USTDA Advances Sustainable Public Transit in Ecuador

(USTDA) Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a technical assistance grant to Quito’s public transit bus operator, Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Transporte de Pasajeros de Quito (EPMTPQ), to help modernize its bus fleet and expand related intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies in Ecuador’s capital city.

“By helping to replace Quito’s diesel-powered buses with a fleet of electric buses, USTDA is demonstrating its commitment to championing climate-smart transportation solutions around the globe,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “USTDA’s assistance will utilize U.S. private sector expertise to help EPMTPQ identify the right equipment and technologies to enhance the quality and sustainability of their transit bus services.”

USTDA’s technical assistance will assess upgrades to EPMTPQ’s bus fleet and related facilities, including bus stations and bus system control centers. The proposed bus system upgrades and ITS solutions will help to improve the efficiency and enhance the integration of EPMTPQ’s public transit systems, which has handled nearly one million trips per day for the people of Quito.

“The demand for public transport in Quito is recovering, which will require investment in the latest technologies to ensure a modern system that will move our citizens in the safest, most comfortable and most orderly fashion,” said Carlos Poveda, EPMTPQ’s General Manager. “Our partnership with USTDA will allow us to identify cleaner and more efficient urban transportation solutions that will benefit our city and even our planet. We believe that our project will serve as an example for other cities in Ecuador and for the rest of the Andean region. We thank USTDA, the U.S. government and President Biden for your support of our climate priorities.”

This project advances the goals of USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure, which connects U.S. industry to major clean transportation and energy infrastructure projects in emerging markets.

U.S. businesses interested in submitting proposals for the USTDA-funded technical assistance should visit www.ustda.gov/work/bid-on-an-overseas-project.