UK expertise to help Santiago's with a 'greener' public transport system

Friday, August 29th 2014 - 06:25 UTC

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Finn Coyle, Environmental Manager for Transport for London during the conference.

The British Embassy in Chile together with the Metropolitan Public Transportation Department (DTPM) and the consultant company Sistemas Sustentables Ltd., Chile hosted the workshop ‘Improving bus technology within the public transport system of Santiago’.

The workshop was part of a project funded by the British Embassy’s Prosperity Fund which aims to introduce zero and low emission buses in Santiago’s public transport system, famous for fumes and smog. Sistemas Sustentables - Chile facilitated the workshop that focused on the pre-design of a pilot program to ease the inclusion and accelerate the investment in low and zero emission bus technologies.

The workshop incorporated international experience from the UK and Colombia with presentations from Finn Coyle, Environmental Manager for Transport for London and Marcela Betancourt, Integral Management Coordinator for Express del Futuro. Mr. Coyle explained the time scale of the London’s emission reduction program through their introduction of hybrid buses.

He also laid out the support network behind the program, the UK government’s support and funding as well as future projections. Ms. Betancourt followed by outlining the sustainable achievements that have been reached in Bogota after introducing innovative technologies for the city’s buses.

Five different bus manufacturers also participated in a panel to discuss their visions of the pilot program and the potential resources that could be available to support the scheme. The workshop concluded by dividing workshop participants into working groups to analyze the Chile pilot project outline and determine the most important factors that will need to be considered to assure proper implementation.

As Karl Zammit-Maempel, Head of Climate Change and Economic Affairs at the British Embassy stated during the workshop, “with sustainability high on the UK agenda, we are happy to be able to support a new initiative in public transport”. The UK has also previously participated and contributed funds towards the NAMA green transport zone program, which pushed for more low emission transport in Santiago.

Categories: Politics, International, Chile.

Tags: British Embassy - Chile, Chile, Finn Coyle, Metropolitan Public Transportation Department (DTPM).

Top Comments

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Britworker
Why? Can't they source their own hibrid buses, why does our embassy feel the need to be getting involved with Chile's internal transport matters. Will the UK be being awarded the supply contract? Do we manufacture hibrid buses?

My view is that our embassy should be concentrating on matters of a diplomatic nature.
Aug 29th, 2014 - 10:12 am 0
ChrisR
@ 1

They are there to help shed the cost of the ludicrous bus blondie has arranged for London.

More sales for its’ manufacturer means lower prices for TfL.

Thankfully still no news about No Money Pepe’s “order” for battery only powered buses for trunk routes in Uruguay. I think the guy who was to put the money up “The Ferry King” has had one of his engineers look at the stupidity of what has been claimed by Pepe and found it, as usual, a load of bollocks.
Aug 29th, 2014 - 01:36 pm 0
Condorito
@1 Britworker
The UK embassy offers “Prosperity Funds” in many countries. Local groups or businesses apply for the funding awards. So it is the local applicant that defines the project specifics (in this case the introduction of hybrid bus for Santiago) not the embassy. The embassy choose which projects to fund.

The UK embassy does also arrange workshops and introductions for UK businesses looking for business leads.

Diplomacy and trade go hand in hand.
Aug 29th, 2014 - 01:55 pm 0

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