Nearly twenty years ago, the Peruvian companies Transportes Vulkano, Transportes el Águila and Transportes del Norte agreed to merge with the aim of becoming the largest company in its segment in the north of the Incas. Under the name of Transportes Línea, famous for its completely red paint scheme even on the windows, they have transported more than 2.5 million passengers, 400,000 tickets sold through their digital channels that combine with more than 60 points of sale willing throughout Peru, also serving the business service for mining personnel and parcels.
The company has been betting on Volvo Buses road models in recent years, whose recent deliveries had been oriented towards business transport. Now Linea also wants to update its fleet of vehicles for the passenger segment on long-distance routes and for this reason it has opted for updates to the Volvo B380R, receiving 12 new units.
"We are very happy with the renewed trust of Transportes Línea in Volvo Buses, because we are expanding the interprovincial transport fleet with these 12 buses that are being introduced to the market," says Luis Miranda, commercial manager of Volvo Buses in Peru. For its part, there is a maintenance contract signed with the brand and after-sales support will be provided by Manucci Diesel, dealer and authorized workshop of the Volvo Group in the north of the country.
The buses have several chassis innovations: a new generation of the 12-speed Volvo I-Shift automated transmission; the SSA active safety system with lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. It is accompanied by a revised engine control unit, which supports the reduction in fuel consumption. As if this were not enough, to achieve the highest operational efficiency, the vehicles have the Volvo Connect telematics fleet management solution, recently introduced to the market.
An important detail is the change in mentality and orientation that Transportes Línea has given, both to its service and to the long-distance bus fleet. As a result of the pandemic and the rise in operating costs, the company has adapted, going from double-decker buses with 6X2 chassis to single-decker 4X2 buses but with bodies with a good hold height, which allow for mixed income, both for passengers and for the mobilization of parcels, cargo and parcels.
The Irizar i6s bodywork is the latest in the technology of the Spanish manufacturer, manufactured at the Botucatu facilities (state of São Paulo, Brazil) and allows it to present a new configuration for the interprovincial service of Transportes Línea: buses with a length of 14 meters and 3.90 high, warehouse with 1,350 mm height in the B380R 4X2 chassis. The bodies comply with the latest safety regulations, such as R66.02 and R80.
The interior has 46 semi-bed seats, footrests, viscoelastic headrests and, as an outstanding aspect, three-point seat belts, with Transportes Línea being the first company to include it. For the comfort of the occupants, it includes the bathroom with all the services, Hispacold air conditioning that includes heating for the lower part and Eco3 purifier, which ensures optimal air renewal inside; Additionally, the lighting in the driver and passenger areas has LED technology.
With this incorporation of the twelve units, Transportes Línea marks a new era for the company with a change in mentality and the ability to adapt, incorporating technology that allows finding the balance between quality, safety and respect for the environment offered by Volvo buses.