As announced, even before the start of World Youth Day, 60 new 12-meter buses arrived in Krakow, equipped with Euro 6 engines that meet the highest European environmental protection standards.
Passengers will have no trouble recognizing the new Solaris buses, as their design differs significantly from the previous version. Compared to the Urbino buses produced by Solaris Bus & Coach SA known in Krakow so far, the new generation offers passengers, among other things, more seats accessible from a low floor and a more spacious interior. A more ergonomic cabin has been provided for drivers, which, thanks to a higher-positioned seat, ensures better visibility. A pleasant surprise awaits users of mobile devices using public transport. On board each of the buses, three USB ports/chargers will be installed, allowing passengers to charge their smartphones or tablets. The buses are equipped with air conditioning, monitoring, and a modern passenger information system consisting of screens displaying the route along with a map of Krakow, as well as voice announcements of stops. Ticket machines have not been forgotten either. Passengers will be able to pay for tickets not only with cash (coins) but also with a payment card.
The vehicles will be powered by ecological DAF engines meeting the strict Euro 6 emission standards. An additional novelty will be an energy recovery system. Kinetic energy recovered during the braking process is converted into electricity and stored in special supercapacitors. It can then be used to power the bus’s electrical system, such as lighting or the ticket machine. This solution allows for reduced fuel consumption.
– I have repeatedly emphasized that by ordering these buses, we want to improve the comfort and safety of our passengers, the residents of Krakow, and tourists. At the same time, however, we want to have an environmentally friendly fleet. The delivery of 60 new buses brings us closer to the goal of directing only vehicles equipped with engines meeting standards above Euro 5 to serve lines in the city center within the Second Ring Road area – says Rafał Świerczyński, President of the Management Board of MPK SA in Krakow.
It is also worth noting that special gates have been installed in the doors of all 60 buses, which will count boarding and alighting passengers, taking into account the location of stops along the route. The data will be used for active transport management, e.g., confirming the need to increase the frequency of vehicles on a given line. The contract with Solaris Bus & Coach SA was signed by MPK SA in Krakow on February 4, 2016. The value of the contract is over 71 million PLN. The purchase of these buses is part of a large EU project, thanks to which the Krakow carrier is purchasing 107 buses (in addition to the 60 12-meter buses, this includes the purchase of 20 electric buses, 12 hybrid buses, 15 midi buses with Euro 6 engines, and the delivery of 12 Krakow City Card ticket machines).
The purchase was carried out as part of the Regional Operational Program for the Lesser Poland Voivodeship for 2014-2020. MPK SA in Krakow will receive over 115.7 million PLN for this purpose from this new program, which constitutes 85 percent of the eligible investment costs. The value of the entire project is over 167.4 million PLN. The agreement for co-financing the purchase of 107 buses and 12 ticket machines was signed on April 21, 2016.