Turbus is one of the most representative transport companies in Chile, which in 2023 will reach 75 years of activities. Currently, it employs more than 3,000 drivers, has a fleet of more than 800 buses, serving road, business and airport transportation, being the first company in Latin America to begin operations with electric buses between Santiago and Rancagua, since 2019.
In the road segment, Turbus has had a long association with Marcopolo, which is around 50 years old and to celebrate that milestone of reaching 75 connecting the roads of Chile, including with its neighbor Argentina, it will receive 58 buses from the Caxias do Sul manufacturer. , representing one of the largest single-lot orders to customers outside of Brazil.
The 58 new Paradiso G8 1800 DD buses will be delivered between September and November of this year for use in the line service between several cities in Chile. The vehicles, all 14 meters long, will have Mercedes-Benz O500RSD 2448 (24 units) and Scania K440 (34 units) chassis, with two configurations, with capacities for 32 and 60 passengers. Therefore, Turbus will offer interiors with bed seats with 180° recline in several of the units ordered.
Fifteen units will have 12 seats with Leito armchairs and 160° recline on the ground floor and 20 180° bed seats on the upper floor for the maximum comfort available. The other 43 buses will have a configuration of armchairs on the lower floor and 48 semi-bed seats on the upper floor, all with USB socket and seat belt activation sensor.
The vehicles will be equipped with an air conditioning system with ultraviolet light for disinfection and heating, streaming, Wi-Fi, individual monitors on the lower floor and three folding monitors on the upper floor (only the 43 vehicles with semi-reclining seats), lighting with chromotherapy, Exterior lighting under the windows, refrigerator, liquid heater and toilet.
Turbus has been a Marcopolo customer since the 1970s and, in 1991, acquired unit number 60,000 of the Brazilian manufacturer, serving nearly 2,000 daily services and transporting 23 million people annually to approximately 150 destinations. It also has its subsidiary Starken dedicated to parcel and last mile transport, as well as Viggo, a passenger company specialized in business services.
Turbus' last large order was in 2019, when it received 74 units obviously manufactured by Marcopolo, 64 Paradiso 1800DD New G7 double-decker buses with Scania K400 chassis and 10 Paradiso 1050 on a Mercedes-Benz O500RS 1936 platform.