EBRD provides loan for renewal of fleet of city buses

BELGRADE The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has announced a loan of up to EUR 65mn to finance the acquisition of 400 new city buses in Belgrade. "Inhabitants of and visitors to Belgrade will benefit from the modernization of the bus fleet operated by Gradsko Saobracajno Preduzece Beograd (GSP), the Serbian capital’s public transport company," said and EBRD statement. EBRD provides loan for renewal of fleet of city buses The bank explained that its loan would finance 200 low-floor articulated diesel buses, while the city and GSP will acquire the remaining buses in cooperation with the local manufacturers. "The new buses will replace parts of the old diesel bus fleet of older than ten years and thus improve the reliability and quality of public transport services. As the new buses will be EURO-5 compliant they will also significantly reduce the burden on the environment with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions," said the statement. According to the EBRD, "CO2 emissions alone are expected to drop by an estimated 35,000 tons per year". “The EBRD has a strong track record of supporting the transportation infrastructure and system in Belgrade,” said Jean-Marc Peterschmitt, the Bank’s Managing Director for Central and Southeastern Europe. “The City has made significant progress in recent years and the opening of the sector to private competitors and investment in new infrastructure has produced strong results. The challenge now is to build on this, and the EBRD stands ready to support these efforts.” “This project is a continuation of an excellent cooperation between the EBRD and the City of Belgrade,” said Aleksandar Bijelic, Belgrade’s City Manager. “In the last few years the EBRD has become a valuable partner in the development and financing of priority investments in the City. We look forward to new joint investment and development challenges.” Nebojsa Ceran, General Manager of GSP, said: “The new investment in the GSP’s rolling stock will significantly improve the quality of public transport service for the citizens of Belgrade.” In recent years the EBRD has financed the purchase of new buses, the building of a new Sava bridge, the reconstruction of the Gazela Bridge (both co-financed with the EIB) and the renewal of tram cars and tracks in Old Belgrade as part of its involvement in the modernization of Belgrade’s transportation infrastructure. B92

EBRD provides loan for renewal of fleet of city buses

The bank explained that its loan would finance 200 low-floor articulated diesel buses, while the city and GSP will acquire the remaining buses in cooperation with the local manufacturers.

"The new buses will replace parts of the old diesel bus fleet of older than ten years and thus improve the reliability and quality of public transport services. As the new buses will be EURO-5 compliant they will also significantly reduce the burden on the environment with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions," said the statement.

According to the EBRD, "CO2 emissions alone are expected to drop by an estimated 35,000 tons per year".

“The EBRD has a strong track record of supporting the transportation infrastructure and system in Belgrade,” said Jean-Marc Peterschmitt, the Bank’s Managing Director for Central and Southeastern Europe. “The City has made significant progress in recent years and the opening of the sector to private competitors and investment in new infrastructure has produced strong results. The challenge now is to build on this, and the EBRD stands ready to support these efforts.”

“This project is a continuation of an excellent cooperation between the EBRD and the City of Belgrade,” said Aleksandar Bijelić, Belgrade’s City Manager. “In the last few years the EBRD has become a valuable partner in the development and financing of priority investments in the City. We look forward to new joint investment and development challenges.”

Nebojša Ćeran, General Manager of GSP, said: “The new investment in the GSP’s rolling stock will significantly improve the quality of public transport service for the citizens of Belgrade.”

In recent years the EBRD has financed the purchase of new buses, the building of a new Sava bridge, the reconstruction of the Gazela Bridge (both co-financed with the EIB) and the renewal of tram cars and tracks in Old Belgrade as part of its involvement in the modernization of Belgrade’s transportation infrastructure.