KYIV. Aug 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is eyeing the allocation of EUR100 million for the modernization of public transportation infrastructures in a number of Ukrainian cities, the bank said in a report published on Thursday. The focus will be placed on renovation and increasing transport’s efficiency.
The EBRD Board of Governors will consider the projects on October 14, 2015, it said.
The loans may be extended to public transportation companies in Odesa, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi and some other Ukrainian cities on municipality guarantees.
Before the agreements are signed, the EBRD is set to allot up to EUR 2.5 million under technical cooperation projects and another EUR 5.5 million will be granted after the signing is done.
The bank also said that its Board of Governors would consider on October 14 the allotment of EUR 8 million to the Odesmiskelectrotrans public utility company for buying 45 trolley buses.
According to consultation and technical cooperation in the subproject, EUR 50,000 is to be allocated before signing the agreement and EUR 350,000 – afterwards.
As reported, funding of the purchase of trolleybuses for Odesa is a long term project, more specifically – a 12-year project.
According to Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, the renewal of the trolleybus fleet of the city is long overdue, service life of 100 out of 140 available trolleybuses in the city has expired. However the city budget can’t afford to buy 45 trolleybuses.
According to experts, the last time Odesa bought new trolleybuses was in 2009, when 16 new trolleybuses appeared on the city streets. In 2013, Odesa also bought 13 previously used trolleybuses from the Czech Republic.
