Alfonso Sánchez Vicente: “EMT aims to lead sustainable mobility at national and European level”

Since taking office in 2019, Alfonso Sánchez, CEO and General Manager of EMT Madrid, has faced the challenges and hurdles of managing urban mobility in a city like Madrid, which currently focuses on sustainability and the decarbonization of public transport. In an interview with our blog during his visit to Castrosua, this Civil Engineer specializing in transport from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, provides a thorough review of the topics that occupy his daily work, focusing on innovation, the digitalization of transport, and progress towards complete universal accessibility, with a maximum aspiration: to lead sustainable mobility at national and European level. Globally, in the passenger transport sector, what do you consider to be the most relevant challenges that need to be addressed jointly? On the one hand, the decarbonization of transport is a challenge of enormous magnitude. Not in vain, it is one of the key areas of the European Green Deal: the transport sector accounts for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, and this pact advocates for a reduction of these by 90% before 2050. This commitment requires a change in the transport model that will undoubtedly contribute greatly to the transformation of urban mobility. Closely related to this challenge is the real commitment to eminently sustainable mobility. In this regard, public transport plays a very important role as a backbone of mobility in cities, whose activity directly impacts citizens. Therefore, the objective of sustainability must encompass a series of dimensions: from improving citizens’ health and quality of life, to reducing pollution, to optimizing energy efficiency. On the other hand, digitalization and technological innovation are also key challenges we face in the transport sector in general and in public transport in particular, as they improve productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency. In short, these are challenges that aim to achieve innovative, digital, safe, customer-oriented public transport capable of generating intermodality. At EMT, we embrace these joint challenges as our own, and that is why we are immersed in various transformation processes, all related: the renovation of our infrastructure and fleet to decarbonize them; the creation of mobility hubs, global intermodality spaces for users; the revolution brought about by bicimad; and, of course, the acceleration of the digitalization of our services. And in Madrid, what particular challenges does urban and interurban transport present, and what strategies has EMT designed to contribute to its development? EMT’s roadmap is focused on achieving an appropriate level of quality in a city with high mobility rates, such as Madrid, for which it is necessary to commit to the sustainability and decarbonization of public transport, which will reduce pollution levels. To this end, EMT and the Madrid City Council have an ambitious and sustainable Municipal Company Strategic Plan in place until 2025, the most ambitious and sustainable in its history, with the objective of facing the mobility challenges of the future: ensuring Madrileños have sustainable, safe, integrated, and innovative public transport. Over the years, EMT has consolidated itself as a benchmark in the world of urban transport, but now, it also aims to lead sustainable mobility at national and European level. Therefore, the municipal company is implementing a series of changes, based on three pillars, on which EMT’s decarbonization rests: the adaptation and construction of new sustainable infrastructures, the acquisition of zero-emission buses, and the use of technologies applied to mobility powered by clean energies. In this regard, EMT has already executed absolutely innovative projects in the sector, such as the launch of two inverted pantograph electric bus charging stations at the Carabanchel operations center, which allow for the simultaneous charging of 170 electric buses; both are partially supplied by their own photovoltaic installations. Finally, the construction of the hydrogen refueling station at the Entrevías operations center will allow for the production and supply of green hydrogen to the new buses in the fleet that will operate with this fuel soon. Thanks to this triple strategy, we have already achieved significant milestones, such as being the first major European city to have a 100% clean fleet according to the European Clean Vehicles Directive. Or the opening of Madrid’s first electric mobility hub, a place where different modes of transport that complement each other are connected; furthermore, due to its success, new hubs will soon be launched in the city. And I cannot fail to mention bicimad, whose technological transformation and consequent expansion plan has turned the electric public bicycle into a genuine sustainable mobility alternative for Madrileños. With a focus on environmental and sustainability premises, how would you describe the EMT Madrid fleet? Our fleet has been 100% clean since December 2022, when the last diesel bus was retired, a true milestone for any mobility operator of our characteristics. But