Türkiye's Istanbul tests Chinese smart metrobus

ISTANBUL, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city, has commenced a 45-day trial of the state-of-the-art Chinese smart metrobus, a press release said on Wednesday.

The four-wagon electric metrobus, developed by China's CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute, boasts a capacity of 420 passengers and is equipped with virtual trajectory tracking capabilities.

The institute emphasized in its release that this initiative is geared towards addressing the pressing demand for passenger transportation, with a primary focus on enhancing comfort, safety, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Representatives from Istanbul transportation institutions, including Istanbul Tram and Tunnel Enterprises and Istanbul Metro, conducted a test drive and experienced the new vehicles.

Expressing satisfaction with the trial, they indicated their intent to collaborate further with their Chinese counterparts to introduce these eco-friendly, high-capacity, long-range, and self-driving vehicles to enhance the comfort of urban bus routes.

Peng Zhonghong, general manager of CRRC Smart Rail, a subsidiary of CRRC Zhuzhou Institute, said that the introduction of the vehicles will provide new opportunities and environmentally friendly solutions to address the public transportation challenges faced by Istanbul's 16 million residents.

"Additionally, it will effectively reduce traffic congestion pressure in the city," he remarked, affirming his institution's commitment to providing comprehensive technical support and after-sales service.