Using a $40 million loan that was just approved by the I.D.B., Colombia will make the bus system in their capital city of Bogota better and cleaner.
Colombia is improving its public transportation system and significantly reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by adopting hybrid or electric buses with the Inter-American Development Bank’s help.
Using a $40 million loan that was just approved by the I.D.B., Colombia will make the bus system in their capital city of Bogota better and cleaner. The country will use the loan to finance 282 new medium capacity hybrid or electric buses.
By adopting the fleet of hybrid or electric medium capacity buses, it is estimated that it will reduce operating costs of its public vehicle fleet by 35 percent as well as reduce GHG emissions by as much as 7,000 tons annually – a 46 percent drop. Aside from reducing emissions and operating costs, the bus fleet will provide clean and reliable transportation to approximately 33,000 people daily.
With around 16 percent of Colombia’s population, Bogota is faced with the challenge of providing efficiency transportation to support its economic potential, boost its competitiveness and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.
There are around 8.8 million motorized trips made daily in the city of Bogota and it is considered to have one of the highest levels of air pollution in the Latin American region. To address these high levels of air pollution, the city must provide and maintain a clean public transportation system that will be the primary mode of transit.
The I.D.B. financing consists of a $40 million 40-year loan with resources from the Clean Technology Fund with a 10-year grace period and a fixed interest rate of 0.25 percent.
Bogota is making a significant investment in reducing their emissions and is not a stranger when it comes to utilizing hybrid or electric vehicle. Just this September, a fleet of 45 all-electric e6 taxis from BYD Co., Ltd. was put into service in the city’s streets (see related story). – EcoSeed Staff
