BOGOTÁ

Juan Pablo is a student of environmental law in Bogota. He is pleased with what has happened to his city since hybrid buses began replacing traditional buses. “Now you can see the mountains you could not see before because of the pollution!” he said.

The pollution was so thick you would wonder about the safety of the city’s residents, especially children, pregnant women, cyclists, or joggers. Today, a fleet of 337 hybrid buses, 180 of which are supported by CIF and the Inter-American Development Bank, transports 150,000 passengers each day, and collectively travels 17 million kilometers per year. 

And this is just the start.

The hybrid buses represent an important step in the right direction, that of a lower carbon approach to transport - a response to a problem that can be solved and no longer can be avoided. Seeing the hybrid buses rushing through the busy avenues brings hope for a city that is among the most polluted in South America.

“Hybrid buses contribute to bluer skies and cleaner air,” he says. “That makes me feel really good, hopeful for the future,” said Juan Pablo. 

By attracting other investors and influencing transportation policies, the introduction of hybrid buses will benefit the residents of Bogotá in ways other than improving their health. 

And other initiatives, such as an increase in electric vehicles, make Juan Pablo optimistic. "I think it’s our responsibility to make a better future and it’s in our hands."