Buses powered by natural gas characterise the cityscape of Giessen and, thanks to low pollutant and particulate emissions, relieve the air conditions in Giessen. Almost one in four city buses on Giessen's roads is already fuelled by natural gas. MIT.BUS GmbH, the local transport subsidiary of Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG), has been using modern low-floor buses powered by natural gas since 2006. Of the total of 54 vehicles, 14 buses already run on natural gas. The natural gas vehicles are characterised by their high environmental compatibility and significantly lower noise pollution compared to conventional buses. MIT.BUS will continue to rely on the natural gas fleet for local public transport in the future. The MIT.BUS natural gas fleet has been continuously expanded over the last two years. In 2006, the first five natural gas-powered buses were in operation, in 2007 there were already ten and this year the fleet was expanded by a further four buses. From tomorrow, the latest vehicles will be deployed on scheduled services. Further natural gas vehicles are to follow the CNG (compressed natural gas) models in the coming year. In view of the high cost of diesel, natural gas is a highly topical fuel for reducing operating costs.
The drive technology is also environmentally friendly. The natural gas buses already fall below the European Standard 5, which will be mandatory from 2009. The natural gas buses are not only clean for the environment, but also quiet and economical.
Mobility of tomorrow
The only difference between natural gas buses and diesel-powered vehicles is the aerodynamic bonnet on the roof. This is where the storage system is located. The natural gas is stored at an operating pressure of 200 bar. The CNG buses refuel on the premises of Stadtwerke Gießen AG.
Bus advertising - to be seen on the streets
The city buses offer another positive additional benefit - advertising space. The buses are on the streets of Giessen every day and reach the population. Companies or organisations that are still looking for a suitable advertising medium should think about bus advertising. MIT.BUS offers various outdoor advertising spaces on its city buses. Interested parties can use the advertising space on a monthly or annual basis. For more information, please call 0641 708-1474 or send an e-mail to hclemens@mitbus.de.