London’s 7,500 buses consume millions of litres of diesel each month, so given that parked side by side the fleet would occupy 23 football pitches, why not put their roofs to good use and turn them into mobile gardens?
Urban green spaces are the lungs of the city; vital for photosynthesis, the process by which plants absorb CO2 and release oxygen. Phytokinetic is a pioneering roof garden system designed to be installed on top of public transport vehicles. A lightweight hydroponic foam only 7 cm thick allows the roofs of buses and trains to be converted into mobile gardens that look great and perform a useful environmental function.
According to the creator of Photokinetic, Marc Grañen, “The lungs of a city must grow at the same rate as its population, but much-needed green areas are not always available. phyto kinetic, has grown out of this supposition, with the goal of delivering a practical and tangible solution. If finding new urban spaces for gardens is problematic, we can use spaces that already exist, such as the roofs of city public transport.
Phytokinetic garden installed on the roof of a tram
This is not the first time that bus bodywork has been used for something imaginative. If the vehicle behind the bus gets too close for the speed it is travelling, The ‘Tailguardian’ illuminates a warning sign.
Ian
Looks great for slow-moving vehicles, but surely at speeds over 20 or 30mph the extra fuel consumption created by the increased drag will more than outweigh any CO2 absorbed by the plants. Even at low speeds where a vehicle is constantly stopping and starting (like a bus or tram!) the extra weight will affect fuel consumption.
Derek Ryden
Totally agree with the above comment. It may be justifiable aesthetically (and there’s nothing wrong with that) but environmentally it is a gimmic which will almost certainly increase net CO2 emissions.
Galley slave
Garden should look great after bus goes thru the bus wash…