OREANDA-NEWS. May 26, 2014. Balti, Moldova’s second biggest city, celebrated the arrival of a fleet of new trolleybuses financed by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a grant from the European Union.

Environmentally friendly and energy efficient, the trolleybuses also have low floors, which improve accessibility for the public, particularly the elderly or those using push chairs or wheelchairs.

The purchase of the new vehicles is part of an EBRD and EU project to modernise public transportation in Balti for which the EBRD has provided a EUR 3 million loan and the EU contributed a EUR1.6 million capital expenditure grant from its Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF).

The financing will also allow the Balti Trolleybus Authority to upgrade the existing power supply infrastructure and to modernise its administrative offices and maintenance equipment. The project will ensure the long-term sustainability of the company’s operations by improving the speed, reliability and overall efficiency of the trolleybus service. This will include optimising operational costs and energy savings, and the adoption of modern management practices.

Bal?i is the second-largest city in Moldova in terms of area and economic importance after the capital city, Chi?inau. Dubbed the “capital of the north”, Balti is a major industrial, cultural and commercial centre and transportation hub.

A special launch event took place on the occasion of Balti City Day at the trolleybus company depot to welcome the first nine of the 23 new vehicles.

Attending the event, Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said: “This project is important because it makes the lives of Balti residents easier and more comfortable and demonstrates very clearly the benefits of European integration for our citizens. In this particular case, it brings higher quality transportation that changes people’s daily lives as well as the city’s image and infrastructure. It will have a positive impact on general prosperity in the city. I thank our European partners for this support, which is yet another proof of the fact that Europe is for everyone.”

Julia Otto, Head of the EBRD office in Chi?inau, said: “The EBRD supports the authorities in bringing quality municipal services where they are most needed – in the regions, outside the capital. This is the EBRD’s first direct project with a regional municipality and a very significant investment that will change people’s everyday lives for the better in Balti. The new trolleybuses represent a major improvement in passenger comfort and service reliability and also provide environmental benefits – they are eco-friendly and energy efficient. Over 100 trolleybuses have been running in Chisinau for three years now and we are proud to help bring new transport solutions to Bal?i as well.”

The EBRD is the largest institutional investor in Moldova. To date, the Bank has signed some 100 investments in the country, covering the energy, transport, agribusiness, general industry and banking sectors, for a cumulative amount of over EUR 900 million. The EBRD is also pursuing intensive policy dialogue to tackle key transition challenges across sectors.