Roam has launched a new electric mass transit bus, the Roam Rapid, which has been designed to offer a product for the growing number of cities implementing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems across Africa.
The model has been designed to address the public transport challenges in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as in other cities throughout the continent.
Roam Rapid has a capacity for 90 passengers and is the first bus in Kenya designed for mass transit.
The model has standing and seating areas that allow for efficient boarding and disembarking. It also has priority seats, extended legroom, designated areas for wheelchairs and a low-floor entry for easy access.
Dennis Wakaba, Project Coordinator, Roam said:The solution Roam brings to the Kenyan market enables us to move people safely, comfortably and timely in both a sustainable and affordable way. The bus is designed not only to increase comforts and lower cost but more importantly focuses on the well-being of the population through reduced noise pollution and eliminating local emissions, improving air quality for the cities across Africa.
The Roam Rapid bus is equipped with a 384kWh battery pack that allows for a range of 360 kilometres. It can then be fully recharged in less than 2 hours through DC charging ports.
Through local partnerships, the buses will be partly manufactured and assembled in the Kenyan region.
This announcement follows Roam’s (prev. Opibus) initial launch of Kenya’s first all-electric bus, which was the first electric bus to be designed and developed in Africa.