New trams and trolleybuses will appear on the roads of the capital already this year.
Despite the harsh realities, rolling stock of passenger transport is being renewed in Kyiv. We are talking about trams, trolleybuses and large-capacity buses that transport the people of Kyiv on regular flights.
Before the war, the KMDA promised a large-scale renewal of the tram fleet in particular. And already at the end of February 2023, Kyivites noticed new trams on the left bank of the capital.
Serhii Lytvynov, director of transport of KP “Kyivpastrans”. clarified to “Vechirnyi Kyiv” that within the framework of the contract concluded in February 2021, the company “TATRA-YUG” manufactured and delivered to Kyiv 12 of the 20 contracted passenger self-propelled trams of the K1T306 type. They came from the Dnipro.
“A batch of 12 units has undergone a run-in and is currently plying city routes. The deadline for the delivery of 8 more trams is by the end of 2023,” Lytvynov assured.
“In mid-November 2022, the OJEU — the official website of the European Union and the ted.europa website — announced a tender for the purchase of new trolleybuses over 11.9 and over 18.5 meters long with a 100 percent low floor level for Kyiv. I advise those who want to make sure to find a purchase for link. As of February 2023, the procurement procedure is ongoing,” said Serhiy Litvinov.
When asked about the requirements of the updated legislation and the gradual transition to the use of electric buses instead of diesel buses, Serhiy Lytvynov explained: the company has the opportunity to purchase new vehicles, including electric buses, exclusively from the winners of tenders held in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Public purchases”. Transport can be purchased within the limits of funds allocated from the city budget or with credit funds from international financial organizations.
That is, the transition to electric buses in Kyiv, as throughout the country, will take place gradually as proposals from manufacturers of such transport appear.
According to Serhiy Lytvynov, during the recent forced replacement of ground electric transport routes in Kyiv due to a lack of electricity, only Kyivpastrans buses transported residents of Kyiv. Thus, 52 buses operated on 17 tram routes. 170 buses traveled on 38 trolleybuses.
“These are buses that were previously on the balance sheet of KP “Kyivpastrans” and worked on city bus routes until the very beginning of the large-scale aggression. Buses received by the city as humanitarian aid from European partners during the war also ran,” Serhiy Lytvynov clarifies.
According to him, it is currently planned to issue all buses to public city bus routes.
“Part of the buses is currently being repaired and serviced. If there is a need to replace electric transport with buses again, we will release them on electric transport routes. As of today, the operation of all trolleybus and tram routes has been resumed, except for the night routes that operated before the start of the war,” Lytvynov emphasized.
By the way, at the end of February, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law on Some Issues of Using Vehicles Equipped with Electric Engines and Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Overcoming Fuel Dependence and Development of Electric Charging Infrastructure and Electric Vehicles (Reg. No. 8172).
This law introduces restrictions on the purchase and operation of buses with internal combustion engines (ICE) used in public transport.
From 2036, there will be a complete ban on the operation of buses with internal combustion engines (except for hydrogen and methane). At the same time, local authorities will have the right to adjust the term of introduction of such restrictions.
As a result of this law, electric buses/hydrogen buses/methane buses are expected to make up about 25% of public transport in regional centers in 2030.
Kateryna NOVOSVITNYA
