At the end of July, the new TIB CTM transport system was presented, Consorcio de Transportes de Mallorca, based on a reorganization of lines reducing from 11 operators to 3, Grupo Ruiz, Empresa Sagalés and Moventis, and a total renovation of the vehicle fleet.
The first two buses of the new TIB fleet have already arrived in Mallorca, and at the end of July, a pilot test will begin with them covering a service line throughout the summer. These are two Magnus.E LE GNC on Scania KUB GNC chassis, 13 meters long. The presentation was attended by the President of the Balearic Government, Francina Armengol, accompanied by the Minister of Mobility and Housing, Marc Pons, and Jaume Mateu, Director General of Mobility and Land Transport. Representing the Consorcio de Transportes de Mallorca were its General Manager, Marteen van Bemmelen, as well as Alberto Egido, General Manager of Grupo Ruiz, and Javier Badorrey, Project Manager also from Grupo Ruiz, accompanied by Alberto Linares and Pedro Cotera from Scania Hispania, and Ramón Fernández and Ramón Senlle from Grupo Castrosua.
The total fleet for the new TIB bus system will consist of a total of 223 vehicles, all new, most of them natural gas and also electric. Of the total vehicles, Grupo Castrosua, together with Scania Hispania, has been awarded 186 units, all of them GNC, of which 21 units are New City of 12m and 18m, and the rest, i.e., 165 units, are Magnus.E bodies of 13 meters, 15 meters, and 18.7 meters in low-entry and high-floor versions with luggage racks.
In the renovation of the vehicles, GNC propulsion has been prioritized due to its exceptional ecological characteristics and its performance and operating costs at the same level as diesel, or even improved.
The buses include one of the most avant-garde safety and energy-saving packages, integrating up to 15 different systems such as lane departure warning, emergency braking, fatigue detector, traffic sign reader, and alcoholock, which only allows the bus to start if the driver’s alcohol level is below the permitted limit; a defibrillator inside the bus; and an antibacterial system that sanitizes the air in the cabin, among others. In addition to the integration of an innovative ticketing and fare system.
The vehicles to be delivered incorporate the latest generation improvements and technologies, including the Mobileye system for accident prevention, with intelligent cameras and vision sensors; two interior screens for user information; three security cameras with video recording; an anti-vandalism safety partition; 16 USB ports; free Wi-Fi; and a system for transporting two bicycles inside the bus.
Likewise, all buses will be adapted for people with reduced mobility – with a ramp or lifting platform -, with low-floor or low-entry units, with a double electric and manual ramp to further facilitate and guarantee access for wheelchairs and strollers. Interior signage will also be reinforced with screens and public address systems so that people with visual or hearing impairments can know the next stop of the route at all times, as well as other relevant service information.
