The public presentation ceremony took place at the parking lot of the Municipal Stadium of Leiria, in front of the NERLEI building. The introduction of these new vehicles into service represents an enhancement of the public transport offering, an improvement in the population's mobility conditions, and a further step in the decarbonization process of the fleet that operates passenger road transport in the region.
The total investment exceeds 3 million euros. Six of the new electric buses are the result of a direct investment by the CIM Região de Leiria, a sum that also includes the respective electric charging system and benefits from partial funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). The remaining five vehicles were acquired directly by the concessionaire RDL Rodoviária do Lis II, Unipessoal, Lda.
During the event, an Agreement for the Onerous Use of Vehicles was also signed between the CIM Região de Leiria and the concessionaire. These six vehicles acquired by the CIM will be used exclusively for additional service, corresponding to 300,000 vehicle-kilometers per year, thus representing an effective increase in the existing offering. The vehicles will remain the property of the CIM Região de Leiria and cannot be used to replace the base service stipulated in the Concession Contract.
The new buses will particularly strengthen some of the routes with the highest demand and occupancy levels, notably in the municipalities of Leiria, Pombal, and Porto de Mós. This reinforcement addresses the growing use of public transport in the Leiria Region, aiming to combine increased service capacity and frequency with the progressive reduction of mobility-related emissions.
The deployment of these vehicles signifies progress in three fundamental areas: increased public transport supply, improved mobility conditions for passengers, and a more environmentally sustainable fleet. The CIM Região de Leiria, as the competent Transport Authority, oversees the planning, organization, and management of the intermunicipal network.
