This past Thursday, November 10th, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and Pulmitan (Caribbean Group) announced an agreement that will allow the country to have its first public transport route supported by electric buses and renewable energy from the national matrix.
The activity was attended by Rodrigo Chaves, President of the Republic; Luis Amador, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, and Marco Acuña, President of Grupo ICE. The chosen route connects the central district of Liberia with the Daniel OduberQuirós International Airport.
The road – strategic for tourism and the economy of the province – adds 30.75 kilometers in both directions. It was chosen for presenting conditions that allow monitoring the performance of the three available electrical units. After the signing, ICE officials will train the Pulmitan team to start the operation this month. During an extension of the agreement, the buses would be used on other routes of the same company.
Advancing towards compliance with the 2030 Agenda
“The country is advancing towards the use of renewable technologies in response to compliance with the 2030 Agenda. This is why the use of electric buses as a means of transportation on tourist routes is doubly beneficial for the country. Through this public-private alliance between ICE and Pulmitan, we will further promote the image of Costa Rica as an example of a green and sustainable country,” said the President.
For his part, the head of Grupo ICE indicated “that the savings of an electric bus when compared to one that is mobilized with fuel can reach up to 86%. This means that working with an electric unit is almost a fifth of the cost of using diesel or gasoline, to which is added the environmental benefit”.
Innovation and comfort
Finally, Jorge Solano, representative of GrupoCaribeños, added that “we have had the idea of using these buses for quite some time. We are a company that likes to innovate and provide comfort to our users. We are sure that this is a very important step for the company and the country”.
With the signing, Costa Rica will become the second country in Central America to use electric buses commercially. During a pilot plan carried out in the GAM in previous months, an emission reduction of 98% was registered when comparing the electric units with those that move with diesel.
