Authorities presented the press with the first 15 hybrid buses, out of a total of 110, measuring 18 metres.
This is the first initiative undertaken within all those included in the Giubilare programme.
The event was attended by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri; the General Director of Atac, Alberto Zorzan; the President of Municipio VII, Francesco Laddaga; and Eugenio Patané, Councillor for Sustainable Mobility and Transport of Rome Capital.
They are mild hybrid vehicles, with Euro 6 diesel engines, featuring three doors, fire prevention systems, Avm, CCTV, multimedia screens, LED indicators, air conditioning, manual boarding platform, and a driver’s cabin completely separate from the passenger compartment.
Moreover, the buses are equipped with USB ports and a designated area for prams.
The transport capacity is 123 standing places, 38 seated places, and one space for disabled passengers, totalling 162 places (excluding the driver).
The units will be housed at the Tor Sapienza and Grottarossa facilities and will serve the 201, 280, 69, 791, 30, 705, 451, 409, 20, 163, 105 routes.
In addition to the 15 buses already in operation, the remaining ones will be delivered between May and September 2024, gradually replacing the current 18-metre Citelis fleet.
“This continues Atac’s fleet renewal plan in favour of sustainability, reducing pollutant emissions, and improving the quality and safety of public transport,” states Patanè.
Following the 173 new vehicles on the road in 2023 and the recent introduction of 110 new 18-metre hybrid buses, another 120 12-metre vehicles will follow, and by the end of 2024, an additional 110 electric vehicles.
“This plan will enable us to have over 1,000 new vehicles by 2026, replacing units at the end of their service life and having in Rome a fleet with one of the lowest average ages in Europe, five years compared to the ten-year average in the European Union, and with advanced systems like ‘Tapandgo’ that continue to be highly successful,” acknowledges Patanè.
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