New buses to boost aging city fleets

Greece’s aging city bus fleet will be bolstered with 600 new vehicles, according to a tender being planned by the Transport Ministry for the coming fall.

Of these 600 new buses, 200 each will be powered by electricity and natural gas, and another 200 by diesel, as the ministry seeks to gradually reduce the fleet’s carbon footprint.

Athens will get 450 of the new vehicles and the northern port city of Thessaloniki the remaining 150.

The purchase has been budgeted at 200 million euros, with the funds coming from European Union-backed programs. A second tender for an additional 750 or so buses is being planned for 2021.