The president of BYD, the world's largest electric car manufacturer, has welcomed the support program.Continue reading
The Center for Budapest Transport (BKK) has launched a public procurement procedure for the operation of 50 new electric buses, reports Világgazdaság. The vehicles are planned to be available from 2025.
This is also a new era, as it is the first time that a public procurement procedure for the operation of public bus services has been launched that is expected to be completed with fully electric vehicles.
The call for tenders, published on October 25, is for the provision of 50 solo electric buses, and
therefore includes not only the operation but also the maintenance of the vehicles, the employment of drivers, and even the construction and maintenance of the charging infrastructure.
The vehicles will also be required to have spacious seating, air conditioning, accessibility, on-board cameras, and state-of-the-art passenger information, among other features.
The Center for Budapest Transport revealed that in order to replace the service contracts for the operation of 240 buses that are scheduled to expire from 2025, the center launched three public procurement procedures in September for the first round of service contracts for the operation of 100 articulated and 50 solo buses. The tenders for the remaining 40 buses are scheduled to be launched later this year. As they noted,
thanks to the continuous upgrading of the capital’s bus fleet, only low-floor buses are now in service in Budapest.
BKV Zrt.’s bus fleet was expanded by 135 new vehicles in autumn 2022, and since May, a total of 150 modern, air-conditioned, low-floor, and environmentally friendly vehicles have been in service under the ownership and operation of ArrivaBus Kft. Despite this, there are still almost 300 outdated buses in the capital, and the renewal and continuous upgrading of the bus fleet remains a goal of the city.
Photo via Facebook/BKK – Budapesti Közlekedési Központ
Recently, the Center for Budapest Transport’s service providers ArrivaBus Kft. and BKV Zrt. have repeatedly tested electric buses. Furthermore, the Green Deal announced by the European Commission envisages a carbon-neutral European Union by 2050. The Budapest Mobility Plan therefore favors the procurement of zero-emission vehicles in the bus sector.
As a result, all 48 Solaris-Skoda Trollino trolleybuses that were purchased at a reduced price are already in operation in Budapest and a total of 51 modern, low-floor, air-conditioned CAF trams will be delivered to the capital in the coming years with the support of the European Union.
Via Világgazdaság, Featured image via Facebook/BKK – Budapesti Közlekedési Központ