Rome officially presented the first batch of 60 new electric buses, set to transform public transport in the city’s suburban areas.
Present at the unveiling were the city’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, councilor for mobility Eugenio Patané, president of the IX Municipality Tweety Di Salvo, and John Zannola, president of the Mobility Commission of Rome Capital.
In his speech, Mayor Gualtieri highlighted the city’s commitment to sustainable mobility:
“After introducing new hybrid buses, we are now seeing the first ten electric units, with another ten due by early October and a further 40 by January 2025. By the start of next year, 60 electric buses will be circulating on peripheral routes.”
“These are less polluting vehicles, with a significant impact on improving public transport in areas where car dependency has been high, leading to pollution and high costs,” adds the mayor.
The initiative is part of a broader plan to modernise the city’s transport fleet, with a particular focus on electric and hybrid vehicles.
Patané, councilor for mobility, emphasised the importance of bringing electric buses to the suburbs:
“This is the first time these areas will be served by electric buses. These top-of-the-range Mercedes vehicles offer enhanced comfort and road safety features. It’s a crucial part of our strategy, which includes upcoming electric buses for both eastern and western Rome.”
The new buses, Mercedes-Benz eCitaro models, come equipped with three doors, low-floor accessibility, and specialised stations for disabled passengers, including a ramp and a driver’s cabin.
The buses are powered by new-generation batteries, providing a range of around 300 kilometers.
Cutting-edge safety features include a front obstacle detection system with a range of 3.7 meters and a second-generation turning assistance system that can detect lateral obstacles up to four meters away.
Additionally, intelligent suspension systems ensure stability during cornering and braking by reducing roll and pitch movements.
Autoservizi Troiani has already activated 70 per cent of its assigned services, aiming for full operation by 22 October 2024.
In addition to the ten electric buses starting service in September, the company plans to introduce ten more by October and a further 40 by January 2025.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to revitalise Rome’s public transport system.
Atac, the city’s primary public transport company, is on track to put an additional 110 hybrid buses into service by 2025, alongside 110 electric buses.
A further 301 eVehicles are scheduled to arrive by 2026, contributing to a total of 1,057 new vehicles introduced between 2023 and 2026.
This will significantly reduce the average age of Rome’s bus fleet to just over five years, down from 12 years in 2018.
President of the IX Municipality, Tweety Di Salvo, celebrated the project as a step towards transforming Rome’s suburbs from “a city of the car” to a “city of proximity.”
She highlighted the municipality’s limited access to rail transport, underlining the importance of the new electric bus service in enhancing connectivity for all residents.
