Sistema de Corredores de Transporte Público de Pasajeros del Distrito Federal. or simply called Metrobus, is a BRT system in Mexico City which began service in 2005.

Quick Facts:

Type: Public, Owned by the Federal District of Mexico City

Fleet Size: 304 Articulated and Bi-Articulated Buses

Routes: 5 Dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lines

Manufacturer and Powerplant: The bulk of Mexico City Metrobus fleet is sourced from Mexican heavy vehicle manufacturer DINA. Other models are sourced from Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Marcopolo.

Fare Collection: Fare is collected with the use of a contactless smartcard that has not been given any official branding akin to the way American, Canadian or European smartcards are branded. As is common practice on BRT systems this is the only way to pay for use of the system.

Livery: Mexico City Metrobus is known for its bright red paint scheme.

Innovations: Bus Rapid Transit systems are similar to streetcars and light rail service in the sense that the bus does not service stops at the side of the road but services purpose built stations. The entire network is separated from normal traffic and utilizes its own dedicated bus lanes. This practice makes buses as fast and reliable as trains. In Mexico City it has helped reduce carbon emissions by getting people out of their cars and on the bus.

Driving Dynamics: Drivers of BRT vehicles have it a bit easier as BRT routes are usually straight lines with very few turns. As they drive in bus only lanes for approximately 90% of the route they do not have to worry about traffic at all.