Vilnius City Council OKs purchase of 91 new trolleybuses

VILNIUS –Vilnius City Council has approved the purchase of 91 trolleybuses with autonomous running, in what will be the first phase of the acquisition of a total of 159 such trolleybuses for 92.4 million euros.

After the local council on Wednesday approved the municipality's agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the later will loan 38.23 million euros. Vilniaus Viesasis Transportas (Vilnius Public Transport, VVT), the municipal public transport enterprise, has also secured another 10 million euros under the Climate Change Program.

VVT is set to announce the winner of the trolleybus tender out of the two bidders – Skoda from the Czech Republic and Poland's Solaris. 

Trolleybuses with autonomous running can be charged from the overhead lines and do not need charging stations during the run.

VVT has now a fleet of 252 trolleybuses, including 41 new trolleybuses purchased by 2020.