Metro

Buses hit new ‘low’

DISCOMFORT LEVEL: MTA rolling out new bus.

DISCOMFORT LEVEL:MTA rolling out new bus.

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This bus comes up short.

The MTA’s newest buses have New Yorkers scratching their heads at the numskull design, where riders 5-foot-2 or taller can easily hit their noggins on the low roofs.

The Nova Diesel Standards are 61.5 inches high at their lowest point along the rear windows, as compared to 69 inches in the Nova RTS buses dating from the late 1990s.

The older models don’t have interior steps leading to the back section in the rear.

“They made this bus wrong. It’s a waste of my money,” said Garvin Peters, 31, while riding a new bus on the B6 line in southern Brooklyn.

A group of eight seats in the back are also dramatically short on legroom, with 15 inches of space total. Passengers sit facing each other in these intimate quarters, leaving 7.5 inches of space per person. The old RTS buses gave 10 inches of space for riders.

The strange setup forces the long-legged to sprawl themselves into the aisle, The Post observed during a recent ride.

“These buses are made for a 98-pound woman who is 5 feet tall. The MTA should have taken some riders with them to test them before buying them,” a union source said.

The new Nova buses have 34 seats, whereas the older models averaged around 40. Overall, NYC Transit has about 4,600 buses split among the Nova, Daimler, Motor Coach and New Flyer manufacturers.

The first crop of the new 90 buses made in upstate Plattsburgh started hitting city streets this month, mostly in Brooklyn. Nova will send the final shipment next month. The diesels cost taxpayers $45.3 million, and will eventually be used throughout the system, according to MTA documents.

The MTA is experimenting with a few models of the bus before buying any more, a Nova spokeswoman said.

MTA spokeswoman Deirdre Parker said that the reduced headroom is necessary to accommodate power and suspension systems. The buses are lower to the ground, making boarding quicker and eliminating the temperamental wheelchair lifts used in the older buses, she said.

The bus also has one clear advantage for now — a neutral new-car smell.

hhaddon@nypost.com