Casablanca City Adopts 40 Ultra-Modern Buses

Mercedes-Benz has delivered 40 new Capacity L buses to the Transport Authority Casa Transports SA in Casablanca, Morocco.

The metropolis of Casablanca, Morocco, which includes surrounding cities and municipalities, has been equipped with forty high-capacity electric buses, operated by RATP Dev. The new CapaCity L will be used on the first two lines of the “Bus Rapid Transit” (BRT) network, inaugurated in early March 2024 in North Africa’s main economic center. These high-capacity buses run continuously on dedicated lanes. The Bus Rapid Transit system is a modern bus transport system providing rapid, comfortable, and cost-effective urban mobility through dedicated lanes and high-frequency operations. The contract signing and delivery of the 21-meter-long articulated high-capacity vehicles are managed by Auto Nejma, the Moroccan general distributor for Daimler Buses.

Complementing the four existing tram lines in Casablanca, the high-capacity articulated buses with four doors, each accommodating up to 177 passengers, significantly contribute to improving the Moroccan metropolis’ transport infrastructure. In addition to strengthening its transit network, Casablanca aims to significantly accelerate traffic flow and reduce CO₂ emissions. The new TRB line system spans 24.5 kilometers with 42 stops. The new bus line 1 runs west to east, while line 2 connects the southwest neighborhoods to the northeast neighborhoods of the city. Both TRB lines are closely integrated and connected to other parts of Casablanca’s public transport infrastructure.

Improving Urban Mobility for Casablanca Residents

The BRT lines in Casablanca, designed to promote decarbonization, serve an area attracting approximately 300,000 residents. The regular and rapid bus connections reduce peak hour schedules to every 5.5 minutes.

The close and direct connection of the BRT with the tram network helps to accelerate traffic flows in the city, enabling smooth coordinated connections and quick transfer times. An integrated and connected ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) traffic telematics system ensures optimized schedules and smooth connected journeys without delays through traffic signal prioritization, video monitoring of routes, and constant communication with the control center.

A high level of connectivity and extensive station services guarantee a service quality comparable to tram networks. Staff are available at all stops to answer questions and assist passengers. The city and operators place great importance on low travel costs to encourage residents to use public transport more — ticket prices are subsidized and cost only six Dirhams (0.55 Euros) per trip.

Modern and Comfortable: 40 CapaCity L Buses in Casablanca’s BRT Network

The high-capacity CapaCity L buses from Mercedes-Benz, modern, comfortable, and environmentally friendly, feature a uniform gold-gray design and offer a high transport capacity of up to 177 passengers per bus. Four wide-opening doors, 58 seats, and a powerful air conditioning system ensure passenger comfort. The equipment allows access for people with reduced mobility via manual folding ramps at doors 2 and 3 and includes two dedicated spaces for strollers and wheelchairs. The propulsion system is based on environmentally friendly Euro VI diesel engines of the OM 470 model, paired with an automatic Voith Diwa transmission.

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