The city of Nyíregyháza in northeastern Hungary is to purchase 47 environmentally friendly buses to introduce cleaner vehicles into its public transport fleet.

During a recent council meeting city officials voted in favour of buying 41 buses fuelled by compressed natural gas, and six electric buses.

The city is using funds from the European Union’s Integrated Transport Development Operational Programme to pay for the buses, from which it will receive 5 billion Hungarian forint (€ 15.9 million).

‘Currently [the city’s] bus occupancy rate is 22 per cent. This is very little but in order for it to be more, we need a more organised, clean and modern bus [service],’ said the Mayor of Nyíregyháza, Ferenc Kovács.