Astana, Kazakhstan, Feb.19
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Astana Governor's office signed an agreement on supply of 350 IVECO city buses fueled by natural gas, the mayor's office press-service reported.
Some 200 buses will be delivered in the capital on Aug.1 of this year, 150 more on Oct.1, according to contract. Investment project for the implementation of procurement LLP" Astana LRT " will take a loan from the German CommerzBank under the guarantee of the French insurance company CAFAS. The contract sum amounts to 91 million euros.
Acquired buses will be taken to the new municipal depot to be established in Astana in July 2014. At present time, some 8.48 hectares of land are allotted for its construction. Some 8 transport companies with 890 buses are operating in the capital today. The city is served by 49 routes with a total length of 2,444 km.
Some 669,000 passengers are transported daily, according to governor office. The implementation of the agreement will significantly improve the quality of passenger traffic, and the environmental situation in Astana, which is particularly important in the run-up to EXPO 2017.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov and French Ambassador in Kazakhstan Francis Etienne by the board chairman of "Astana LRT" Talgat Ardan and the CEO of IVECO BUS Pierre Lahutte.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N