Lyon , 3 February 2009
“I want the World Ski Championships to be a popular event, car-free and kind to the environment,” announced Jean-Claude Killy in 2005, when Val d’Isère presented its candidacy for the World Alpine Ski Championships, to be held in Val d’Isère from February 3 - 15, 2009.
This is the strong guiding principle behind the mobilization and commitment of the local authorities (the Rhône-Alpes Region, Savoie County and the town of Val d’Isère) and their partners in the field of public transportation (SNCF, Transdev, Société des Téléphériques de Val d’Isère and Irisbus Iveco), in association with the Organizing Committee of the World Championships in Val d’Isère 2009.
In order to limit automobile traffic in the Haute Tarentaise valley, on the access road to the site and within the Val d’Isère city, plans have been developed for coordinated public transportation throughout the area. A high level of service will ensure optimal mobility for all present during the World Championships, offering visitors, staff and tourists alike easy access to the site.
Transportation in Val d’Isère will be entirely car-free, in line with High Environmental Quality standards, thanks to special parking zones on the outskirts of the site and thanks to Irisbus Iveco, technical partner of the event, which will supply six vehicles for all on-site transportation services:
one 19-passenger electric Daily minibus
three 48-passenger electric Europolis midibuses
one 99-passenger EEV standard Citelis bus (26 seats + 72 standing + 1 wheelchair space)
and one 157-passenger articulated EEV Citelis bus (34 seats + 122 standing + 1 wheelchair space).
The minibus and the three midibuses are “zero pollution” electrically powered vehicles, while the two buses are equipped with an Iveco EEV (Enhanced Environmental friendly Vehicle) diesel engine which meets requirements beyond the Euro 5 standards which will be in force as of October 2009.
The vehicles are decorated with the official logo of the event and are a perfect symbol of Irisbus Iveco’s commitment to providing an urban transportation solution that is exceptionally respectful of the environment during the two weeks of the Championships.
Transdev Alpes will handle transport services between Val d’Isère, Tignes and the Bourg Saint-Maurice railway station, in coordination with the regional rail system which will boost its service for the occasion. In Val d’Isère, Transdev will run five other EEV Citelis buses in addition to those provided by Irisbus Iveco. Another bus of the same type will be provided by the town of Tignes.
In total, 12 Irisbus Iveco vehicles will play a key role in the urban transport logistics of Val d’Isère during the Championships.
A major player in the field of urban mobility all over Europe and leader on the French market, Irisbus Iveco (the coach and bus division of the Iveco Group) is constantly improving its offering thanks to intense research and development aimed at confirming its leading role in making public transportation ever more environmentally friendly.