Skopje, 23 August 2024 (MIA) – Strumica will be the first Balkan city that will introduce electric public bus transportation in line with the European Green Deal, announced Strumica Mayor Kostadin Kostadinov Friday at a ceremony in Skopje, in which he was presented with the keys of ten e-buses.

After undergoing customs procedures, being registered and insured, the buses are expected to be transported to Strumica from September 1 until September 6. A month-long test-driving period will begin on September 11, during which period passengers will not pay bus fares so as to detect and fix possible shortcomings.

The citizens of Strumica are making history, said Mayor Kostadinov.

“There was no public transportation in our municipality and also we cannot neglect the fact that Strumica is one of the cities affected by enormous air pollution. Faced with such challenges, it is necessary to make revolutionary and radical initiatives and projects, such as electric public bus transportation. It makes us the first city in the Balkans whose public transportation is fully electric,” he stated. 

The introduction of a fully electric public transportation is in line with the Strumica Smart City concept, alongside the bike lanes in the city center, said Dragi Pop-Stojanov, director of the Strumica Transport Public Enterprise.

“We’re the only municipality in the Balkan region that is introducing 100-percent electric transportation that will use electricity provided by ourselves in the next stage as green energy. In the main bus base, we will install roof photovoltaic collectors on 5,000 square meters so as to turn solar energy into electricity and to become fully energy independent,” stated Pop-Stojanov.

We, he added, will introduce a model of sustainable use of natural resources.

“The energy we will be getting from the planned station, with 1 megawatt capacity, will be quite enough to meet the needs for charging the e-buses, to heat and cool our e-bus center. The excess energy will be used to illuminate the streets in Strumica,” he said.

The Municipality of Strumica procured ten e-buses, worth seven million euros by taking a lease. 

Photo: MIA