Athens, Greece – Greece is set to enhance its public transportation system with the introduction of 250 new electric buses in Athens and Thessaloniki by the end of April. The purchase agreement for these environmentally friendly vehicles was officially signed by Christos Staikouras, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, and Jack Li, CEO-Europe of Yutong Bus Co. Ltd.
These 250 buses are just the initial batch of a larger plan, which aims to introduce a total of 1,300 electric buses into the transportation networks of Athens and Thessaloniki by the end of the government’s four-year term.
The agreement, awarded following an international tender, carries a total value of €110.8 million, excluding VAT. Yutong Bus Co. Ltd. will not only supply the buses but also take on the responsibility of maintaining, servicing, and operating the 12-meter-long vehicles as per the contract’s specified timeframe.
Furthermore, the contract encompasses the purchase of independent stationary slow chargers, which will be strategically installed at bus depots in both cities. Additionally, seven mobile charging units will be made available for emergency charging needs.
All aspects of the agreement, including the draft, review by the Hellenic Court of Audit, and all necessary documents, have received parliamentary approval.