The Cabildo of Lanzarote has acquired five new hybrid buses to improve the island's regular public transport, which were presented this Thursday by the president Oswaldo Betancort, who reaffirmed the commitment of the first island institution to the modernization of public transport and the improvement of the user experience, guaranteeing a quality, accessible and environmentally friendly service.
"The incorporation of the new vehicles represents a step forward in the modernization of public transport, offering greater efficiency, safety and comfort to users," said Betancort.
This new acquisition has been possible thanks to the subsidy granted to the operator Arrecife Bus SL, within the framework of financing from the European Union through the Next Generation funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, whose fund management has been coordinated by the State, the General Directorate of Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Lanzarote itself, through the Department of Planning and Project Contracting, led by María Jesús Tovar, with a total investment of 1,400,000 euros.
The new Minister of Transport of the Cabildo, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, announced that these new units will improve the frequency and service of Line 3 of intercity transport, which will also operate on Saturdays with the same frequency as on weekdays. "Our goal is to offer a more efficient and homogeneous service for users of the Costa Teguise - Arrecife - Puerto del Carmen corridor," said Jiménez, thanking the work of his colleague and predecessor in office, Domingo Cejas.
For her part, the general director of Transport and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, María Fernández, highlighted the commitment of the administrations to the transition towards a more sustainable and efficient mobility model in the Canary Islands. In this sense, she explained that “in 2023, the General Directorate managed to maintain 50 million euros from European funds that were at risk of being lost. This was possible thanks to a series of coordination meetings with the councils, which allowed redirecting investments strategically to ensure that these funds were not lost. This effort of collaboration and advance planning was key to maximizing the resources available at a crucial moment.”
Technical characteristics of the vehicles
The five units acquired are of the IVECO Crossway Line model of 13 meters, with hybrid technology and Euro VI Step E diesel engine. Its main features include a 48V hybridization system that optimizes energy efficiency, Cursor 9 Euro VI engine of 360 HP with Voith DIWA NXT automatic gearbox, start-stop system for emission reduction, advanced driving assistance system (ADAS), including: detection and warning of lateral and front obstacles (BSIS and MOIS), recognition and warning of speed signals (ISA); detection and warning of driver fatigue (DDAW); reversing camera (REV), tire pressure measurement (TPMS), in addition to the incorporation of an breathalyzer to guarantee the safety of the driver and passengers, an information and accessibility system for people with special needs (HTC from Hanover), a protection screen in the driver's seat and a fleet location and management platform (Wemob).
