Image: Busworld
Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo, through its Colombian company Superpolo, recently launched a new compressed natural gas (CNG) bus under its ‘Superior’ brand. Presented in mid-May, the urban passenger service vehicles are built on an IVECO chassis and have capacity for 19 passengers.
Manizales, a city in the mountainous region of western Colombia, is one of the pioneering cities in the use of clean energy. The integration of eight new buses into its fleet increases the natural gas fleet to a total of 25 vehicles, bringing important benefits for the quality of life and the progress of the city.
These new vehicles of public transport with NGV contribute to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the city, achieve significant reductions in noise, which positively impacts the health of the manizaleños, and reduce operational costs.
The acquisition of these 8 vehicles by the company Serviturismo was supported by the natural gas chain in Colombia, integrated by Ecopetrol, the International Gas Transporter (TGI), Grupo Energía Bogotá company (GEB), Terpel, Equión and Efigas. The joint contribution was COP 30 million (USD 10,500) for each vehicle.
The 25 gas vehicles in Manizales generate a reduction in CO2 emissions equivalent to 1,100 tons per year. This is equivalent to the reduction of emissions of four days of Car Free Day in the city.
Source: Busworld (www.busworld.org) and Marcopolo
