The entire interior is video-monitored. Six cameras monitor the entrances and exits, the passenger area and the wheelchair spaces at the front. The driver’s workplace is totally isolated from the passenger compartment. The driver accesses this “driver’s cabin” via the first wing of the door. A partition separates this entrance completely from the entrance for passengers, who access the vehicle via the second wing. To make access easier for passengers with restricted mobility, door 2 and door 3 are fitted with truncated ramps. When the fold-and-slide doors are opened by the passenger the ramps automatically extend within two seconds. The new-design bus stops, which have been raised by 270 mm, ensure virtually level access for passengers.

In addition to the usual route number and destination display, the Citaro G features further passenger information: there are four illuminated route map displays at ceiling height, four 15-inch TFT screens and four LED-lit advertisement panels, offering Bus-Way passengers extra information, advertising and news.

The Bus-Way Citaro is powered by a Mercedes-Benz M 447 hLAG natural gas engine with an output of 240 kW (326 hp). The fuel, compressed natural gas (CNG), is stored at 200 bar in the eight tanks on the roof of the vehicle. These have a combined capacity of 1,520 litres - sufficient for a full working day. Gear changes are made via a six-speed automatic transmission.
Route 4 is a public transport project which combines the advantages of the tram with those of the bus. The new Bus-Way line from Nantes to Porte de Vertou has involved creating a dedicated bus lane along the entire route. Those responsible for the Bus-Way project hope that it will relieve inner-city congestion and create the ideal transport link between outlying districts and the city centre. At present the three tram lines which cover the route to the city centre carry around 240,000 passengers a day, primarily commuters. It is expected that around 25,000 passengers a day will use the new Bus-Way route 4 to travel into the city centre. The Bus-Way project has attracted a great deal of attention in France - it is seen as an enlightened approach to the question of growing mobility needs and is therefore being closely monitored throughout the country.

Photos and text:
EvoBus GmbH - Mercedes-Benz Omnibusse