Electric buses help cut CO2 emissions in Chilean capital: officials

SANTIAGO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Santiago's public transport system accounts for only 3.3 percent of the Chilean capital's total carbon dioxide emissions related to transport, thanks largely to its fleet of more than 2,500 Chinese-made electric buses, said Chilean officials Tuesday.

The environmental benefits of these electric buses are enormous, said Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Munoz.

Between 2018 and 2023, the city's switch to electric buses saved more than 60 million liters of diesel and significantly reduced air pollution equivalent to removing emissions from 2,900 wood-burning stoves, Munoz added.

The electric buses have also helped cut the capital city's noise pollution by up to 44 percent along major routes like Alameda Avenue. The Chilean government plans to add 1,800 electric buses, raising the total number to over 4,400 units by the end of this year, or about 68 percent of Santiago's public bus fleet.

Private cars and motorcycles still account for about 90 percent of Santiago's transport emissions, according to a newly released report on the electromobility situation in Santiago.

Paola Tapia, head of Santiago's Metropolitan Public Transport Directorate, said the electromobility policy has spanned three administrations and now stands as a consolidated national commitment.

"Electromobility is here to stay," Tapia said. ■