Sometime in 2022, we will see them moving toward Athens the first ones electric buses, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation announced today, Costas Ach. Karamanlis from the Rouf depot.
The leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, accompanied by the management of OSY S.A., boarded yet another electric bus, the fifth in a row, which has been put into trial operation on Line 2 of the «Ano Kypseli–Pangrati–Kaisariani» trolleybus route.
«We are entering a new era of electric mobility,» said Mr. Karamanlis, noting that the tender for the procurement of electric buses is expected to «go live» in August or September, and estimated that The first electric buses will be put into service in Athens sometime in 2022.
He emphasized that Athens will be the European city with the highest proportion of electric buses, as the initial tender will cover the procurement of 200–220 vehicles in the first phase. The minister noted that the necessary funding has been secured from the Recovery Fund regarding the procurement of electric buses, noting, however, that OASA, OSY, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport want to be certain that the best possible choice will be made, with vehicles that meet the needs of Athens, which is why test runs are being conducted under real-world conditions.
He also noted that, at the same time, as part of the electric mobility bill, the necessary infrastructure is being put in place for charging electric buses, not only at depots but also at specific locations throughout the city.
Mr. Karamanlis also pointed out that, for the first time in ten years, there have been recruitment in Public transport and the fleet has been expanded with new buses, through a partnership with the KTEL and through leasing.
Greece is the only European country that, in the midst of pandemic, significantly expanded the fleet and increased the number of routes in public transportation. There are 50% more vehicles on the streets of Athens compared to 2019 and 3,000 more trips are made every day, according to the minister.
«The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation is continuing to implement its plan through three specific steps: First, upgrading the fleet; second, expanding the fleet by awarding a public transportation contract to KTEL and through leasing; and third, renewing the fleet. We are now entering the third phase of the plan, which includes the procurement of electric buses, provided that they have been tested and confirmed to meet the needs of the capital’s public transportation system,» said the Minister of Transportation.
For his part, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Yiannis Kefalogiannis, said: «We are on a steady course to strengthen public transportation with vehicles more environmentally friendly. Electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly prominent part of everyday transportation, and the government is leading by example by renewing its fleet with new buses anti-pollution technology. »We are creating better and higher-quality transportation conditions for citizens, with infrastructure that will continue to serve public transportation even after the pandemic.”.
The CEO of OSY S.A., Stefanos Agiasoglou, stated: «We are leading OSY S.A. into a new era of urban transportation. Today, we are testing the fifth electric bus in a row under real-world driving conditions as part of our plan to replace our fleet with buses featuring new, environmentally friendly technology. The process will begin this fall, and we hope that »By the end of next year, Athens will be the city with the most electric buses in Europe.".
It should be noted that from late last September through today, OSY has tested a total of five electric buses under real-world traffic conditions on the streets of Athens and on major transit routes, three featuring Chinese technology and two featuring European technology.
The 12-meter-long Irizar ie tram electric bus will operate on a trial basis for four weeks under real-world road conditions, on Line 2 of the trolleybus route «Ano Kypseli – Pangrati – Kaisariani.».
It features both automatic and manual ramps for people with disabilities, a sophisticated energy and climate control system, and large glass surfaces. It has a capacity of 23 seated passengers and 68 standing passengers.
The Sarakakis Group of Companies provided the all-electric bus to OSY S.A. for a trial run, in response to the open call by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for the complete renewal of the vehicle fleet with new-technology buses that are environmentally friendly and passenger-friendly.
