Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz


Early Friday morning, Luis Castañeda, the mayor of Lima, showed off three of the natural-gas buses that will be used on new highways being built throughout Lima.

The new modern buses, which come in three different sizes, will run on natural gas from Peru's Camisea reserve.

The largest of the three is 16 meters (52 feet) long and has a capacity for 180 passengers.

The dashboard includes a small computer screen for the driver and flat television screens for passengers.

The medium size bus is 12 meters (39 feet) long and can transport up to 80 passengers, while the smallest bus is 8.5 meters (28 feet) long and can hold 40 passengers.

Castañeda explained the new buses would be tracked by GPS to make sure they ran on a strict timetable and followed a set schedule.

The mayor stated that not only was new equipment being provided, but that a new type of transportation system was being built.

He explained that buses in Lima "have to be packed like sardines" for the driver to move. That is not the case with this system said the mayor, assuring that the modern buses would follow a schedule.

When asked who would operate the buses, the mayor stated that a bidding process was going to be held to find companies fit to handle the task.

He added that it was hoped that the buses would be assembled in Peru.