Madrid’s public transport company (EMT as in its Spanish acronym) introduced thirty natural gas powered buses into a total of eight different routes of the districts Vallecas Villa, Puente de Vallecas, Arganzuela, Usera, Latina and Carabanchel. In addition, it will add up to 150 units throughout 2011.
The first bus lines selected to incorporate these vehicles are 23, 36, 47, 58, 60, 85, 102 and 148. EMT took into account the geographical aspect as it seeks that all districts located at the south and east of the Manzanares river have at least one route served by CNG buses.
It is worth noting that while in 2004 there were only 15 EMT lines operating with natural gas units, in 2011 there are 50 routes with NGVs, a quarter of the total. In turn, the transport operator plans to offer service with 630 methane powered buses by the end of the year, more than 30 percent of its entire fleet, stated Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón at the launch of 15 EMT CNG midibuses last March.
Source: EMT of Madrid
