The Chisinau City Hall has presented to the public the first 15 trolleybuses “SKODA 24 TR” and “Ganz Solaris Trollino 18” from a batch of 25 units purchased from the Municipality of Riga, Latvia. The remaining 10 transport units are undergoing technical tests at the Chisinau Electric Transport Company repair and assembly workshop. They will be distributed in three Chisinau Electric Transport Company parks to ensure the transportation of Chisinau residents to all areas of the city. The purchase price of the whole lot is ca. 8 million lei.

The trolleybuses are equipped with air conditioners and internal surveillance cameras. They also have a low floor and a folding ramp for people with special needs. The classic ŠKODA 24 Tr model has a boarding capacity of 99 passengers, while the articulated Ganz Solaris Trollino 18 (GST-18) trolleybuses have an increased capacity of up to 170 passengers, including 43 seats.

Ion Ceban, General Mayor present at the launch of the trolleybuses, mentioned that the lot was purchased at a favorable price for the municipality and that the transport means are in good technical condition. “The budget for next year provides 99 million lei for the purchase of another 30 new trolleybuses from Belarus, as well as 262 million for 100 buses, so that the city residents can have access to high quality service when using public transport” the Mayor said.

The trolleybuses arrived in Chisinau in early December, and during this period they underwent a technical check at the Chisinau Electric Transport Company repair and assembly workshop before being launched on route.

Taking into account the new acquisition from Latvia, Chisinau Electric Transport Company has currently 400 trolleybuses. At the same time, about 100 units will be gradually withdrawn from circulation due to their age, some of them being 30 years old.

It is worth mentioning that in early September this year five new articulated Belorussian trolleybuses, which were assembled in the repair and technical workshop of Chisinau Electric Transport Company, were launched on route.