restrooms due to full toilets.”
The disposal of wastewater from intercity bus restrooms is a daily challenge for bus drivers. There is still no comprehensive network of disposal stations in Germany. With the use of a newly developed pump system, Rosenow's truck stop in Kiel is ushering in a turnaround in this situation. We spoke to its owner Thorsten Schlüter about the benefits and prospects of the new disposal solution.
Vogelsang Blog: The intercity bus industry continues to boom. But with more and more passengers and buses, the problems of wastewater disposal are intensifying. As a truck stop owner, how do you view the current situation?
Thorsten Schlüter: The bus companies are in a real dilemma. They want to offer their passengers a high
standard of comfort. That includes punctuality, comfortable fittings and furnishings, and of course also an on-board restroom that can be used at any time. But the disposal network has so many gaps that either allowance has to be made for detours to dispose of wastewater, which comes at a cost for punctuality, or the restrooms are closed, which limits the travelling comfort of the passengers significantly. We need a
solution that creates a dense network across Germany and beyond.
You’ve been working intensively with Vogelsang on just such a solution over the last two years.
What is the result?
Vogelsang’s experience in the industry and technical expertise plus my perspective as a user have resulted
in the RoadPump Plus. This system, comprising a rotary lobe pump, collecting trolley and suction nozzle on the toilet tank, as well as water refill options, is a carefully designed answer to the needs of intercity bus services. It is easy to operate and bus drivers can use it while refueling. The pump system saves them time, while also being clean and odour-neutral. An important feature is that truck stop and service station operators can integrate the supply and disposal solution easily into their existing infrastructure and can generate additional revenue with it. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
The RoadPump Plus has been in use at your Rosenow truck stop in Kiel since June 2017. How
does the wastewater disposal process work?
The RoadPump Plus is integrated into our gas pump area and works like a diesel pump. While the bus driver fills up with diesel and DEF at the front, he drains the bus’s toilet tank at the rear. He purchases a code that unlocks the system, like for a wash station. Each step is explained by a video on a monitor. This guides the driver step by step through the disposal process.
The simplest way is to connect the wastewater hose to a suction nozzle permanently installed on the bus, like a coupling. But of course clean disposal is also possible with the existing outlets on the bus and the help of a collecting pan.
What has been the response to the solution so far in the intercity bus industry?
The bus companies are seeing that the system works and gives them a tangible advantage. We’re already
getting more inquiries from bus companies than we originally estimated. This is a positive sign and will encourage more truck stop operators and intercity bus providers to get involved in setting up a comprehensive disposal network. We operators benefit from that financially, and the bus service providers get a dense network. The bus drivers lose hardly any time and don’t harm the environment during disposal. But the most obvious benefit is to the passengers: Finally, they are no longer confronted with closed restrooms, and will continue to use intercity buses as their preferred means of transport.
Where do you see the RoadPump Plus in five years? Will it be able to establish itself as an industry standard?
I’m certain it can because there’s nothing else in the market that compares. The high-quality equipment used and good workmanship are key to the excellent quality of the pump system and are fundamental for
long-term use. It will surely take about five years for the long-distance buses currently in use to be retrofitted with appropriate suction nozzles. At that time the combination of the supply and disposal system and the suction nozzle will establish itself and the nozzle will be a standard feature on new buses.
The Rosenow TOTAL truck stop in Kiel, Germany offers drivers and their vehicles (ranging from cars to recreational vehicles, intercity and transit buses, tractors and semitrailers) a comprehensive package of services including refuelling, washing and catering. The truck stop is a member of VEDA (the German truck stop association) and a partner of global energy producer and supplier TOTAL. TOTAL operates the third-largest service station network in Germany, with about 1,200 locations, and is planning to roll out new services for the disposal of wastewater from intercity bus restrooms at additional truck stops along Germany’s highways soon. FlixBus, a leading operator of intercity bus services, is also involved
in this development.
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