EMT continues to work towards its entire fleet being 100% zero-emission: currently, EMT has about 300 electric buses and 30 fully electrified lines, and the forecast is that next year 25% of the municipal fleet will be electric. In any case, in addition to purely electric buses, EMT is also committed to incorporating green hydrogen as a fundamental energy vector for sustainable mobility. This year, the first ten fuel cell buses will join our fleet. The investment in new, less polluting municipal buses, or ‘zero-emission’ models, will reach 534 million from 2021 to 2025, as outlined in EMT’s Strategic Plan, a document fully aligned with the sustainability commitment reflected in the Madrid 360 Strategy conceived by the City Council. What role does EMT play in the development of the Madrid 360 Sustainable Mobility Plan? EMT has a fundamental role within the Sustainable Mobility Plan for several reasons: first, because it includes EMT’s Strategic Plan, meaning this plan adopts all the measures, initiatives, and projects included in our strategic plan (from the modernization of the bus fleet to the transformation of the municipal company’s operations centers); and second, because public transport is a fundamental axis of this Mobility Plan. Furthermore, EMT participates in many other of its axes, including the improvement of transport infrastructure, the promotion of active mobility, parking management based on sustainability criteria, and facilitating modal integration through micromobility and intermodality. In any case, the PMS Madrid 360 has public transport as its main development vector, and EMT is the main asset for this development. Aligned with the Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, the PMS maintains measures that incentivize the transition towards less polluting fleets. You have announced the launch of your own hydrogen refueling station, in addition to the electrification of an entire depot. Is the adaptation of your infrastructure keeping pace with the necessary speed to meet the sustainability and zero-emission premises that will govern the future of urban transport? What challenges are you facing in your day-to-day? The application of hydrogen as fuel is currently one of the main initiatives being developed by EMT, and the hydrogen refueling station plays a crucial role in the position EMT wants to hold in the coming years regarding sustainability to achieve a circular, green, and ‘clean’ economy: this ambitious project will cover the entire production and storage cycle of hydrogen at EMT facilities and will supply this fuel to the green hydrogen-powered buses that will start operating soon. EMT’s commitment to hydrogen as a fuel to decarbonize the urban public transport sector and reduce environmental and health costs has a long history: between 2002 and 2005, it participated in experimental projects and became the first Spanish operator to put hydrogen buses into circulation. Furthermore, EMT’s operations center in La Elipa – with capacity for 318 buses – is being prepared to become a reference center for managing a 100% electric fleet and will be equipped with a photovoltaic installation designed for energy supply. The construction and transformation of infrastructure is proving to be a challenging endeavor for EMT, which, in this aspect as well, is demonstrating leadership in sustainable mobility. Regarding accessibility and technological innovations, where do you think the sector is already heading, and what do you consider will soon become indispensable? Accessibility is one of the values EMT is most committed to: one of the company’s main goals is to ensure accessible transport that adapts its structures and services to offer quality, safety, and comfort to all users, regardless of their abilities. In fact, we can boast of being pioneers in introducing all kinds of measures to make journeys accessible (in infrastructure, in buses, in the interaction between the bus and the infrastructure, and also in service provision). The natural course is to continue directing our efforts towards complete universal accessibility, and that is the direction we intend to take at EMT. Regarding technological innovations, both are key factors in the sector because they allow us to improve productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency. In my opinion, they are crucial for changing modal choice, for citizens to choose us over private vehicles due to the advantages offered by public transport. To become a priority and not just an alternative, digitalization must be – and already is – a top-tier strategy, an opportunity to add value over private vehicles. Digitalization is very present in the daily lives of EMT and the travelers who choose us: from the dissemination of real-time data for bus travelers, to the availability of bicycles in bicimad, to the possibility of recharging electric vehicles through the Electro EMT app. The goal is to offer the best service, and for that, we need the best and most up-to-date technology. We are aware that EMT Madrid, being a benchmark, provides professional advice to transport companies in other cities around the world. What do these services consist of? With which specific cities have you developed the most