Belarus, Moldova start joint production of trolleybuses

CHISINAU, 10 July (BelTA) – Belarus and Moldova started a joint production of Belkommunmash trolleybuses using Belarus-made components, BelTA learnt from the Chisinau City Hall.

According to the head of the Chisinau Electric Transport Department Gheorghe Morgoci, the facility came on stream on 9 July. All in all, Chisinau has been supplied with five vehicle kits and bus bodies with windows and doors.

Gheorghe Morgoci stressed that this is exactly “joint production” because some part of assembly operations are done in Minsk while others in Chisinau. Trolleybuses will be produced under the Belarusian trademark using the Belkommunmash technology and its aftersales service.

The first Belkommunmash trolleybuses will be assembled by 17 July. The date is timed to coincide with the 576th anniversary of the first mention of Chisinau in official documents. New trolleybuses are assembled at the upgraded trolleybus facility of the Chisinau Electric Transport Department. The assembly line is designed to produce 50 new Belkommunmash trolleybuses per year. However, there are plans to assemble ten trolleybuses in Chisinau by the end of 2012.

The Belkommunmash project will help Chisinau and, in the future, other cities upgrade the electric transport fleets. In 2011 the Chisinau City Hall bought 102 Belkommunmash trolleybuses. However, the Moldovan capital has 152 other trolleybuses that need to be replaced for they have gone out of date. In the future there are plans to ship Chisinau-manufactured trolleybuses to Tiraspol (Transnistria region) and Balti (the northern capital of Moldova). The trolleybuses will be also exported to the countries of the European Union.

The protocol of intent to set up the joint facility to assemble Belkommunmash trolleybuses was signed by Minsk Mayor Nikolai Ladutko and his Moldovan counterpart Dorin Chirtoaca in March 2011.