Anyone familiar with London’s transport system knows all about the iconic red buses that trek tourists around town. However, the majority are gas guzzlers and hardly an environmental emblem for the city prompting leaders to investigate new ideas including hybrid and hydrogen buses with 65 hybrids expected on the city’s streets by the end of the year.
However, it seems that England’s capital city is not alone in its pursuit of hybrid buses – with Turkey also looking to introduce the vehicles.
Turkey has a world-renowned public transportation system, which runs in a highly efficient and well-organised manner. Now, according to a report in the Ankara newspaper Hurriyet, the Turks have developed their own hybrid buses at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK).
The aim is to reduce the number of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector with the target to introduce more hybrid vehicles into the area. Researchers are studying the feasibility of the plans while prototypes of the new buses are already at the commercialisation stage.
According to Hamdi Ucarol, a researcher from TUBITAK, the electrics and hybrids don’t use energy waiting in traffic and the batteries charge when the brake is applied and when the vehicle travels downhill.
Another aim for Turkey is to catch up with hybrid development in countries such as Japan and the USA while slashing noise pollution. The project is expected to be fulfilled by the end of this year when the buses will be presented to the industry.
