Brussels bus rides to become smoother and greener

Bus drivers in Brussels are being trained to adopt a smoother and more environmentally friendly driving style, with a new on-board device that measures the way they accelerate, brake and handle corners.

The system, called EcoDrive, has allowed metro trains to cut their energy consumption by 15% since it was implemented in 2008, and public transport operator STIB is now introducing the technology on 571 of its 688 buses.

A row of lights on the dashboard change from green to red when a driver brakes sharply, accelerates suddenly or turns a corner at too high a speed.

It also tells the driver to switch off the engine if the vehicle is stationary for more than a minute.

A pilot group of 30 bus drivers have been testing the device for the past month and a half, with STIB director-general Brieuc de Meeûs describing the results as "impressive".

The company says that improving driving style could lead to fuel savings in the region of 7-8%, as well as a more comfortable ride for passengers.

All of the STIB's 2,000 bus drivers will undergo training in a real traffic scenario.

Photo: Tram24/Wikimedia. Licensed under Creative Commons