Tomorrow, November 4th, at 12 pm, the ceremony will take place to present the new fleet of buses from Horários do Funchal (HF), to be used in the occasional rental service for tourist activities. The event, which will take place at the company’s premises (located at number 5 on Travessa da Fundoa de Baixo), will be attended by the president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, and the regional secretary for the economy, Rui Barreto.
Horários do Funchal acquired 15 new buses for the service of “bus hire with driver – rental and tourism”, a segment that HF has been operating for about 25 years.
This is an investment of 3,217,500 euros, plus VAT. In other words, almost 4 million euros (3,925,350 euros).
The award was made through an international tender, the winning proposal being presented by the brand SCANIA/IRIZAR model i6 (upper mid-range).
“The company’s tourist fleet had a very high average age and did not keep up with the demands of the tourism market, in addition to presenting already considerable maintenance, operating and environmental costs. With this acquisition, HF thus contributes to its image Madeira Destination, providing an offer of quality and safe transport”, highlights the Office of the Presidency of the Regional Government of Madeira in a press release.
The vehicles now acquired are “more efficient in terms of energy and carbon emissions, in line with European Euro VI standards” and have an automatic lateral lift platform, “which allows people with reduced mobility and in an open wheelchair to be boarded”.
They will also offer “automatic air conditioning with an ozone air purification system, which makes it possible to maintain the use of air conditioning and at the same time reduce the contaminating substances in the air, destroying certain bacteria and chemical agents”.
The buses will have “capacity for a wheelchair and 49 seats or 53 seats”. They will also offer “automatic gel alcohol dispenser at the departure and arrival gates”.
In addition to these amenities, “the doors have an anti-pinch system, there will be individual USB chargers and the bus will come with a starter inhibitor – alcohol test (for the driver)”, which guarantees that, “in each use, it will have to be an alcohol test is carried out so that the vehicle can be started”, adds the same note.