MERCEDES DO BRASIL TO SUPPLY BRT UNITS TO BRAZIL
The Brazilian subsidiary of German vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is looking to supply a large number of units for various Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) schemes due to be implemented in Brazil in time for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The country's Transport Ministry is planning to invest US$4.21 billion in the construction of BRT infrastructure for the tournament, including designated lanes, bus stops and integration with other transport systems.
BRT’s are being considered in Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Salvador, Recife, Belo Horizonte and Manaus, in addition to extensive systems already present in Sao Paulo and Curitiba. Mercedes-Benz manufactures buses for BRT systems at its plant in Campinas (Sao Paulo), and exports them to more than 30 countries, and the company is hoping to secure contracts with firms to supply a large proportion of the 3,000-4,000 units required for these schemes. Currently BRT units represent around 10 per cent of Mercedes-Benz's sales. Alternative public transit options are said to be much more expensive, such as metro (100x more expensive) and light rail systems (10x) per kilometre.
