In July, representatives of the board of MPK-Łódź Sp. z o.o. signed a contract with a consortium of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. and Millennium Leasing Sp. z o.o. for the lease of 40 buses for a period of 10 years, including a service package. The value of the contract is nearly 95 million PLN.
The order concerns the delivery to MPK-Łódź Sp. z o.o. of 20 low-floor city buses in a twelve-meter version and 20 articulated buses with a length of eighteen meters. These will be the Solaris Urbino models already well-known to the residents of Łódź, this time equipped with eco-friendly engines meeting the strict Euro 6 emission standard. Furthermore, the vehicles will feature an extensive monitoring system. Cameras will record images both inside and in front of the bus, and the recordings will be helpful in resolving potential traffic disputes. Among the additional equipment features, passengers and drivers will certainly appreciate the air conditioning for the entire vehicle space.
The signed agreement assumes not only the lease of Solaris Urbino buses for a period of 10 years but also a full service and maintenance package for the buses. In practice, this means that the carrier pays for the technical readiness of the fleet.
– The delivery of 40 new Solaris buses is another consistent step towards ensuring the highest standard and comfort of travel for our passengers. We are pleased that buses produced in Poland will help us consolidate this trend thanks to modern solutions known from other European cities – said Zbigniew Papierski, President of the Board of MPK-Łódź. – The vehicles will be low-floor, equipped with air conditioning, an electronic passenger information system, a radio communication system, monitoring, a mobile ticket machine, a passenger information system for the visually impaired, and other facilities for people with disabilities.
– Investments in innovative and comfortable rolling stock are proof of the dynamic development of public transport, which is one of the main determinants of a high standard of living in a city. The decision to lease forty eco-friendly, low-floor buses shows that the Board of MPK-Łódź is consistently implementing actions for the development of public transport in Łódź for the benefit of the residents above all – said Dariusz Michalak, Vice President of the Board of Solaris.
According to the terms of the contract, the delivery of the buses will begin 18 weeks after the signing of the agreement. This means that the first new Solaris buses will arrive in Łódź in November, and the entire order will be delivered before the end of this year. Thus, the number of Urbino buses sold to MPK-Łódź will increase to a total of 154 vehicles. MPK-Łódź Sp. z o.o. purchased its first five Solaris buses back in 2000.