from the Shanghai Star
Trolleybuses which run on electricity through overhead cables and carry neon advertisements are making a comeback in the city.
Higher running costs have meant most trolleybuses were replaced by petrol-powered buses over the past few years. But with the concept of environmental protection taking hold, there has been a revival of trolleybuses which emit no exhaust fumes around the world and this has attracted the attention of local government.
The city now has a total of over 600 trolleybuses and the figure is expected to rise to 1,000 in the next three years, according to sources with Shanghai Power Supply for Electrical Bus Company.
Bus line No 14, which currently has just one trolleybus in service, will be running 10 air-conditioned trolleybuses within the year. With the use of freon-free coolants in the air-conditioning, these trolleybuses will discharge zero waste-gas.
Trolleybuses with neon advertisements on top will soon be appearing in downtown Shanghai as part of the city's "light project," one of the most important infrastructure projects this year. About 90 such trolleybuses will cover the No 20, No 18 and No 126 routes which all serve the most flourishing sections of Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road.
"Double-energy" trolleybuses or those with storage batteries as an energy reserve which can support the bus for about five kilometres without cable are planned for the Century Boulevard in Pudong.
(Star News)
The page last updated 8 JL 2000
