Multiobus' move towards a more sustainable and resilient future, even after significant loss, is a testament to their determination and commitment to environmental responsibility.
Multiobus, a leading Belgian transport company based in Tienen, has taken a major step towards a sustainable future with the commissioning of the first two Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G electric articulated buses in Belgium. This delivery is part of an ambitious order for a total of ten eCitaro buses. This transition underlines Multiobus' commitment to electrification, even in the wake of a catastrophic fire last year that destroyed a significant portion of their fleet.
Multiobus, a partnership of four transport companies, plays a crucial role in regional transport within Flemish Brabant and operates on behalf of the Flemish transport authority De Lijn. The company has set a target to electrify at least 1% of its bus fleet by July 2025, 50, an ambition that suffered an unexpected setback due to a devastating fire in October last year. During this tragedy, 22 buses, including 13 electric ones, were lost after a fire in a closed depot. This incident not only caused material damage, but also provided valuable insights into fire prevention and the importance of well-organized data collection for event reconstruction.
Olivier Van Mullem, the general manager of Multiobus, who leads the company together with his colleague Jo Van Pee, shared that Multiobus has been pursuing electrification since 2018. "The serious fire last year was obviously a huge setback. But thanks to forward thinking and quick action, including the ordering of new buses during the Busworld show in Brussels and the acquisition of second-hand Citaros from Germany, we have been able to make significant steps towards our goal,” Van Mullem emphasized.
The company has learned from the fire and is planning adjustments to their storage facilities to prevent such incidents in the future. “From now on we will opt for an open storage location and compartmentalize where possible to minimize damage in the event of fires,” says Van Mullem.
Despite the challenges, including limited charging infrastructure that was also largely destroyed in the fire, Multiobus remains determined to make their fleet more sustainable. The addition of the two new eCitaro G buses, together with the next eight regular eCitaross, marks an important milestone in this transition. Multiobus has five depots and operates around a hundred scheduled buses, in addition to five buses for student transport, five for staff transport, and seven coaches, about half of which now belong to Daimler Buses.
Multiobus
MULTIOBUS is a group formed by the bus companies Autobussen P. Van Mullem from Boutersem, Van Mullem & sons from Tienen, Atlas Cars from Rocourt, Demerstee and De Vlinder from Diest. Over the years, each of these companies have built a good reputation in coach tourism and are also a reliable partner of De Lijn.
