Innovation isn’t just about zero-emission drivetrains or alternative fuels. Day-to-day operation of a coach comprises many less glamorous but critical tasks necessary to keeping an operation running cleanly and compliantly.
Enter the RoadPump, from German manufacturer Vogelsang. RoadPump is a mobile, modular coach waste disposal system revolutionising how operators manage their onboard toilet waste.
Coach sector collaboration
Originally developed by inventor and Vogelsang product designer Martin Heinrichs (pictured), the RoadPump was born from a conversation with a coach operator neighbour. Martin, whose company already supplied sanitisation technology to the rail sector, was challenged to develop something similar for coaches and buses.
The result was a plug-and-play system that can be wheeled directly to a vehicle, removing the need for drivers to detour to hard-to-reach dump sites.
Since its debut, the RoadPump family has evolved. A consultation with FlixBus revealed the operator was looking for a stationary version of the RoadPump to which a coach could be driven. The initial ‘Eco’ model — a mobile pump on wheels — was subsequently joined by the fixed-installation RoadPump Easy and the CollectingMax trolley. The pump is housed in a fixed stainless steel cabinet while the trolley is wheeled under the coach waste tank. Waste is discharged into a separate storage tank within seconds (the CollectingMax trolley is also used with the RoadPump Eco, for those operators not wanting a fixed pumping system).
For added hygiene, the supplier’s patented BusPlug retrofits directly into waste tanks, ensuring a sealed, odour-free connection to the pump that is capable of removing larger debris like paper towels and rags.
“We wanted to create a waste disposal system for coaches that is simple enough that anyone working on a coach yard can quickly empty coach toilet waste,” says Martin. “The beauty of the RoadPump is that it can be wheeled to the coach, rather than the driver having to make several risky and frustrating shunts to the equipment.
“The BusPlug was honoured with the International bus planner Sustainability Prize in 2020, and has since been patented. It’s by far the most hygienic way of emptying coach toilet waste that we’ve seen, and drivers love how much time and effort it saves them. And the fact we have developed a range of the RoadPump means there is a system to suit every operator and depot.”
Cost saving and eco-friendly
Increasing scrutiny from environmental regulators and rising costs have resulted in the RoadPump gaining attention from operators across the UK, according to Richard Love, Area Manager at Vogelsang. Richard says the system addresses both of those concerns.
“We speak to coach operators each week who are increasingly concerned about the financial penalties and associated costs from the Environmental Agency for polluting,” he explains. “So many operators still empty their coach toilet waste into sewers and drains, which can end up in rivers and waterways – or worse – it is emptied directly into the environment.
“Many coach companies are not closely located to a drop point, and this can become costly and time-consuming to travel to – sometimes a hundred-plus mile round-trip — to safely discharge the waste. This has really been what has piqued coach operators’ interest. They’ve discovered that with the RoadPump they have the freedom and ability to empty coach waste whenever they want or need to with zero risk of a fine. It’s an initial investment which is paying off in the long-term.”
Real-world results
And operators have spoken about the returns they are already seeing.
In Kent, Loyalty Connections needed a flexible, construction-free solution after relocating its depot. Vogelsang says it now costs Loyalty Connections just £120 to empty the storage tank, which it does approximately four times a year.
“Loyalty Connections bought the Vogelsang Road Pump because we had moved premises and needed a means to clean and empty the coaches,” says Director Steve Alliston. “Previously, we’d been driving to Heathrow Airport to use its coach cleaning facilities, which was time-consuming and costly.
“We couldn’t build a permanent structure to clean the coaches, so we needed a complete independent system that didn’t involve diggers or builders. We also didn’t want to outsource the cleaning of the coaches. We bought a RoadPump and storage tank, which are portable, meaning that if we move premises again, we can easily take the coach cleaning system with us.”
Meanwhile, in South Wales, Newport Transport has seen significant cost savings since adopting the RoadPump Easy system. Colin Thomas, Project Manager, reveals the operator had been forced to undertake an 80-mile round trip in order to empty waste from its coaches at another operator’s depot. “It was the closest and safest way to dispose of it,” he adds. “Because of the dead mileage, drop fees and additional driver wages, this didn’t feel like an efficient solution.
“When we took on a fleet of FlixBus vehicles, we decided this was the perfect opportunity to bring our coach toilet waste disposal in-house. Our system of choice was the RoadPump Easy by Vogelsang.
Now it is installed, we’re saving £3,000 a month by emptying the waste on our site. The waste is immediately pumped into a 10,000-litre storage tank which is emptied every three weeks at a cost of approximately £300. Financially, it’s been a no-brainer for us, we’ve seen a return on investment very quickly.”
Engineering Director Lee Ahern agrees: “The RoadPump is a fantastic way for us to empty our own coach toilets. Its simple design makes it easy and quick for drivers to use and saves us so much time which would otherwise be spent traveling to another depot for drainage. Also, as the whole system is above ground, we can move it should we ever need to. It’s definitely a benefit for us.”
