OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2015. GAZ Group, a part of Basic Element, Russia's largest diversified industrial holding, supplied 50 LIAZ low-floor city buses to Rostov-on-Don.

The new bus model that demonstrated an excellent performance when used for public transit service during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2014 will replace the obsolete buses in the fleet of the city that is preparing for World Cup 2018.

GAZ Group supplied to Rostov 50 LIAZ-529260 buses. The buses were purchased as part of renewing the fleet of the city that will host some of the matches of World Cup 2018. As per the FIFA requirements the buses must have a low-floor design, a minimum capacity of 85 passengers and specially equipped spaces for low-mobility persons. The first buses will begin operating in the city's routes as early as February.

"The quality of the buses conforms to the requirements of the program of preparation for World Cup 2018 and the municipal fleet renewal program," - Rostov region Governor Vasiliy Golubev noted upon inspecting the vehicles. – Preparation for the World Cup provides us with a unique opportunity to develop cities and districts of the region to meet the current requirements. The capacity that we will build here will serve our people for decades".

LIAZ-529260 large bus is intended for city public transit and has the highest passenger capacity in its class. The bus can carry 114 passengers including 28 seated passengers and also features a specially equipped space for low-mobility passengers. LIAZ-529260 is equipped with a Euro-4 compliant YAMZ engine with a power output of 275 hp.  The bus is fitted with an automatic transmission and axles manufactured by ZF and a mechanical wheelchair ramp. The low-floor design increases the passenger turnover rate and reduces trip time by 15%. The spacious standing area, vandal-proof seats and "kneeling" system (tilting towards the doors at an angle of 7°) ensure comfortable ride for all categories of passengers. The electronic suspension control allows raising or lowering the bus to travel across challenging road sections.

These buses demonstrated excellent performance when used for public transit service during the Olympics.` Being the Sochi Olympics bus supplier GAZ Group manufactured 30 LIAZ-529230 buses that had been specially designed for the main sports event of 2014. After the Sochi Olympics the buses were transferred to Saint Petersburg. Besides these 30 buses GAZ Group supplied 709 coach buses for the Olympics public transit service. These buses currently operate on bus routes of Moscow region.