collaborative ties? Transport consultancy is one of our business lines and is responsible for carrying out transport, urban planning, and mobility projects nationally and internationally. Among other areas, we are experts in urban transport management (covering areas such as operational planning, allocation and management of personnel required for the deployment and operation of the bus network, maintenance of said network, or methodology in incident resolution); in defining needs and maintaining buses (studies of the most suitable existing systems for each particular situation, as well as customized maintenance plans); in technology and applications (for example, with studies on improvements in user experience); in mobility services (providing technical assistance in matters such as the preparation of tender documents or the implementation and design of operations); in infrastructure design (studies on potential improvements in existing facilities, as well as comprehensive designs for new facilities); in ESG and accessibility (with technical assistance in the design and implementation of actions, ESG agreements, or universal accessibility and awareness programs); in business management (with services focused on process optimization, results analysis, or the implementation of quality systems); and in human resources (with training services for technical and management staff or technical assistance in the design and/or development of recruitment plans for mobility and maintenance personnel). We have an extensive active portfolio at the moment, but we can highlight Pamplona, nationally, a city with which we have worked on the technological renovation of onboard systems, as well as technical assistance in its operational support system; furthermore, outside Spain, we have collaborated with Mexico City on planning and design for an electrified line, for example, and in Santo Domingo, we are working on the renovation and electrification of its fleet. With your extensive professional career linked to road transport, in your opinion, how can young talent be attracted to work at the wheel? It is true that, globally, in road transport, there is a problem of vocational shortage, and young people are not particularly attracted to the sector. However, at EMT, we achieve record numbers in each driver recruitment call: in the penultimate one, in June 2022, 1,186 applicants took the exam to become bus drivers, and last September, 1,374 people aspired to become EMT drivers. In our case, job security and stability, as well as the training and promotion opportunities we offer, work in our favor. Let’s talk a bit about us. Over the years, Grupo Castrosua and EMT Madrid have maintained a solid and close collaboration. How do you value it? I believe that the relationship between EMT and Castrosua is based on mutual trust and dates back many decades: Castrosua’s first articulated buses for EMT began operating in 1966. Since then, the relationship has remained fluid and close, and both have worked together on projects of great relevance for both companies: it is worth mentioning the first CNG buses operated by EMT in 1994, the first low-floor buses to arrive in our fleet just one year later, in 1995, the first bioethanol bus in Spain in 2006, or the first plug-in hybrid CNG-Electric bus in 2012. Furthermore, currently, Castrosua is the main bodybuilder with which EMT works: the municipal company has 620 buses bodied by Castrosua. What does it mean for EMT Madrid to have a bodybuilder like Castrosua in its portfolio of suppliers? What unique aspects would you highlight about our company? And at the national industry level, what do you consider important for bodybuilders not to neglect? Castrosua and EMT stand out for the role each plays in the transport sector, and that is why we have been able to carry out large-scale projects like those mentioned above. In any case, the figures speak for themselves, and since January 1, 1980, EMT has put into service a total of 2,223 vehicles with the Castrosua seal, 1,547 since the year 2000 alone. Castrosua has created bodies for EMT for the Urbana, CS40, CS40 City, NV City, City Versus, New City, and Nelec models. In addition to the Tempus, which it bodied and manufactured for EMT. As for the chassis on which Castrosua has worked, they have been from almost all existing brands on the market: Pegaso, Renault, DAF, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes, Scania, and BYD. I believe their most representative characteristics are reliability and their ability to adapt to the times and the needs of their clients. As for what I believe a bodybuilder should not neglect, I would again highlight adaptation to the client and their ability to quickly and flexibly adapt the product to the client’s specific needs. Thank you very much, Alfonso, for your visit, your approachability, and your interest in learning about our work. We look forward to seeing you on future trips to Galicia. What do you think of EMT’s commitment to sustainability, decarbonization, universal accessibility, and digitalization? Do you think it is on the path to becoming a benchmark in sustainable mobility in Spain and Europe? Do not hesitate to share your opinions and contributions in this post.