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17.07.2012

First Belarusian-Moldovan trolleybus made

CHISINAU, 17 July (BelTA) – A trolleybus has been assembled in Chisinau as part of a joint project involving the Belarusian mechanical engineering company Belkommunmash. The trolleybus was commissioned in the Moldovan capital city on 17 July, BelTA has learned.

Taking part in the solemn presentation and launch ceremony were head of the European Union delegation in Moldova Dirk Schuebel, First Deputy Director General of OAO Belkommunmash Sergei Afanasyev, advisor of the Embassy of Belarus in Moldova Alexander Solovyov, Director of the Electric Transport Office of Chisinau Municipality Georgy Morgoch, Mayor of Chisinau Municipality Dorin Kirtoake, and other dignitaries.

The launch of the first Chisinau-assembled Belkommunmash trolleybus was timed to the 576th anniversary of Chisinau’s first mentioning in official documents. On a previous day the head of the Moldovan capital city administration had visited a modernized trolleybus repair line of the Electric Transport Office of Chisinau Municipality, which is used to assemble new Belkommunmash trolleybuses.

At present the facility in Chisinau takes care of 15% of the assembly work. In the future it is expected to reach 20-30%, thus reducing the cost of trolleybuses.

Four more Belkommunmash trolleybuses will be assembled soon. By the end of the year the total number of Chisinau-assembled Belkommunmash trolleybuses is expected to reach ten. In years to come the facility is meant to turn out 50 trolleybuses every year.

The mayor of Chisinau said the project will fully modernize Chisinau’s rolling fleet within three years. After that other cities of Moldova will be taken care of. Last year Chisinau bought 102 new trolleybuses from Belkommunmash but still needs 152 more. The Chisinau mayor said there are plans to export the Chisinau-assembled trolleybuses to the European Union in the future.

A Chisinau-made Belkommunmash trolleybus costs €135,000, or €10,000 less than those fully made in Belarus.

Head of the European Union delegation in Moldova Dirk Schuebel said the purchase of 102 Belarusian trolleybuses for Chisinau with European Union assistance had been a successful project of cooperation between the European Union, Belarus, and Moldova as part of the Eastern Partnership Initiative. He welcomed the second stage of Belarus-Moldova cooperation that provides for joint assembly of trolleybuses in Chisinau.