Four Hungarian bus makers are now able to manufacture vehicles for export as well as meeting domestic demand, László Palkovics, the innovation and technology minister, said on Friday.
Speaking at a ceremony in Zalaegerszeg, in south-western Hungary, in which the local public transport company signed an agreement to purchase 60 electric buses, the minister said that out of the 8,000 buses as part of Hungary’s public transport system, some 2,000 were already up to date, while the remaining 6,000 were being gradually replaced by buses made in Hungary. Referring to Hungary’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, Palkovics said reducing vehicle emissions was a crucial part of the process. In a single year, Hungary has doubled the number of environmentally friendly cars, and from January this year no more public funding is being provided for the purchase of non-zero emission buses for public transport, he said. The head of national bus carrier Volánbusz, Zoltán Pafféri, noted that the 60 new buses to be produced under the agreement are part of a total of a joint procurement by local governments of 100 buses worth 8.6 billion forints (EUR 23.3m), with 80% of the total financed from a government grant. The buses will be introduced in Zalaegerszeg, Eger, Székesfehérvár, Győr, Szeged and Szolnok before the end of this year, he added.
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