The new vehicles have been handed over to four municipal transport operators serving the metropolitan area in southern Poland. The total value of the procurement amounts to almost PLN 305 million (around €70.5 million), with the vast majority financed through Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO).
The fleet comprises 42 electric buses from Solaris, ordered last October, and 31 Irizar ie buses. The latter were officially presented last week and include 16 articulated 18-metre vehicles and 15 standard 12-metre buses. According to Irizar, the vehicles will soon enter service in Sosnowiec, Świerklaniec, Katowice and Gliwice, providing ‘a quieter, more efficient, and environmentally friendly public transport service.’
The buses and charging infrastructure have been distributed among four operators. PKM Świerklaniec received the largest allocation with 49 electric buses and 30 chargers, followed by PKM Katowice with nine buses and five chargers, PKM Sosnowiec with eight buses and six chargers, and PKM Gliwice with seven buses and four chargers.
Alongside the vehicles, GZM has expanded its charging infrastructure with 45 chargers. Most have been installed at the operators’ depots, while one charging point has been deployed at the Kościuszki Street bus terminus in Będzin. The infrastructure includes both lower-power depot chargers and higher-power units intended for faster charging.
