BRIEFS. transportation

Transmóvil bus design, deadline debated

la prensa

new wheels: European auto dealers in the country argued that the buses’ unusual design unfairly favors Asian manufacturers.1145165

Automotive dealers expressed concerns that the unusual specifications of the buses designed for the government’s Transmóvil project and relatively short deadline of 180 days would give an advantage to Asian manufacturers.

“Nobody doubts that Asian companies can pull it off, but it can’t be denied that the Japanese and Chinese buses don’t often last even a year on the road,” said Maritza de la Aspriella of the Volkswagen dealer Europa Motors. “The body frame is thin and can’t withstand Panama’s humidity and salinity, and neither is it made to go 300 kilometers per day, which is the estimated distance the buses will travel.”

Dionel Broce, director of the Pedregal bus route, commented that a Chinese Higuer brand bus purchased for the route demonstrated mechanical problems and complained that its air conditioning system was not designed for the country’s climate.

Thomas Salvatore Ciraulo, president of the Brazilian dealer Ameristar Sales & Leasing, said that although the company could deliver their high-quality Chinese-manufactured buses within the specified timeframe, the government’s “complex and confusing” specifications could delay the process.

Meanwhile, the country’s transportation authority, ATTT, is considering moving back the deadline established for the delivery of a new bus fleet aimed at updating the capital’s public transportation system, reported agency spokesman José Hernández. Originally, ATTT officials said the winning contractor would have a period of 180 days to produce 420 city buses.

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