On July 10, LTD “Saločiai ir Partneriai” invited bus drivers  to the ISUZU Driving Academy, which has become a beautiful tradition. Passenger carriers from Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Utena, Marijampolė, Mažeikiai city have heard the theoretical course of safe, ecological and economical driving, later tested their skills on the extreme driving track.

Rytis Rutkauskas, an instructor at Vilnius Automotive and Business School, taught the participants a theoretical part. According to him, there is a constant innovation, so it is necessary to update the theoretical knowledge for bus drivers.

R. Rutkauskas talked about how to drive efficiently, how to achieve the best result at the lowest cost. It is not only economy, but also security and ecology. These three things have been given a lot of attention lately.

“Driving work in this case has a lot to do. Even for the same vehicle, the opinions of two drivers will be different. Manufacturers are making great efforts recently to ensure the quality of vehicles. The way of driving and type has a lot to do with different things, ”says R. Rutkauskas.

He talked about the importance of ensuring that drivers use new technologies. For example, the use of autopilot can significantly reduce fuel consumption. The right choice of drive can also reduce fuel consumption, as well as optimum route selection, taking into account the uphill slopes, the ability to choose the optimal speed.

An important driver feature is insight. It has to anticipate the situation, avoid unnecessary stops, utilize rolling possibilities, choose the right speed, economical engine speed.

“The more economical we will be, the greater the ecological benefits. There are many areas where fuel consumption can be reduced without greater investment, simply by changing driving habits, ”says R. Rutkauskas.

According to him, it is necessary to observe different parameters of the bus. Even too low tire pressure can lead to higher fuel consumption.

The Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration also contributed to the training organized by Saločiai and Partners. It has produced stickers that promote safety belts on buses that can protect the health and life of passengers.

The company based in Latvia, Trigona, has introduced equipment that helps to monitor bus parameters while reducing fuel consumption, improving driving safety. Bus fleet managers get information about driver work, such as speed, brake usage, engine speed, odometer display, and so on. All parameters are summarized, so managers can see whether the driver is economically driving.

After listening to the theoretical part, all trainees were able to test three ISUZU buses alongside the extreme driving route at Saločiai and Partners. According to the speakers and drivers of the passenger transport companies, the training provided them with great benefits. Both theoretical and practical parts of the training have been highly rated.

According to Ruslan Andrejev, CEO of “Saločiai ir Partneriai”, bus vendors have an interest in the efficient operation of carriers – then they have the funds to buy new buses.

Text Lina Jakubauskienė

Extreme driving video