The Romanian cities of Deva and Hunedoar are planning to run electric buses on a new 20 km bus route that is set to be completed by 2016.
The € 22m project is a joint initiative between the municipal governments of the two cities as well as Hunedoara County Council. Funding from EU sources is currently being secured.
Trolley buses were initially considered for the new line but were rejected in favour of buses with electric batteries.
‘We opted for electric buses because they are a much better alternative, being an environmentally friendly method of public transport without the need to mount overhead wires on concrete pillars,’ said Tiberiu Balint, Vice President of Hunedoara County Council.
Mr Balint said that another advantage of the project is that travellers will pay less for a ticket. A single ticket on the route currently costs 6 Romanian lei (€ 1.40).
Original author: Lewis Macdonald
