Irizar has consolidated its brand as a leader in the tourism sector in Portugal
Forty-three vehicles for urban transport in the Guimaraes municipality, forty-eight intercity units for the Lisbon metropolitan area and fifteen Irizar i6 units for the Madeira region, among others, make Irizar a sure bet in the Portuguese market.
In 2021 Irizar provided all the new vehicles, more than 16 tons, for urban transport for the Guimaraes municipality. There were 26 Low Entry vehicles on MAN chassis and another seventeen 100% electric Irizar vehicles that will be completed with another four units in 2022. Irizar has thus been able to close significant deals in segments where it hadn't traditionally had penetration.
The urban services in Guimaraes are run by the Guimabus company, which belongs to the Vale do Ave group and which has made a qualitative leap in recent years with solid and steady growth.
Additionally, a double operation with 48 intercity type vehicles has been closed for the Lisbon metropolitan area consisting of twenty-three 14 metre Irizar i4H vehicles and 25 i4H units with CNG technology and MAN chassis. The latter gas units have stop request buttons with Braille for the first time on this kind of vehicle.
Irizar has also recently closed several operations for companies that operate for Flixbus and Rede Expressos and it's the brand with the highest demand for those kinds of services.
Even 100 km from the Portuguese capital Irizar is the undisputed leader in the tourism and intercity segments in the Madeira region, with a presence in all the large companies on the island. In 2021 their position in the market was strengthened even more by closing an operation for 15 Irizar i6 model vehicles for the Horarios de Funchal state-owned company that operates the urban transport services for the city, showing their firm commitment to stimulating tourism on the island. Those units were a major challenge, because the vehicles were adapted to meet the demanding conditions of the island and the unique requirements of the project. The vehicles have also been equipped with PRM lifts. Without a doubt, Irizar has consolidated itself as a leading company in the tourism sector on the island.
Changing Times
In the last two years, Portugal has taken a step forward in renewing their fleet, aiming for 90% Low Floor vehicles. In that time, there have been tenders for services for large suburban and metropolitan areas of the country, in addition to tenders for urban services for the most important cities, which have chosen alternative technologies like CNG (compressed natural gas) and electric vehicles, among others.
