Major delivery for IVECO BUS in Portugal with 290 vehicles

IVECO BUS recently concluded an important contract for the delivery of 290 vehicles to TST - Transportes Sul do Tejo S.A., a road passenger transport operator on the Peninsula of Setúbal, serving a population of about one million inhabitants.

This agreement was formalized on June 24^th during an event held at the premises of BlueBiz Global Parques - Parque Empresarial da Península de Setúbal, where representatives of the two companies, official authorities, and media, among other guests, were present.

Vénissieux, 1^st July 2022

IVECO BUS and TST - Transportes Sul do Tejo S.A. have recently concluded an important contract for a fleet of 290 CROSSWAY buses and DAILY minibuses. This includes various versions which meet the specifications and the needs of the lines that TST will operate from July 1st, 2022, the start-up date of the Carris Metropolitana public road transport service in the councils of Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra, for a seven-year long period.

The 290 vehicles included in this important contract are divided into 194 units of CROSSWAY LE 12m City Euro VI-E version, 25 units of CROSSWAY Low Entry Line 12m Euro VI-E version and 17 units CROSSWAY Low Entry 12M City CNG version, which are complemented by 54 DAILY 7.2 minibuses (chassis IVECO 70C21 A8 CCP - Euro VI-E). 

The various versions of vehicles purchased meet the specifications and the needs of the lines that TST will operate, in a set of standard, minibus, lowered floor, class II, diesel and CNG vehicles, offering the most advanced technology, all painted in yellow, with the brand "Carris Metropolitana", equipped with mobile phone charging points, WiFi on board and information system for the passengers and fully adapted to the transport of people with reduced mobility.

The start of the Carris Metropolitana service will be phased, with the new lines to start operating from July 1st and over the next few months, as soon as the 170 TST drivers being trained are able to integrate their duties. The service that will start on July 1st, will be different from the one offered today, with a network designed by TML and the Municipal Councils involved. The TST lines will have the numbering started by 3. There will be more circulations than currently, as well as new lines, to be implemented gradually as drivers complete their training, but also network changes, which TST will communicate, allowing all passengers to plan their trips, with all available information and without any interruption.

Present at the event were Paulo Pires, Managing Director of Arriva in Portugal, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TST and Fernando Epifânio, Operations Director of TST, Fabrizio Toscano, Business Iberian Director of IVECO BUS and Artur Oliveira, IVECO Bus Commercial Director for Portugal. Among the guests were transport authorities such as AMT, AML, TML and IMT, representatives of the municipalities of Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra, as well as other transport operators such as Carris, Fertagus and AlsaTodi.

“These units, acquired from IVECO BUS, have been delivered since the beginning of this year. Today is officially made the reception of these vehicles, in BlueBiz premises, and will all be soon at the service of the passengers in the municipalities where we will operate", says Paulo Pires, Managing Director of Arriva in Portugal and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TST.

"This is the largest fleet acquisition contract that TST has ever made in its history and aims to significantly improve service to the population in an ambitious, structuring and long-term project. TST will do everything to be the best operator of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, through the quality of its fleet, performance of its drivers and teams, and with the commitment to provide a service of excellence to the passengers. TST professionals are being trained to provide an exemplary response with this long-awaited Carris Metropolitana service that will start on July 1, 2022, on board of the new IVECO BUS buses that we have officially received today," adds Fernando Epifânio, TST Operations Administrator.

"It is with great pride that we are TST's partner of excellence in this huge project and involving the almost total renewal of the bus fleet of this operator, through IVECO BUS and IVECO, respectively through CROSSWAY models, with diesel engines and compressed natural gas, and DAILY minibuses with diesel engines. This contract represents, a recognition of the characteristics of quality, reliability, durability, and excellence of the models involved, and that will allow TST to increase the quality of the service provided on the boards of Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra", stresses Sandra Resende, Director of the IVECO brand in Portugal.

"Portugal is an important country for IVECO BUS and we are really proud to deliver this fleet to operate in AML.  We are honoured that TST has chosen the CROSSWAY model, which is produced in the Europe's largest bus factory and, as it is well known, is the undisputed leader in Europe with close to 50% of the intercity market share. We are sure that TST has made the right choice and all citizens of the municipalities covered will be very satisfied with the service provided,” adding Fabrizio Toscano, Iberian Director of IVECO Bus.

About Transportes Sul do Tejo (TST)

TST is the largest public passenger transport operator on the south bank of the Tagus in Lisbon, where it has been operating for more than 40 years. Recently won the contract for the provision of public passenger transport in the municipalities of Almada, Seixal and Sesimbra, including the connecting lines to Lisbon, Setúbal, Barreiro and Moita, which will start on July 1, 2022, using 339 buses (290 new) and more than 800 employees, mostly drivers. TST will operate this new contract under the Brand Carris Metropolitana, owned by the Transport Authority, TML - Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa. TST also has a bus rental business area, TST brand, with regular specialized and occasional services.

IVECO BUS

IVECO BUS is a brand of Iveco Group N.V., a global leader in commercial and specialty vehicles, powertrain, and financial services, listed on the Borsa Italiana in Milan.

A major player in the field of public transport, and among the leading bus and coach manufacturers in Europe, IVECO BUS designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of vehicles that meets all the needs of public and private operators:

- school, intercity and tourism coaches;

- standard and articulated city buses, including BRT dedicated versions; city midibuses

- minibuses for all passenger transport missions.

IVECO BUS benefits from a strong expertise in alternative energies vehicles and is now capable of offering a complete range running on compressed natural gas – fully compatible with biomethane – and in the electromobility field, to suit every kind of transport need. Thus, IVECO BUS positions itself as a reference partner to face the numerous challenges of sustainable mobility.

IVECO BUS employs over 6,000 people across four production units, in Annonay, France, Vysoké Myto, Czech Republic, Brescia, Italy and in Rorthais, France with its electromobility center of excellence.

The extensive IVECO BUS and IVECO service network guarantees assistance around the world wherever an Iveco Bus vehicle is at work.

For further information about IVECO BUS: www.ivecobus.com

For further information about Iveco Group: www.ivecogroup.com