Flickr: Roman Avdagić
The city of Sisak in Croatia will receive 11 new buses by the end of August thanks to a loan by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The agreement was signed by the city’s bus operator, Auto promet Sisak, and a Zagreb-based authorised representative of Iveco buses. The signing was also attended by Sisak’s mayor, Kristina Ikić Baniček.
The total loan from the EBRD amounts to €4.5 million, of which €2.3 million will be used for the procurement of the buses. The city will purchase nine intercity and two city buses. Sisak currently has 34 buses and they transport up to 5 000 passengers each day.
The new intercity buses will also be used to transport schoolchildren safely to school. On weekdays, 13 buses in Sisak take around 1 100 students to eight elementary schools around the city.
The remainder of the funds will be used to acquire new equipment; install new ticketing systems (which include payment by SMS); train drivers; and train mechanics how to maintain the new rolling stock.
Mayor Baniček also announced that the city will introduce ticket subsidies for the unemployed, people with disabilities, pensioners and students.
