‘The first new hybrid articulated bus will be put into operation in Budapest at the beginning of November, as part of the largest hybrid bus fleet to be operated in the central European capitals’, Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták announced at a Budapest press conference on Sunday.
Today the premier product of the state-of-the-art hybrid articulated bus fleet manufactured in Rába-Volvo cooperation was presented in Budapest as part of a ceremonial event.
The presented vehicle already demonstrates the unique parallel hybrid technology and state-of-the-art design to be delivered by the Rába-Volvo cooperation and launched in the capital early next year. The special characteristics of the vehicle include high level of reliability and long life cycle, in addition to increased capacity.
The advantages of the hybrid vehicle compared to the traditional diesel operated buses include low noise level, electronic start function, 40-50% lower emission and up to 39% less fuel consumption. With regard to the latter at annual level up to 27,000 litres of fuel could be saved by a bus operated 6,000 hours a year, which could also be interpreted as an equivalent of the price of a new bus saved in ten years.
As the Minister emphasised, the cooperation between Rába and Volvo is the foundation for building a future. The 28 new buses to be delivered to the capital by early 2015 will be the outcome of this process.
Dávid Vitézy, CEO of the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK) said: 'The capital has recently procured more than 500 modern vehicles. From November our fleet will be extended by the Rába-Volvo hybrid buses to be operated along routes 5, 7 and 9 with significantly lower levels of emission.’
Rába launched its cooperation with Volvo at the beginning of 2013, as a result of which 28 hybrid articulated buses will be added to the vehicle stock of BKK considered as the largest fleet to be operated in the central European capitals.
The idea of the cooperation is to offer state-of-the-art public transport vehicles to the passengers taking into account the market demand and the aspects of environmental awareness. As an added benefit, due to the localised manufacturing and offsetting every forint of the spent public money is utilised within the country.
Based on a contract established with the BKK the hybrid bus fleet will be operated by T&J Kft. The delivery of the localised vehicles manufactured in accordance with the demands and requirements of the Hungarian capital will begin this year. The first vehicle will be launched in November, and the whole fleet will be put into operation from February 2015 to carry passengers along the roads of Budapest.
(MTI / Ministry of National Development)
