Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications presents first articulated electric bus: it will circulate between Peñalolén and Pudahuel
The vehicle will be tested from today on the 516 tour of the operator Metbus, allowing to connect the axis Greece, Alameda, Central Station, Maipú and Pudahuel.
As part of the system renewal process, The Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Gloria Hutt, together with DTPM Director Fernando Saka, presented an articulated electric bus that will be tested for two months in the metropolitan region’s public transport fleet.
The vehicle, which from today will be operated by the company Metbus on route 516, will connect the sector of Las Parcelas in Peñalolén to Pudahuel Sur. The bus is BYD brand, can carry 104 passengers (47 seated and 57 standing), and measures 18.5 meters.
“Being a 100% electric bus it circulates without emitting polluting gases or noises and generates less vibrations along the way”
This vehicle, like all standard new buses, has padded seats and a more spacious and comfortable internal layout. They feature air conditioning, free WIFI and USB ports that allow passengers to charge their cell phones.
“This electric articulated bus is part of the buses we are testing as a way to get to know new and better fleet alternatives for public transport in the capital. We are prioritizing cleaner and more efficient technologies for both users and the environment in the context of the next tender. That companies want to test their vehicles in our system is a sign of confidence in the process we are carrying out”Minister Hutt stressed.
DTPM Director Fernando Saka explained that electric buses “have had an excellent reception among users who have qualified the service delivered by the routes operating with electric buses with note 6.3. This note is much higher than what users gave the system during 2017 and 2018, and they only reached note 4.9 and 4.8 respectively.”
“Among the attributes that people valued the most are the modernity of the buses, the comfort of the seats, the temperature inside the bus, the amplitude of the corridors and the maintenance of the buses”
Evaluation of the new standard
In a first measurement with respect to the buses of the new standard, the results of which were released in February 2019, metbus routes operated with electric buses (516 – 507c – 519) and Euro VI buses (408 – 408e) were evaluated.
The service delivered by the routes with electric buses was rated with note 6.3, while those operated with ecological buses (Euro VI diesel) reached 5.8. The notes reached are much higher than what users gave to the system during 2017 and 2018 (4.9 and 4.8 respectively).
A second measurement, carried out in March 2019, included services 111 and 126 operated by ecological buses of the company Vule, the service delivered was qualified with note 5.8.
It should be noted that these Routes of Vule, like Metbus services 408 and 408e, were previously operated by Alsace so the increase in the note is explained by both the change of operator and the new buses with Euro VI technology.
This increased perception is directly associated with the quality of the new standard buses, air conditioning and more comfortable seats mainly, and the improvement in the frequency and regularity of the service due to the new operator.
