Operator Arriva is expanding its fleet with 64 new electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach for the concession North Brabant East in the Netherlands. Arriva is thus responding to the target set by the province of North Brabant of emission-free public transport by 2030. VDL Bus & Coach is supplying Arriva with 40 new-generation VDL Citeas of type LF-122 and 4 articulated LF 181 buses. These vehicles will mainly be used for public transport in the city of Tilburg. VDL is also supplying 20 vehicles of type Citea LE-135 for use on its HOV lines in the concession.
“With this expansion of our bus fleet, we are taking an important step towards our zero#emission ambitions,” explained Jan Pieter Been, regional director of Arriva South. “We have set ourselves the goal of being fully carbon-neutral as early as 2027. We will achieve 90% of this through the transition to zero emissions and the last 10% by offsetting for which we recently planted a forest between Boxtel and Vught.” All 64 new vehicles for Arriva are equipped with CCS Combo 2 charging sockets on both left and right for optimal charging flexibility at depot locations. The buses also contain ISO ePM1 filters in the passenger compartment including virus filter, which protects against bacteria. In addition, the vehicles have camera monitoring systems instead of conventional mirrors,
and are equipped with the innovative climate control system and AVAS system. All vehicles are equipped with wood print on the wheel arches and ceiling, and the LE-135 HOV buses have additional interior lighting. These vehicles are characterised by the large number of luxury seats fitted with extra-thick seat and back cushions, and are mainly forward-facing seats for optimum
passenger comfort. The city vehicles LF-122 and LF-181 are characterised by their good passenger flow, full low-floor design and multi-purpose spaces for disabled users and a buggy or walker area. Deputy Suzanne Otters-Bruijnen: “These 64 buses are another big step towards the provincial ambition for public transport to be completely emission-free by 2030.”
In the foto (from left): President Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep, Brabant deputy Suzanne Otters-Bruijnen and regional director Jan Pieter Been of Arriva South.