Volvo Buses at UITP - Broad focus on Bus Rapid Transit.

Volvo Buses is focusing on the Bus Rapid Transit concept on a broad scale at this year’s UITP Congress in Helsinki in May. Among other highlights, the company is displaying its 24-meter bi-articulated bus and presenting intelligent bus solutions with Volvo’s integrated telematic system ITs4mobility.

The theme for this year’s UTIP Congress in Helsinki is “Public transport: Moving people, moving cities.” The theme showcases that public transit has a double role. It involves improving transportation for the inhabitants as well as contributing to the economic vitality of cities. Volvo Buses offers bus-based systems, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which is the solution that best fulfills both demands. Many of the cities that have invested in BRT have done so because the investment cost is only one tenth of the cost for a track-bound system. It is also fully possible tok operate a BRT line without any operating subsidy from the taxpayers. Volvo Buses is presenting such an example at Helsinki, Line 16 in Gothenburg, Sweden, which operates at a profit.

A BRT system requires buses with high passenger capacity. Volvo offers articulated and bi-articulated buses with high floors for platform systems and low floors for rapid exiting and boarding at street level. Volvo will display its 24-meter Volvo 7500 bi-articulated bus at the show, with space for up to 200 passengers and with the potential to expand up to 270 passengers.

However, good vehicles are not enough for a smooth-functioning BRT system. An important component is an intelligent telematic system for passenger information and traffic control, among other elements. Volvo was the first bus manufacturer to launch a factory installed fully integrated telematic system, Its4mobility. Standard functions include traffic control, passenger information and fleet management. The system will be demonstrated at the show in Helsinki.

Many examples of BRT projects worldwide demonstrate the major effects with regard to improving the environment and traffic safety in cities. Safety and care for the environment are two key core values for Volvo and a contributing factor to the company’s focus on BRT. Volvo will present many of the benefits of BRT in relation to safety and care for the environment at the show in Helsinki.

Volvo Buses is also participating in the congress session program. The company’s president, Håkan Karlsson, will speak at the congress on the topic “Bus systems of the future.”

TZ Volvo Bus Corporation

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