Mercedes-Benz Kuwait - 2008 news - CapaCity large order Istanbul

Istanbul/Mannheim, 18 December 2008

The Turkish transport operator Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve Tünel Isletmeleri (IETT) and Daimler subsidiary EvoBus GmbH have once again signed an agreement for the delivery of 100 Mercedes-Benz CapaCity buses for the city of Istanbul. IETT had already ordered the first 50 CapaCity urban buses in mid-2007, and another 100 buses followed in 2008. With the vehicles which have now been ordered the fleet will be expanded in 2009 to 250 Mercedes-Benz CapaCity vehicles operating in the BRT system. An additional 500 Mercedes-Benz Citaro and Citaro articulated buses are being used in city transport in Istanbul, which straddles the Bosporus.

The Mercedes-Benz CapaCity large-capacity bus produced in Mannheim runs on its own specially built track from the Avcilar district in the city centre of Istanbul. The BRT concept which was launched in 2007 has been so well accepted by the passengers that the line, which was originally planned for 17 kilometres, has now been expanded to 29 kilometres. The use of Mercedes-Benz CapaCity buses has significantly shortened the daily travel time for many passengers and resulted in a noticeable decrease in city traffic. The journey, which previously required 1.5 hours, has been reduced to 40 minutes. Today the BRT system transports 530,000 people daily, which means 70,000 to 80,000 fewer individuals driving in the congested traffic of the Turkish metropolis. That is why the BRT line is currently being expanded beyond the Bosporus to the Asian side of the city.

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Mercedes-Benz CapaCity provides efficient solutions for the Bus Rapid (BRT) system in the city of Istanbul

"The demands of a metropolis like Istanbul in regard to mobility are enormous. The only way to guarantee maximum transport performance is by creating an optimum combination between the infrastructure and the fleet, which has already been proved by the BRT project in place there," commented Holger Suffel, Daimler Buses Vice President of Sales, Service & Parts. He added, "That is why we are so pleased that the IETT has decided to work with us again and that there will now be a total of 250 Mercedes-Benz CapaCity buses on the streets of Istanbul."

As a non-rail-bound large-capacity vehicle, the CapaCity combines advantages typical for a bus, such as high flexibility and economy, with tram-like qualities. Thanks to its high-volume transport capacity of 193 passengers and low infrastructure costs, this cost-effective solution is an ideal component of innovative BRT transport systems.