ATP's first three electric buses were unveiled this morning in Piazza d'Italia in Sassari. Built in France, the Bluebus and B-6 models, approximately six meters long, will be operational starting tomorrow as route 8. The inauguration was attended by Mayor Giuseppe Mascia, Councilor for Mobility Infrastructure Massimo Rizzu, ATP President Alessandro Zara, and the company's General Manager Roberto Mura.
The funds allocated to the Municipality through the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility have enabled the purchase of the vehicles. The PSNMS received €1.2 million to be spent by 2025, with another €11.1 million for 2033, for a total of €12.3 million. Thanks to an agreement between the Municipality, ATP, and the Region of Sardinia, over €1.2 million has been allocated for the first five years to acquire the three buses, costing €339,000 each plus €184,000 for charging infrastructure. The goal is to purchase an additional 20 electric vehicles. Tests found a range of 130 km per single charge, and the system was developed in-house. The vehicles can carry 33 passengers and are equipped with sensors for all aspects, from fleet monitoring to alerting pedestrians and cyclists in the vehicle's blind spots to audible warnings in the event of a potential collision.
"We are taking another step toward sustainability," says the mayor. "We are inheriting a good project from the previous administration. Meanwhile, we are working with the Region to resolve some critical transportation issues in Sassari." "We are working closely with the Municipality," continues Zara, "to design shared and intelligent solutions." "Local public transportation," adds Rizzu, "plays a strategic role in urban mobility. Vehicles increasingly suited to the road network mean a system increasingly suited to the needs of a city with an extraordinary size and heterogeneous traffic and road conditions."
