UKRAINE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development is providing Mariupol city transport operator MTTU with a loan of up to €13m to finance the acquisition of up to 72 low-floor trolleybuses, spare parts and maintenance equipment and the modernisation of the existing depot and electrification equipment.
The loan will be secured by a municipal guarantee and complemented by a loan of up to €2m from the Clean Technology Fund and a €3m grant from the EU-backed Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership.
Announcing the loan on July 6, EBRD said the population of the second largest municipality in the Donetsk region had increased by 20% in recent years as a result of the arrival of 100 000 internally displaced persons, and demand for public transport was increasing.
The new trolleybuses will be used on existing routes and to expand the network to serve the seafront Morskoy Boulevard. They will provide easier access for passengers reduced mobility, and are expected to reduce the fleet’s electricity consumption by 40%.
EBRD will also provide €460 000 in technical assistance grants to support project implementation and the restructuring of MTTU on more commercial lines.