At Judgment Day in the IJGlobal offices in London, the transport award came down to 2 submissions – either this fascinating mass transit solution in Colombia… or a fancified terminal for JFK Airport in New York.

No disrespect intended towards JFK and the redevelopment Terminal 1 – which had stellar minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) involvement and a good deal of support from some of the judging panel – but the decision at the IJGlobal ESG Awards 2022 judging session fell to TransMilenio Bus Concession in Bogotá.

Colombian e-mobility Green Móvil – a JV between Transdev and Grupo Fanalca – financed a fleet of 406 energy-efficient, low-carbon buses that align with CBI sector criteria for low carbon transport for the TransMilenio BRT system in Bogotá. The fleet entered service in April (2022), replacing a host of clapped-out, little-used, particulate-belching diesel death traps.

The service operates 14 routes of the TransMilenio system, bringing passengers from Fontibon into the main TransMilenio system.

Green Móvil signed a 15-year O&M agreement for the new fleet with system operator Transmilenio SA in January 2021. The buses were assembled entirely in Colombia by Superpolo with BYD providing the chassis and batteries.

The sponsors have also built South America’s largest electric bus depot to house the fleet with a total area of 40,000 square metres. The 20MW depot was the largest in the world outside China (at time of commission).

The addition of the Green Móvil fleet helped to reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 1 million tons each year – a significant impact to improving pollution levels in the region.

But the impact goes further as it created designated bus stops where previously there had been none, and cash payment has been removed. Moreover, there were almost 50,000 taxis operated by private companies on the roads due to the inadequate bus service. This also prompted growth in private car ownership, causing high accident rates, long commuting times and severe air pollution.

TransMilenio is a sustainable mass urban transport system based on a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme. The primary objectives of the project are to improve the public transport system with respect to accessibility, efficiency, safety, speed, convenience, and comfort ensuring high ridership.

One of the judges said of this winner: “As a first-of-its-kind green bond issuance verified under the CBI criteria, this debt transaction highlights the key roles cities and city transportation can play in the field of decarbonisation of transport.”

Another pointed to the bellwether nature of this transaction: “A programme such as this one in a region like Bogota has the potential to be a game changer.” The judge added: “The financing is also innovative for the Colombian market.”