The Tpl Fvg Consortium will spend 7 million on the renewal of the available fleet and 8 on technological investments
TRIESTE
Seven million euros to renew the fleet of buses already very young (an average age of 7 years in Friuli Venezia Giulia against 12 in Italy), especially methane vehicles (about thirty) for urban and extra-urban services, especially in Udine ( are over 60). But also for the high mobility corridor in Trieste with electric buses, and soon also hydrogen ones. There are also another 8 million euros for investments in technologies.
The Tpl Fvg Consortium – which brings together the local transport companies of Trieste, Udine, Pordenone and Gorizia – draws up the first budgets one year after its birth and the lines of strategies and investments for the future. Let me be clear, we are talking about a consortium of transport companies, each in its own home makes decisions in total autonomy. To speak to the Region, however, there is now, as confirmed by both the president Piergiorgio Luccarini and the managing director, Aniello Semplice (the man of Arriva and Deutsche Bahn), a single person. But “differences and bickering that do no good to anyone” must end, Luccarini reiterates, who puts the “relationship between consortium members” as the first point of the guidelines, with the aim of creating more and more of a system and putting development as a common factor.
And the fact that there are still too many bickering and divergences is also confirmed by the simple director who hopes for «ever greater integration. It is not possible every time to waste twice as much time to get everyone to agree on a decision ». Only two of the three regional transport companies, Trieste Trasporti and Saf Udine, made a strong industrial choice with the entry of a private partner such as Arriva (Deutsche Bahn) which in Udine holds 60% of the shares with 40% public, while in Trieste the relationship is reversed. An ideal situation? Keep 60 or so in public hands, the rest to a private partner to grow and make investments while respecting the social mandate. Pordenone and Gorizia are still far from this goal (both in totally public hands, with all the related problems).
Meanwhile, the Consortium is thinking about tomorrow. “With a kilometer production exceeding 43 million a year we are a pilot experience in Italy” explains Luccarini. Fifth operator in Italy, one of the 20-25 major industrial realities of the Fvg with more than 1,800 employees, an associated company of 300 people and a “return” to the territory of more than 120 million euros between purchases of goods, services, salaries. There are 966 buses, 8,000 stops, 275,000 passengers a day.
And the Tpl Fvg also takes advantage of the Government’s NRP and aims at the technological investments presented yesterday. From the wi-fi hot spot for the entire fleet to the information totems, from the on-board monitors (over one million and 600 thousand euros) to the next stop displays. But the lion’s share are the electronic ink poles in the various stops (over 2 million investment), the passenger count (1.2 million), the automatic touch screen ticket machines and the new video surveillance system. “The cameras on board the buses are used to ensure safety, counter vandalism and ticket evasion – explains Semplice – not to mention that in Trieste, thanks to the cameras, many cases of criminal relevance have been resolved”. Among the new concept services, the “on call” services for areas with low demand (especially the mountains) and intermodality such as the Lignano Link which through the adjustment of timetables allows the integration (including tariff) between train and bus with interchange in Latisana. –