Sofia Electrotransport EAD is the name of the carrier in the capital of Bulgaria, whose fleet will be enriched by thirty twelve-meter Trollino trolleybuses. The Solaris vehicles with pantographs for Sofia will be powered by Skoda electric motors. Thanks to being equipped with an additional combustion generator, the vehicles will also be able to operate without overhead lines. The entire contract will be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2011. Sofia is one of fifteen cities in Bulgaria that have trolleybus systems. In the capital, there are nine trolleybus lines with a total length of 104 km, which are served by 148 “trolleys,” primarily of the Ikarus brand. Now, passengers in the agglomeration of nearly 1.5 million inhabitants, located on the Boyana River, will be able to experience the advantages of the low-floor Trollino 12. Bulgaria is the fourteenth country, and Sofia the twenty-fifth city, to purchase Solaris trolleybuses. More than 400 Trollino vehicles from Bolechowo near Poznań are already driving on European streets. Spain has become the next export market for Solaris. Transports Municipals del Gironès SA has decided to purchase the first bus of this brand in Spain. The carrier ordered the smallest of the offered Solaris Alpino buses, with a length of 8.6 meters.
– Although the order concerns only one vehicle, in a market with huge competition from local manufacturers, this is a great success. Certainly, this contract will soon result in further orders from Spanish customers – says Solange Olszewska, CEO of the company.