THE FIRST of 129 new Mercedes-Benz Citaro G hybrid articulated buses are now in operation in the Belgian towns of Liège (Luik/Lüttich), Mons and Nivelles in Wallonia, the company has announced.
The strikingly bright-yellow 18-metre-long articulated buses are being operated by Belgium’s TEC Group, with the remaining vehicles to be delivered by this European summer 2021, Daimler states.
According to the company, this is one of the largest orders for articulated buses in recent years, which includes a comprehensive service contract valid for eight years.
The TEC Group Citaro G hybrids are, “…comfortable, safe and environmentally friendly: the compact hybrid module reduces fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions of articulated buses by up to 8.5 per cent,” Daimler states.
EXTENSIVELY EQUIPPED
Depending on the type of operation the hybrid buses have three doors (suburban operation) or four doors (inner-city operation). Passengers with limited mobility can board with the help of an electrically powered cassette lift, Daimler explains.
Customers enjoy a friendly and fully air-conditioned interior, it adds. The flooring has a wooden appearance and the seats with comfortably high backrests are covered in composition leather-fibre material in a “cheerful shade of red”. USB ports are also included, it confirms.
Drivers sit behind an all-glass cab door. They are assisted by the active brake assistance system, preventive brake assist and sideguard assist, which gives support when turning – both with pedestrian detection, Daimler says.
ABOUT TEC
The Belgian public transport corporation Transport en Commun, TEC Group for short, is responsible for local public transport in the Walloon Region of the kingdom of Belgium, it states.
The TEC Group employs staff of about 5200, of whom approximately 3200 are drivers, it confirms.
There are almost 2400 buses in operation, plus a few trains, it adds. The TEC Group operates 767 routes and transports approximately 150 million passengers every year, it says.
Photography: courtesy Daimler Europe