A MAJOR contract for 250 Iveco buses to the West African nation of Ivory Coast continues the company’s success there, the company reports recently.
After a first significant order in January 2018 for 400 Crossway Low Entry and 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) Crealis buses, the government of the Ivory Coast and the Abidjan Transport Company SOTRA have ordered another 200 Crossway LE and 50 Crealis ‘Natural Power’ 18-metre buses.
With this new order, there will be more than 700 Iveco city buses operating in Abidjan – the largest city and former captial of Ivory Coast – the company states.
The new order was signed on July 5, 2019, at the Ivory Coast Embassy in Paris in the presence of Amadou Kone, Ivory Coast Minister of Transport; Meité Bouaké, director of SOTRA; and Sylvain Blaise, head of Global Product Line Bus.
The 200 Crossway LE and the 50 Crealis NP 18-metre buses will contribute to expand the public transport network in the capital Abidjan, Iveco says. They will complete the 400 Crossway LE and the 50 Crealis NP already in operation, it explains.
The move thus confirms the strong commitment of the Ivorian government and SOTRA to operate low-environmental-impact vehicles and implement “high-quality mass transit bus”, the company says.
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
Designed for mass traffic routes, the 50 Crealis 18-metre buses will be operated in the entire Abidjan metropolitan area, providing improved service and comfort to passengers in a modern and welcoming interior, it says.
The Crossway LE will enhance the existing fleet … and will contribute to the public transport development in Abidjan, Iveco adds.
As a pioneer and leader in gas vehicle solutions, as well as in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) solutions, Iveco Bus demonstrates once again the international appeal of the French gas industry by exporting it to the African continent, Iveco Bus states.
LOW POLLUTION, LOWER NOISE
The CNG vehicles offer major benefits in terms of pollution and noise reduction, says Iveco. Fine particle emissions are reduced to nearly zero and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than one third, it claims, while noise level is reduced by half for an exceptional operating silence.
Gas technology is also economically relevant as vehicles with CNG rely on mature technology that has been mastered for many years, both in design, use and maintenance, it explains.
BESPOKE SOLUTION
“This renewed choice by the Ivorian government and Abidjan in favour of natural gas confirms that it is a pertinent solution for the country and a real opportunity with readable gas availabilities,” stated Iveco Bus.
“Natural gas vehicles are an effective answer to environmental concerns and represent a real mature and efficient passengers transport solution,” it concluded.
Sylvain Blaise, head of Global Bus Division, said: “We are particularly pleased of SOTRA’s renewed trust, confirming Iveco Bus as a key enabler with its products and service solutions, to modernise and ‘massify’ Abidjan public transport in a sustainable way.”
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ABOUT IVECO BUS
Iveco Bus is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a global leader in capital goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Borsa Italiana in Milan.
A major player in the field of public transport, and among the leading bus and coach manufacturers in Europe, Iveco Bus designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of vehicles that meets all the needs of public and private operators, it states.
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Photography: courtesy Iveco Bus