Solaris to deliver environmentally friendly city buses to sunny Gran Canaria

Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. will soon begin implementing a contract signed with Guaguas Municipales operator in line with which the Polish manufacturer is due to deliver 17 environmentally friendly Solaris Urbino 12 city buses to the capital of the Canary Islands. The first vehicles are to be delivered soon, whereas the whole EUR 3.9 million contract is to be completed by the end of May 2019.

The buses commissioned by Guaguas Municipales are 12 metre long Solaris Urbino 12, powered by ecological 220 kW motors meeting rigorous EURO VI emission standards. These engines will be aligned with automatic gear boxes that come with a Power programme and an active kick down function, which helps reaching optimal engine speed in all kinds of conditions and ensures maximum dynamics for particular engine speed levels. Such a solution will make it much easier to traverse the numerous hills on the island, while ensuring an economical driving style.

The vehicles from Bolechowo offer room for up to 103 passengers of whom 26 seated. Bearing in mind the needs of the elderly and passengers with reduced mobility, the producer has made 12 of the seats accessible from the low floor. The Polish manufacturer has also provided designated spaces for the safe transport of wheelchairs. Their safe and comfortable entry of the bus will be made possible by means of an electric ramp installed at the second door. The modern Solaris Urbino 12 buses for the Spanish operator will be unique on account of their comprehensive passenger information system, adapted to the needs of visually-impaired passengers, for instance by means of buttons in Braille alphabet.

The state of the art vehicles for Las Palmas will also feature an advanced surveillance system serving the purpose of monitoring the passenger compartment and of supporting the driver. Two of these cameras will show the view along the sidelines of the bus, thus complementing the view in the rear view mirrors. The Solaris Urbino buses ordered for the Canary Islands will be also equipped with a front view camera registering what is seen in front of the vehicle and a reversing camera facilitating maneuvers. Yet another solution to substantially raise the safety of all those inside the bus is the fire extinguishing system. Similarly for safety reasons, the buses will be fitted with a pneumatic car horn, characteristic for the Spanish and Italian markets and generating a much louder tone than traditional car horns do.

Due to the weather conditions in Las Palmas, an efficient air conditioning system of the whole vehicle interior is a must for the commissioned Solaris Urbino 12 buses. What is more, special air curtains have been applied in the buses at all doors, to prevent heat from entering the vehicle through open doors when passengers enter or exit at bus stops. On account of the buses being used in a hot, southern climate, the carrier has resigned from fitting the ordered vehicles with heating systems. Instead, the buses have been given an additional layer of thermal insulation which Solaris usually offers to Scandinavian customers. It consists among others of additional insulation of the side walls, of the wheel arches and of the bus’ floor. To further improve the comfort of travellers, the buses will also feature double USB ports, enabling the recharging of mobile devices. 

The outer paint coat will be made using a varnish that allows for the cleaning of graffiti with generally available chemicals. On the inside of the vehicle the manufacturer will also use anti-graffiti coating, namely on the seats. At customer’s request the manufacturer from Bolechowo will not insert a window pane in the rear of the vehicle, as is usually the case. An opaque material of the same colour as the bodywork will be employed instead, allowing for the use of the exterior of the vehicle for ads.

Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. has been working together with Guaguas Municipales since 2016, when 9 articulated Urbino 18 buses were delivered to the Canary Islands. So far, nearly 200 buses with the Solaris logo have made it to customers in Spain in total.