The government of Paraguay on Sunday introduced 90 new buses that will now be part of the metropolitan public passenger transport system, in an event held at the Paraguayan Air Force Command in Luque, attended by President Santiago Peña, Minister of Public Works and Communications Claudia Centurión, and Deputy Minister of Transport Emiliano Fernández.
The fleet renewal consists of 70 electric buses — 30 owned by the state, donated by the Republic of China (Taiwan), and 40 added by the company Ñandutí S.A. through private investment — along with 20 new combustion-engine buses added by Ximex S.A. Private investment in the process exceeds US$11 million.
The new units feature air conditioning, security cameras, GPS, USB ports, wheelchair ramps, and accessibility and comfort standards. The vehicles are already expanding service in cities such as Asunción, San Lorenzo, Luque, Fernando de la Mora, Capiatá, Itauguá, Mariano Roque Alonso, Limpio, Villa Hayes, and Areguá, operating on lines E1, E2 and E3, 27, 165, and 44, including strategic stretches such as Limpio, Villa Hayes, Avenida Artigas, and the Ex-Transchaco corridor.
Deputy Minister Emiliano Fernández noted that 90% of these units represent an expansion of the existing fleet, not merely a replacement, allowing approximately 20,000 new passengers to gain access to the service. Minister Claudia Centurión emphasized that the addition of the vehicles did not result in a fare increase, which remains at G. 3,400.
Centurión also pointed out that the electric lines E1, E2, and E3 have already surpassed 400,000 validations, while the free transfer system has recorded more than 600,000 connections, generating cumulative savings of nearly G. 2 billion for users. The Búho night service, which connects Asunción to San Lorenzo, Luque, and Limpio with police officers on board, has already logged 27,000 validations.
During the event, President Peña announced that in July the first tender will be launched under the new legal framework for public transport, with an initial focus on the Avenida Mariscal López corridor. The government plans to incorporate approximately 1,000 new buses by 2028 and move toward a more modern, integrated, and sustainable mobility system. The minister compared the process to a gradual transition, stating that "in public transport, there is no Big Bang."
Taiwan's ambassador, José Chih-Cheng Han, noted that the 30 electric buses donated by his country have completed the trial operation phase and are now entering full service, with all charging infrastructure and intelligent systems in place. He expressed the hope that Paraguay can, in the future, develop a domestic electric bus industry, generating jobs and supplying other markets in the region.