Volvo To Sell 100 Bi-Articulated Buses To Sao Paulo

The company received an order for further 84 articulated buses for BRT system in Bogota

Volvo Buses has received an order for 100 bi-articulated Volvo B9SALF buses to Sao Paulo in Brazil and an order for a further 84 articulated buses for the BRT system in Bogota, Colombia.

The company said that an increasing number of cities are choosing to invest in BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), a bus-based transport system with high passenger capacity that facilitates boarding and disembarking from buses. Many cities in South America have chosen buses with high floor and bus stops on platforms that are the same height as the bus floor. Other cities, such as Santiago in Chile and Sao Paulo, have instead chosen street-level bus stops and low-floor buses.

The Volvo B9SALF’s engine is located on the left side of the bus between the first two axles. This enables the entire right side to be lowered to street level, which facilitates boarding and disembarking from all doors in the bus.

Reportedly, Volvo Buses in Brazil has launched a bi-articulated version of the B9SALF. The bus measures a full 26.5 meters in length, with a very high passenger capacity of up to 196 passengers. The bus body is made by Caio-Induscar, a manufacturer of city bus bodies in Brazil.

Volvo has received its first order for the bus in Latin America. Grupo Ruas, one of Brazil's bus operators, has purchased 100 bi-articulated Volvo B9SALF buses for Sao Paulo.

Per Gabell, head of Volvo Buses in South America, said: Today, we have extensive experience of the BRT system. We know that high passenger capacity is crucial for the success of these transport systems. We are unbeatable in this area.

Including this order, five of the six Transmileno operators have chosen to use high-capacity buses from Volvo. This year, we received orders for 200 buses for Transmilenio.