When the 'Solution' Becomes the Problem

When the city introduced those blue SITP buses last year they were to be the solution to Bogotá's chaotic, inefficient and very polluting public bus system - and they may yet be. But so far they aren't showing it.

Most of the SITP buses travel empty, or nearly so. That was supposed to be a start-up problem - except that after months of operation, their ridership has approved little.

A SITP bus takes off with a blast.

But, at least, officialdom promised us, these new buses wouldn't ignore emissions laws, as the regular buses and TransMilenio buses so flagrantly do.

'Really, honestly, cross our hearts, we're actually enforce the environmental laws this time.'

Except that, as these photos show, they haven't.



Anybody in there?

I can see right thru you.

The motor's on, but nobody's home.

Bogotá's ancient, dirty and chaotic private bus fleet certainly needs replacing - but are more polluting buses - which are also usually empty - the solution?

Should we have expected anything different? After all, the TransMilenio system - an icon of Bogotá - belches out smoke pitilessly.

False advertising? A SITP flyer protrays the bus as clean (tho apparently empty).

By Mike Ceaser, of

Bogotá Bike Tours