They are ready to go into service last 70 mild hybrid cars purchased by Atac. This is the second and last tranche of the supply of 100 buses whose delivery began last June, when the first 30 cars entered service. The vehicles will serve various lines, including the 490, 492, 495 and 64. The new cars were presented by Giovanni Mottura, Sole Administrator of Atac, to the mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the councilor for Mobility Eugenio Patané, on the occasion of their visit to the Portonaccio depot, where the new cars will be placed for service.
“These new 70 vehicles complete the first step of the journey taken by Atac towards an increasingly sustainable mobility. For us, the self-financing purchase of these cars was a strategic choice that will find its natural evolution in the drive for the electrification of the fleet, in accordance with the provisions of the PNRR indications and the programmatic lines of the new administration “declared Giovanni Mottura.
“New buses, respectful of the environment and then subjected to a rigorous maintenance program. This is the future of Atac – clarified the Mayor Roberto Gualtieri – which will increasingly have to renew its vehicle fleet and join the integrated network of sustainable mobility that is the basis of our idea of the city. From tomorrow we will be able to put 70 new hybrid buses into circulation whose supply had been blocked for months. We found the money that was missing to pay them and we made it available to citizens to replace vehicles with up to 18 years of service on their shoulders. A good result for everyone “.
“The 70 buses entering service today, together with the 29 methane buses which will be on the road in the next few days – underlined the Councilor for Mobility Eugenio Patané – represent only the beginning of a path that will lead us to revolutionize public transport in Rome. We must guarantee the Romans the opportunity of quality public transport, with a low environmental impact, as a reliable alternative to private transport. We hope to have, by 2026, more than 1200 new vehicles that will replace old and end-of-life cars. We plan to replace the first 600 by the end of 2022. There is already a time schedule and certain resources available to completely change the face of road transport in the capital ”.
The new buses, produced by Mercedes, are Citaro models with a Euro 6 diesel engine. They are mild hybrid cars with supercapacitors for energy recovery that do not use traction batteries. Thanks to this technology it is estimated a saving in consumption of up to about 10% compared to a traditional diesel. All buses are 12 meters long, with two doors and equipped with the technical standards in use in the company park: AVM system, video surveillance, multimedia monitors, fire protection, LED signs with optimization for the visually impaired, air conditioning, manual platform. They accommodate 26 seated and 86 standing passengers and have a seat for people with motor disabilities.