The southern area of Santiago receives 214 new electric buses

Press release from the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

With a focus on territorial equity, the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz, announced this morning the incorporation of 214 electric buses from the Red system for the southern sector of Santiago, benefiting nearly 280 thousand users weekly.

The Voy company fleet runs through the communities of San Bernardo, El Bosque, La Cisterna, San Ramón and La Pintana, and replaces the old orange and white buses that have served the area for years, bringing the RED standard to this area of the city.

“We have put all our energy into continuing to advance in electromobility, but with people in mind who, no matter where they live or where they are going, can travel in more comfortable, safer and less polluting buses. Moving towards zero-emission buses with low noise levels is a huge improvement in the quality of the journeys made every day by millions of people, but also in the quality of life of the entire city,” said Minister Muñoz.

The new Yutong brand units have security cameras, Wi-Fi, USB chargers, air conditioning and better accessibility conditions. They have an estimated capacity for 90 passengers and are already operational in 14 services, with a gradual implementation that has been in progress since March.

For her part, the director of Metropolitan Public Transport, Paola Tapia, indicated that “this is another step in the advancement of electromobility in RED, which today has 2,480 zero-emission units, the largest electric fleet in the world after Chinese cities. Modernization that also goes hand in hand with new services, such as the G34 that since a few weeks ago and with these new buses, allows residents of San Bernardo and El Bosque to get to the La Cisterna Metro.”

In this regard, the authority recalled that currently 70% of the system's buses have RED standard and only 30% remain with Transantiago standard.

Meanwhile, the mayor of San Bernardo, Christopher White, thanked the government for its willingness to do justice in the southern part of the Metropolitan Region. “After several decades, a concrete sign is being given, such as the real improvement of public transport, with new services, with a quality that does not have to be left behind in any commune because they are the same buses as the rest of Santiago, and which improves travel times for families, improving the quality of life.”

Likewise, the mayor of El Bosque, Manuel Zúñiga, said that “the community is happy when progress comes to the commune, and this is of good quality. The standards of these buses allow us to have security that we did not have before, in addition to new routes. That is the way to solve our simplest and most humble communities. That is what the neighbors want: for the State to be present, for the State to effectively solve their problems.”

The mayor of La Cisterna, Joel Olmos, stressed that “the impact of these investments on people who live further from the centre but who also need it the most is being considered, given that it is very difficult for a person to travel more than an hour and a half to get to work, and that happens in the southern sector. We have seen how new investments have been incorporated in the Gran Avenida axis for the benefit of the equity of users.”

With the addition of these 214 electric buses, Voy Santiago becomes the first company with 100% of its fleet operating in RED standard, leaving the orange buses only as a reserve in case of contingencies.