MUSCAT -- Muscat is ideally suited to launch electric bus (eBus) operations, especially in the areas surrounding Muttrah Souq and other tourist attractions, John Schiefler, CEO, infrastructure and cities, Middle East, Siemens, said yesterday. He said that the topic of public transport is a major issue for planners and administrators as it gives the city an added advantage when it comes to attracting visitors and global organisations. These buses are available in various size options of 8-12m or 25m long, which can be customised with interiors to meet the transports needs of a city. With the city known for receiving abundance of sunlight and focus on environment-friendly issues, these buses can be also run on solar power instead of lithium-ferrite batteries.
He said that with a single charge a bus can operate up to 120-150 km. The vehicles need around two hours of full charging at depots and a 24m bus can accommodate up to 150 passengers. Schiefler said that while the company is not in any talks with the authorities in Oman to promote e-buses at the moment, he does expect some initiatives to be taken with the talks for having an integrated public transport system gaining momentum. The company is currently working on projects in Abu Dhabi and Doha. Giving details about the project in e-buses currently in operation, Schiefler said that Vienna is the first city to operate these vehicles on two bus service routes in the city centre from 2012.
This innovative concept and the drive technology of the 12 electric buses are from Siemens. It is the first fully electric bus fleet in scheduled service in Europe whose complete power requirement is supplied from the onboard battery system. The major advantages compared to diesel or gas-driven buses are their approximately 25 per cent lower power requirements, minimum maintenance and local emission-free operation.
© Oman Daily Observer 2014
