The Brussels public transport company MIVB has purchased 36 new electric buses. The buses will gradually be rolled out on lines 47, 56, 58 and 83, the transport company has announced. ‘Quiet buses that emit less means we are investing in neighbourhoods where the living is good,’ says Brussels mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt (Flemish ecologist Groen).
The first newly purchased vehicle started operating in the capital at the end of January, while the remaining buses are yet to be delivered and are expected to enter service by the end of March.
This year, the MIVB will also be putting 14 additional articulated electric buses into service. These will be deployed on lines 46, 53, 87 and 89 and will use the charging infrastructure at Pannenhuis and Westland-Moortebeek during the day.
A total of 140 zero-emission vehicles
The additional electric buses bring the total number of silent and zero-emission vehicles in the MIVB fleet to just over 140. The MIVB's electric bus fleet has now travelled a total of more than 8 million kilometres. ‘This represents a reduction in emissions of more than 9,000 tonnes of CO2, taking into account a CO2 emission factor for electricity that is representative of Belgium,’ the company says.
This purchase also contributes to the future full electrification of the Brussels bus fleet and public transport in general. ‘These new electric buses mean we are taking the next step in the modernisation of our public transport,’ says mobility minister Van den Brandt.
‘We are consciously investing in neighbourhoods where the living is good. These buses are quieter and do not emit polluting exhaust gases. They provide greater comfort, not only for passengers on board, but also for people living along the routes.’