site.btaRuse to Purchase Two Electric Buses for Future Cross-Border Route to Giurgiu

The Municipality of Ruse will purchase two electric buses to serve a future public transport route linking Ruse with the Romanian city of Giurgiu, Ruse Mayor Pencho Milkov said. The investment is worth around EUR 1.3 million and is being financed through a European-funded project.

A contract for the delivery of the electric buses was signed on Monday by Aleksandar Georgiev, executive director of Municipal Transport Ruse, and Emil Kimak, manager of the supplier, Biofrog CZ. Czech Deputy Ambassador to Bulgaria Jan Jindrich also attended the signing ceremony.

The two electric buses will be manufactured in Czechia and are expected to be delivered within 360 days. Each bus will have 78 seats and a range of at least 250 kilometres on a single charge. Two charging stations are also planned.

The new Ruse-Giurgiu route is expected to begin operating by the end of 2027, Georgiev said.

Following delivery of the buses, the Bulgarian and Romanian sides will hold talks on the necessary coordination and regulatory procedures, Ruse Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev explained. They will also discuss the possibility of exempting buses operating on the route from the toll for crossing the Danube Bridge, which would help keep ticket prices more affordable.

Milkov said the new transport connection would make travel between the two border cities easier and contribute to the development of cross-border connectivity. He added that a Romanian transport operator had also expressed interest in operating a Ruse-Giurgiu route.

Jindrich said the development of transport links should not be limited to connecting individual cities but should also bring countries closer together. He noted that establishing an international transport route was a complex undertaking, but said it was important for the development of both tourism and business.

Funding for the two electric buses and charging stations is part a project financed under the 2021-2027 Regions in Growth Programme. The project has a total value of just over EUR 11.1 million. Among the planned activities is the complete renovation of the building housing the Ruse Art Gallery.