A new amphibious bus worth almost £700,000 was damaged recently - and on its first day of testing!
The so called 'amfibus' - which can travel across both land and sea - was on its way out of a dip in the water when it crashed into a ramp, damaging its suspension.
Designed and built by Stagecoach in Glasgow, the amfibus has been developed in order to replace the Renfrew ferry service, which has been running passengers from one side to the other for over 500 years. The new bus, which sports an unmistakable bright yellow paintjob, runs from Renfrew to Yokel and tackles both water and land on the way. At least, that's what it's supposed to do.
Unfortunately for both Stagecoach and local travellers, the bus crashed on its first day of testing. The rear suspension was damaged when the bus hit a ramp on its way out of the water via a slipway. And broken suspension does not a seaworthy vessel make!
Locals reported that the bus also became stuck on the way to the garage, so it really wasn't the most successful first day. Then again, there's a reason it's called a test run!
The amfibus features a boat-like hull at the front and twin jets to the rear which help push it to 8 knots when cruising through the water. The historic Renfrew ferry stops running in March so there is still time to repair the amphibious bus and make it the star attraction that the Glaswegian locals are hoping for.
It's just a shame that this yellow (pseudo) submarine will be in dry dock for a little while longer.