Trans Semarang Electric Bus Starts Trial Free

SEMARANG - The Semarang City Transportation Service officially started the operational trial of the Trans Semarang electric bus serving the Mangkang Terminal - Simpang Lima route back and forth (PP).

People can enjoy the sensation of taking the Trans Semarang electric bus for free, free of charge.

Semarang City Transportation Agency Secretary Danang Kurniawan explained that the trial was the first step towards the operation of an environmentally friendly fleet in the capital city of Central Java.

"Dishub through Trans Semarang is developing and switching to environmentally friendly vehicles (green corridors) using electric buses. Currently, only two units have been tested, namely one large bus and one medium bus," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 5.

Big buses serve corridor 1 of the Mangkang Terminal - Youth - Simpang Lima - Penggaron Terminal route, while buses are being tried in other corridors whose terrain is deemed appropriate for electric vehicles.

"The full operational plan will only be carried out next year. This year it is still in the trial phase for two weeks to one month. The public can try so that we can assess the performance and character of buses in the field," he said.

According to him, the procurement of electric buses will not be carried out by buying directly, but through an auction system to buy services.

"We auctioned to buy the service, not the bus. So vendors or consortiums that meet the requirements will manage the corridors that have been prepared," he said.

Trials were also carried out to ensure the ability of bus batteries to deal with the varied terrain in Semarang City, especially climbs that suck up battery power more.

The electric bus made in Surabaya is claimed to have a distance of more than 250 kilometers per battery filling, with a large bus capacity of 72 passengers and a medium bus of 40 people.

He added that the interior design of the bus will also be adjusted to make it more comfortable and friendly for people with disabilities.

"We want passengers to be more comfortable with seats facing forward and easy access for people with disabilities without having to go up to high stops," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of BLU Trans Semarang Haris Setyo Yunanto said the trial was part of the implementation of the green corridor that had been studied for a long time.

"Hopefully, with this electric bus there will be no more rumors of a strike bus or thick smoke that has been disturbing other motorists. Electric buses are more environmentally friendly and support reducing exhaust emissions," he said.

For charging, electric buses only require two points of disbursement at Mangkang Terminal and Penggaron Terminal.

With the "fast charging" technology, the battery can be fully charged in about 30 minutes and is capable of serving eight round-trip trips every day.