President Boric announces the launch of more than 300 new electric buses in Greater Santiago

Tuesday, July 15, 2025.- Within the framework of the Mobility Network Renewal Plan carried out by the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric Font, announced the launch of 308 new electric buses that, between July and August, will begin to circulate in different districts of Greater Santiago, mainly benefiting residents of Puente Alto. La Florida, Lo Espejo and Pedro Aguirre Cerda.

This is the first batch of the 1,800 buses that will arrive in the coming months, which will allow the capital’s public transport system to have 68% of its fleet fully electric by March of next year, that is, 7 out of 10 buses will have this type of technology.

“Santiago is the city in the world outside China with the most electric buses and today we are an international benchmark, not only in Latin America, but in the world. And from here all the communes are visited, we are talking about Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Maipú, Huechuraba, Puente Alto, La Florida, El Bosque, La Pintana, Las Condes,” said President Gabriel Boric.

The President added that “for both passengers and drivers it is a change in the quality of life (…). To advance in better public transport is to advance in justice, it is to advance in territorial equity.”

In parallel to this renewal, Red Movilidad will begin a process of decommissioning buses that have already completed their cycle in the system. These are 1,600 diesel buses, so the average age of the fleet will decrease from 6.2 to 2.96 years in 2025.

“It fills us with satisfaction to know that more and more people are benefiting from electromobility. And this has been our commitment from the first day we assumed this portfolio, with the focus on improving the conditions of public transport, not only in Santiago, but also in the other regions. With this, Red Movilidad has become more and more a source of pride for the people of the capital, but also a globally recognized system, with modern, safe and environmentally friendly buses, which will soon reach about 6 million users”said the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Juan Carlos Muñoz.

Once the Renovation Plan is finalized, 31 communes of Greater Santiago will have 90% or more Red standard buses, and 11 of them with a 100% electric fleet (Lo Espejo, Macul, San Joaquín, Puente Alto, Ñuñoa, La Reina, Las Condes, Lo Barnechea, Vitacura, Lampa* and Padre Hurtado*).

Among the main features of the new fleet that joins Red Movilidad are its CCTV cameras, both inside and outside the buses, in addition to having WIFI, air conditioning, USB charger, universal accessibility, reserved seats for caregivers, among others.

In addition, during this process of incorporation and renewal, the creation of 14 new routes and the modification of another 10 are contemplated. This will allow an increase in coverage and better connections, for example, with the 290e service that goes from Bajos de Mena to Las Condes and Vitacura. Meanwhile, the 306 service will begin to operate that will connect users of Pedro Aguirre Cerca and Lo Espejo with the center of Santiago.

More women drivers

Another of MTT’s commitments has been to move towards the incorporation of more women drivers in Red Movilidad, with the aim of closing gaps in access and opportunities in a historically masculinized field.

Through the Women Drivers Program of the Metropolitan Public Transport Directorate (DTPM), created in 2022, in partnership with private companies and operators, scholarships have been awarded to obtain A3 driver’s licenses, an initiative that, to date, has benefited more than 300 women.

Between March 2014 and March 2025, there was a 682% growth in the incorporation of women drivers. In this administration alone, the increase is 115%, going from 959 in March 2022 to 2,064 who are currently at the wheel of a bus of the system.