Theme image. — © Marc Herremans
De Lijn can order up to a hundred electric buses for ‘high-quality public transport’ (HOV) from Irizar E-Mobility. The Spanish manufacturer won the tender for a framework agreement.
According to De Lijn, the Spanish bus builder submitted the best of three quotes. The deal is reminiscent of the agreement with Chinese bus builder BYD. The 92 electric city buses that the company ordered from China turned out to be a death blow for bus builder Van Hool from Koningshooikt.
The tender with Irizar concerns modern concertina buses, so-called HOV buses. These models are intended for longer distances, with a focus on traveler comfort. “For example, they not only have USB charging points for mobile phones, but also mobile phone holders and reading lamps,” says De Lijn. “There are also seats with a higher backrest and more natural light enters the interior through lower and additional glass panels.”
Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open VLD) refers, among other things, to the situation in her own province. “They are a good solution to compensate for the underdevelopment of the rail network in Limburg,” she says. “There will be an HOV connection between Hasselt and Maasmechelen and later also from Hasselt to Maastricht and to North Limburg.”
117 million
To be clear, the Flemish public transport company is not yet placing an order with Irizar. “For De Lijn it is a matter of good preparation so that everything can go faster,” says spokesperson Frederik Wittock. “There is no need for another tender once the decision to order buses has been made.”
It is not yet clear when that would happen. One hundred e-buses would involve an investment of 117 million euros.