Trolley firm seeks Transantiago involvement

Trolley Chile has called on Chilean authorities to incorporate not only non-polluting buses, but also trolleys, into capital Santiago's US$1.62bn urban transport plan Transantiago, Diario Financiero and La Segunda reported. Diario Financiero quotes company president Eduardo Arriagada as saying that the concessions would have to be extended to 20 from 12 years, as the technology and investment needed for installing overhead cable-based systems is 1.4 to 2 times more expensive than implementing traditional bus systems. Arriagada adds that the trolleys would have a useful life of 50 years, versus 30 for the normal bus. La Segunda reports that Arriagada's proposal calls for supplying 200 European-built trolleys that would serve the Alameda-Pajaritos or Santa Rosa stretches between the Americo Vespucio beltway and Santiago's main thorougfare the Alameda. Trolley Chile's proposal also includes modifiying the concession awards system, giving more weight to less-polluting vehicles than awarding contracts to bidders who offer the cheapest fare per kilometer traveled, La Segunda adds. Transantiago aims to create a modern integrated bus and subway network by 2005, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.