Environmentally friendly and energy efficient, the trolleybuses also have low floors, which improve accessibility for the public, particularly the elderly or those using push chairs or wheelchairs.

The purchase of the new vehicles is part of an EBRD and EU project to modernise public transportation in Bălți for which the EBRD has provided a €3 million loan and the EU contributed a €1.6 million capital expenditure grant from its Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF).

The financing will also allow the Bălți Trolleybus Authority to upgrade the existing power supply infrastructure and to modernise its administrative offices and maintenance equipment. The project will ensure the long-term sustainability of the company's operations by improving the speed, reliability and overall efficiency of the trolleybus service. This will include optimising operational costs and energy savings, and the adoption of modern management practices.

Bălți is the second-largest city in Moldova in terms of area and economic importance after the capital city, Chișinău. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Bălți is a major industrial, cultural and commercial centre and transportation hub.

A special launch event took place on the occasion of Bălți City Day at the trolleybus company depot to welcome the first nine of the 23 new vehicles.

More information available here. 

European Commission Vice President @NeelieKroesEU, says: "Europe needs to be a producer and not merely a consumer of robots. Robots do much more than replace humans - they often do things humans can't or won't do and that improves everything from our quality of life to our safety. Integrating robots into European industry helps us create and keep jobs in Europe." (SPEECH/14/421)

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