New electric buses usher in new era in Tallinn’s public transport
The electric buses commissioned by AS Tallinn Linnatransport (TLT) arrived in the early hours of 16 April from the Solaris factory in Poland and will begin regular operations in May.
The new buses represent a milestone in public transport, having only been tested in Estonia to date. Additionally, TLT is set to adopt modern charging infrastructure built for Northern European conditions that will initially be located on two sites: the Kadaka tee garage, and the Väike-Õismäe terminal.
Kaido Padar, a member of the management board of TLT, says the use of electric buses for regular operations marks the start of a new era in public transport not only in Tallinn, but the entire country and serves as part of a longer-term goal of a complete transition to zero-emission vehicles.
“Here at TLT, it’s our great pleasure and indeed responsibility to serve as trailblazers in public transport, since our task doesn’t simply end with putting new vehicles into use, but also in making purposeful and economically viable use of them in a way that focuses on community needs, which also necessitates the development of support systems,” he said. “The new buses will operate entirely using renewable electricity, as per our trams and trolleybuses. We’ll be the first city in Estonia to gain invaluable experience of how battery-powered buses behave in our climate, as well as data on their driving characteristics and passenger comfort. We’re ready to engage with other transport companies and share our experience with them to ensure that other Estonian towns and cities can adopt modern electric fleets as well.”
Over the coming week, TLT will begin training drivers on the specific nature of the new electric buses in order to ensure better service for passengers.
The project to acquire the electric buses is valued at 10.3 million euros, of which 2.6 million is being covered with support from the Environmental Investment Centre (EIC).
