Lisbon Buses

In 1947 Carris purchased two double-deck Leyland Titan PD1A buses (#201-202). Next came 84 AEC Regent Mark III double deckers and 28 Mark Vs. These were followed by 232 front-entrance Mark V models. The Mark Vs were finally withdrawn in 1991.

In 1964/65 six UTIC-AEC U2006 coaches were acquired and in 1966 six more U2006s as well as 6 Guy Victory buses which arrived in 1967 and were operated as Daimlers. In addition, 6 AEC Reliance 2U2LA buses (fleet nos. 61-66) came in 1966 and 20 more Guy Victories (#67-86) arrived in 1967, the latter having only 18 seats. These (61-86) ran until the early 1990s. A programme of rebodying the single deck AEC Regal IIIs took place with some being converted to double deckers (#440-494). By 1968 the number of passengers using buses exceeded those using trams in Lisbon. the last Regal IIs were withdrawn in 1991.

Fifty 79-seater double deck Daimler Fleetlines were ordered and delivered as #801-850 between 1967 and 1969. Five more dual door vehicles came in 1971 (#851-855). The Fleetlines ran the Linha Verde airport service in the 1980s and the last Fleetline was withdrawn in 1995.

Bus Fleet Developments post-1974 Revolution

A further order for Volvo B59s, in the new orange and mushroom livery, came in 1978/79, as follows:

At the same time (1978/79) Carris also acquired 100 MAN SL200 buses numbered 2001-2100, whose bodywork was provided equally by Caetano and UTIC. Next, in 1980, came 15 Magirus Deutz/Caetano coaches which were used on the airport service before being sold to RN in 1989.

In the early 1980s the following buses were purchased:

No new buses were then acquired until late in 1990 when 40 MAN 10.150 midibuses, bodied by Caetano were purchased. Next, in 1991, came the first 20 of the fleet of Volvo B10M CAMO flexibuses. In late 1990 Carris received 39 MAN10150 HOCL midi buses (#2901-2940) which were being withdrawn by 2006. Renault (CAMO) minibuses were acquired in 1993 and, strangely, their routes included the wholly inappropriate airport service where their size made them impractical for laden air-travellers.

Right: MAN 14.250 HOCL bus at Rotunda (Pombal), June 2019.

By 2000, Carris had acquired:

Early in the 21st century, Carris bought:

A huge fleet renewal, replacing the 1970s and 1980s vehicles, was signified by large orders in 2004, all of which had beendelivered by mid-2006 (see list below).

Bus Fleet Numbers since 1974

Bus Fleet: 2019

Right: Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated bus no. 4810 at Belém on a 15E service, supplementing the tram service on route 15 (2019) .

The articulated fleet comprised:

The midi-bus fleet comprised:

The mini-bus fleet comprised:

The fleet for disabled users comprised:

LEFT : The late 1990s yellow and green livery of Carris is seen here on a Volvo B10M articulated bus at Calvário. The curved-frontbody versions of CAMO bodywork on these vehicles are numbered 1531-89. RIGHT: MAN midibus 2914, bodied by Caetano. As can be seen (right), these vehicles are very rectangular in appearance and are numbered in the 2900 series. They are used on route 100 and on narrow-street routes such as the 37 to the castle. Carris has 39 MAN10150 HOCL midi buses (#2901-2940) but these are being withdrawn (2006).

LEFT : Mercedes low-floor buses, numbered in the 4101 series. These are comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles. RIGHT: Volvo B10R #1326

	LEFT: Renault-engined minibuses bearing the 100 series of fleet numbers were used for several years on the Aerobus route to the airport, for which they were not the most suitable for a service where passengers are often loaded with luggage. They have now been replaced on that service by larger vehicles whilst the standard minibus is now the Mercedes 616 CDI Super Sprinter (Mota bodies), of which 40 are in service and numbered 201-240. RIGHT: Mercedes Citaro low-floor buses. These are air-conditioned vehicles and are used on routes such as 44 and 22. 39 of these O530 Mercedes-Benz Citario buses are currently used (#4111-4149).

LEFT: Natural gas powered Volvo B10L bus, #1824 at Cais do Sodré, 2007. RIGHT: Mercedes 616 CDI Super Sprinter, #222 in Praça da Figueira (2007)

LEFT: Bus 2498, a MAN 18.280 (Marcopolo 2006) RIGHT: 2009: the Aerobus

Carris Services

To help passengers, electronic timer displays are now common at bus and tram stops, as seen right in summer 2003 at Areeiro. Carris runs about ninety routes and most have a 15 minute frequency or better. Further information on the company and its transport museum may be found on the companion page to this dedicated to Carris.

Carristur: Tourist Bus Routes

Left: Carristur open-top Volvo, June 2002. Right: a 2010 view in P. do Comércio.

Open-top tourist buses have boomed since 2000 in Lisbon. As well as the Carristur services of the Lisbon transport operator Carris, services are also operated by CityLine and Cityrama amongst others. Carristur services - now branded as "Yellow Bus" include the Tagus Tour, the Belém Tour and the Olisipo Tour. The Tagus and Olisipo tours start from the Praça da Figueira. The cost (2016) is €16. The Tagus service goes via the north of the city and Estrela to Belém, before returning along the coast to Lisbon; the latter goes to the Parque das Nações, the former Expo 98 site, at Oriente, across the north and west of Lisbon and back to its starting point.

The Belém Tour runs from the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos at Belém and around Ajuda, taking 45 minutes and costing 9 euros.

CityLine services run from Pombal and go via the Pç. do Comércio to Belém and back, via Estrela.

Leyland Fleetline open-top double-deckers, converted from enclosed vehicles operated many of these sightseeing services until c.2002. They were painted a bright yellow with stylised images of the tourist sights of Lisbon. In 2000 a number of converted Volvo B10R singledeckers were converted to open-top buses, (numbered in the 1480/1490 series). These in turn have been supplemented by Volvo B&rLE vehicles (#154-164) delivered from 2003 to 2006.

A MAN tourist midi-bus (July 2003).

The Rede 7 routes are:

L to R: A Carris Volvo (#1326) in Pç. do Comércio, July 2003; a Carris Volvo flexibus also in Pç. do Comércio.

Tickets

Trolley Buses

The route will terminate at the Dolce Vita Tejo shopping centre. The shopping centre operators will contribute four million euros to the project whose costs are estimated at nearly nine million euros for the first phase and a further sixteen for phase two.

Other Lisbon Area Operators

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