PORTUGAL: Lisboa bus and tram operator Carris has presented its 2018 budget to the municipality.
A total investment of more than €57m is planned for this year, including €43·9m to renew the bus fleet. Carris expects to call tenders for the supply of 250 buses.
Other planned investments include a natural gas fuelling station for CNG-powered buses, modernisation of the fare collection system, the installation of wi-fi on all buses and trams, and tram track refurbishment. In addition, Carris expects to recruit 250 staff this year.
A tender is to be called for 30 trams, which will be required as the network grows. In the first quarter, tram route 24 is due to be extended from Cais do Sodré to Campolide, reinstating a route that closed in 1995. There are also plans to extend route 15 from Praça do Comércio Square to the Santa Apolónia railway station, and to start a feasibility study to extend it further to Parque das Nações.
Lisboa municipality took control of Carris at the start of 2017. It was previously managed by the state.
