International:
Paris debuts first CNG sightseeing buses for hop-on hop-off tours
Open Tour Paris, RATP Group subsidiary and leader of the hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses in the French capital, is entering into the field of natural gas for vehicles. It recently launched the first six CNG sightseeing buses, which are already running on network routes. By 2024, 100% of the Open Tour Paris fleet, made up of 36 vehicles, will be powered by alternative and clean fuels.
Open Tour Paris has partnered with the bus manufacturer UNVI to design the first CNG double-decker, open-top vehicle. This 12-meter bus, which is completely new on the market, can carry around 70 passengers. It has a daily operating range of 500 km, allowing it to make 250 stops in order for passengers to get on and off as they wish.
“Working alongside the City of Paris and ADEME (Environment and Energy Management Agency) for a more sustainable mobility over the past several years, Open Tour Paris is proud to be a leader with nearly 1/3 of its bus fleet converted to clean energy sources. Today, we are proud to be able to combine tourist attractiveness with environmental compliance by offering our customers an innovative and sustainable service”, stated Fabrice Bayon, Director of Open Tour Paris.
This innovation is part of RATP Group’s commitment to a major technological and environmental development, of which the goal is to convert 100% of its fleet in Île-de-France by 2025. Through this ambitious plan, the aim is to have 2/3 electric bus depots and 1/3 biomethane bus depots by 2025, with a 100% eco-friendly fleet. This will make Paris and the Île-de-France region a global reference for very low-carbon urban road public transport.
The group already operates around 1,200 hybrid buses, 100 electric buses and 150 natural gas buses in several cities across France and abroad.