STIB to test hybrid buses in Brussels

Belgian public transport operator 5461 STIB is to test three diesel-electric hybrid standard bus prototypes from manufacturers 4205 IVECO, Solaris and 609 Volvo on route 64 in Brussels for two months, beginning in August 2017, with the aim of acquiring 235 hybrid buses within two years.

These vehicles will be subjected to a series of technical performance tests, including noise measurements, vibration, radius of gyration and consumption in a real-world situation. Three further buses will be tested in September.

Around 50 bus drivers, maintenance and response personnel have received training on the use and special characteristics of this type of vehicle.

For Brieuc de Meeûs, CEO of the STIB, these additional buses are essential to implement the new Bus Master Plan, but also to replace the buses that are at the end of their life with more environmentally friendly vehicles.