Municipality plans to buy 100 more buses until year's enad

By the end of the year, Chisinau local authorities plan to buy 100 more buses like those put into service this summer in an experimental project. The vehicles will be bought with a short-term loan, which will be reimbursed using the savings from reduced fuel consumption, Info-Prim Neo reports. Director of the Urban Bus Company Iacob Capcelea declared during the City Hall operative meeting that the two Volvo buses put into service on July 18 proved easy to drive and showed reduced fuel consumption. In future, it would be best to buy buses of the same model, but with wear of no more than 10 years. “The gas consumption is 71.4 sq. meters per 100 km, which is 11.6% less than the old buses we have. If gas was purchased directly from providers, the saving would increase by 25%”, declared the director. The Urban Bus Company has 50 MAN buses (made in 2006), 50 LIAZ buses (made in 2004), 50 IKARUS buses (made in 1998) and 18 other buses that have been in service for over 20 years. “Only 20 buses actually correspond to regulations of exploitation”, stressed Iacob Capcelea. Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca explained that in order to solve the bus problems, 100 buses of the same type as those put into service this summer. According to him, even if these buses have over 10 years of use, they are in a better state than the new ones bought by the Municipality, which after 8 years aren’t functional anymore. “We’ll buy these buses to save money in future, not to spend them now. The buses will be purchased from the money saved for consumption, parts, etc. This way, things will improve in the field of transportation, but we need the backing of the CMC in this case”, declared the Mayor. Every day, 15 of the 96 buses circulating in Chisinau break and return to bus depots for repair. The city needs an estimated number of 225 buses.