Madrid prepares its buses of the future. The buses of the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) “of the next decade” will have a futuristic design “to enhance the attractiveness of public transport” and will have a single, large access door, with which fluidity will be gained , has advanced the Madrid City Council in a statement.
The interior environment “is warm thanks to the sustainable materials and ocher tones” while the glazing of the vehicle “gives it great spaciousness and light”. The characteristic signal band will be maintained in the exterior design.
The EMT has presented ‘Horizonte’, “the new Madrid bus for the next decade”. Its “iconic and avant-garde” design is the winning project resulting from the ‘Concept Bus’ ideas contest, which the public company launched in September last year.
The result has been presented in the space reserved for EMT at the Global Public Transport Summit of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP), a congress that brings together the main international players in public transport in Barcelona, ​​reports EP.
The project will culminate in the production of a full-scale prototype in 2024 to “advance the appeal of public transport.” This prototype will be installed in several emblematic places to gather the evaluations and suggestions of the citizens.
With this initiative, the municipal company will be able to incorporate the best functionality and design ideas in future bus tenders.
The winning proposal comes from the creative agency Héctor Serrano Studio, a company that with its project ‘Welcome back’ won second prize in the residency competition for the emblematic double-decker bus for the London transport company.
The winning proposal receives an economic endowment of 100,000 euros and the finalist 50,000. The jury has awarded a runner-up prize to the ‘Vivir Madrid en Bus’ project, designed by Castrosua in collaboration with the Galician Automotive Technology Center (CTAG) by assessing its digital and multimedia innovations.
The EMT is immersed in a process of technological transformation. In line with the Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, its new Strategic Plan foresees an investment of more than one billion euros by 2025.
The objective is to become “a decarbonized company with an energetically sustainable model, oriented to the client based on excellence, financially sustainable and innovative in technological matters”.
The electrification of the municipal fleet, which will reach 25% in 2025, will entail a significant investment in charging infrastructure and transformation of facilities.