Z
Zhang He
Guest
Saturday October 30, 2010
Bio schoolbus takes Briton and partner around the world
By NELSON BENJAMIN
[email protected]
JOHOR BARU: While it’s a norm for people to travel after quitting their job, engineer Andy Pag decided to see the world in a modified schoolbus. The 35-year-old Briton turned a 21-year-old bus, which he bought from a scrapyard for £500 (RM2,460) in England and modified the engine to run on used vegetable or cooking oil. Using other discarded items, his bus now has a sink, a toilet, a bed and even a shower. So far, his 13-month trip covering over 22,500km has taken him to about 15 countries.
Eco-friendly travellers: Pag and Ammon sitting atop the bus during a stop in Johor on Thursday.
Along the way, Pag, who has a double degree in mechanical and electrical engineering, found love three months ago. He and his girlfriend Cristina Ammon, 35, will continue their journey from Malaysia to Thailand and then to the Americas and back to Europe. “I decided to travel this way because I want to show everyone that we can help save the environment, especially by reducing our carbon footprint,” he said. He added that the 1,000-litre fuel tank on the bus allowed him to travel up to 6,000km.
Asked about how he got to Johor, he said that he had to ship his bus to Malaysia via Port of Tanjung Pelepas from Nepal because of travel restrictions in Myanmar. On how he got his fuel or money for his expedition, he said that he was using his savings and was getting help from people along the way. “So many people have been helpful and generous from the start, including sponsoring items along the way,” he said.
Pag, whose bus had a flat tyre when it arrived in Malaysia, met his first good Samaritan, state MCA vice-chairman Jason Teo, who offered to help pay for the maintenance and repairs of the vehicle. Teo said he would help collect funds for Pag during his stay in Malaysia. Those interested to know more about Pag’s expedition can visit his website at www.biotruckexpedition.org.
