On 8 December 2021, the agreement was signed by Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman and, on behalf of the contractor, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A., by Waldemar Wlazło, Director of Sales for the South-Western Region. The meeting was also attended by Miejski Zakład Komunikacji President Andrzej Jagiera and Dariusz Wawrzkiewicz, deputy head of the Public Procurement and Municipal Investment Department.
The agreement concerns the delivery of a low-floor, electric SOLARIS Urbino 8X, Urbino 8.9 LE electric bus, together with a charger and the necessary equipment, including a set of tools and specialist devices. The contract price is PLN 2,642,040. The procurement is co-financed under the “Zero-Emission Public Transport in the Bolesławiec Urban Municipality” project, part of priority programme No. 3.9, “Air Protection: Green Public Transport (Phase I),” in the form of a PLN 1,637,500.00 grant from NFOŚiGW funds. Agreement No. 631/2021/Wn01/OA-TP-FN/D.
The Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE electric bus is scheduled for delivery in December 2022.
According to the offer, the Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE electric vehicle can carry more than 58 people at once, including 20 seated passengers. The bus will be equipped, among other things, with destination displays adapted to the needs of people with visual impairments and ramps for people with reduced mobility, USB ports, and a passenger information system, including a video surveillance system and a fire detection and extinguishing system. The vehicle will be powered by a 160 kW centrally mounted traction motor.
“Energy will be stored in Solaris High Energy batteries with a total capacity of 211 kWh. The capacity is greater than in the buses delivered previously. They will be recharged via a plug-in connection. The vehicle can travel up to 220 km without recharging,” says President A. Jagiera.
It is worth recalling that in February this year, two electric buses were handed over at the MZK headquarters; they now operate on the streets of Bolesławiec. Miejski Zakład Komunikacji in Bolesławiec also has 13 modern Solaris Urbino 10 buses. The buses are equipped with Euro 6 engines that meet the highest exhaust-emission standards.
Free public transport within the city has operated in Bolesławiec since June 2018. Mayor Piotr Roman stresses that, despite the difficult budgetary situation, free public transport will be maintained in Bolesławiec. Zero-emission buses and free public transport are important elements in efforts to improve air quality in the city. It is worth noting that one bus can replace approximately 20 passenger cars. This means that during rush hour, around 400 fewer vehicles may take to the city’s streets.