By Igor Svetlov
“By late September, 12 Belarusian trolley buses — assembled in Chisinau this year — will be servicing city routes; another 8 will join by late 2013,” explains the Director of the Chisinau Electric Transport Department, Gheorghe Morgoci.
Two years ago, Chisinau bought 120 trolley buses from Belkommunmash, following the company winning an international tender. The city now needs to replace over 150 obsolete vehicles and, with this in mind, an agreement has been signed to set up assembly of Belarusian trolley buses in the Moldovan capital, with the participation of Belkommunmash.
Work began last July and contributed to the development of industrial-technological co-operation between the Minsk company and Chisinau’s Electric Transport Department. The first ‘joint’ vehicle hit the streets of Chisinau on July 17th, 2012 and, last year, ten vehicles were assembled. In 2013, the city Mayoral Office has allocated around 3bn Euros to produce another 20 trolley buses.
It’s expected that up to 50 Belarusian trolley buses will be assembled in Chisinau in future, with staff specially trained in Minsk. Produced on a modernised line, they’ll bear a Belarusian trademark and will allow full modernisation of electric transport in Chisinau and Balti. Moreover, modern Belkommunmash trolley buses may then be sold successfully across Europe — taking into account Moldova’s preferences in trading with the EU.
Belarusian vehicles produced in Moldova consume 35 percent less electricity than old models, while seating more passengers and producing 22 percent more profit. New vehicles will cover an extra 800km annually in their lifetime, compared to old models, and meet all European standards, providing good value for money. They are reliable and ensure modern design and enhanced comfort for passengers and drivers, including passengers with limited mobility.
