CZECH REPUBLIC: Plzeň transport operator PMDP and the European Investment Bank have signed a €50m loan agreement which will be used to finance the purchase of 34 trams and approximately 34 trolleybuses to replace existing vehicles, as well as the modernisation of the Slovany tram depot and power supply infrastructure.
To be undertaken in 2020-22, the depot modernisation includes enabling the use of rainwater to wash vehicles, the installation of green roofs and work to reduce noise.
The programme forms part of the city’s sustainable transport strategy. ‘If we want to draw more people to public transport, we need to make it comfortable and reliable’, said EIB Vice-President Vazil Hudák after the loan was signed on June 26. ‘EIB support for Plzeň will increase the quality and the safety of local transport services, thereby making them more attractive. This project will not only have a positive impact on the environment of the fourth biggest city in the Czech Republic; it will also contribute to the climate goals of the EU and its bank.’
