The Lipetsk city leadership has proposed spending one million rubles to acquire ten new buses for the municipality, a plan that caught the City Council committee by surprise given the budget and municipal property considerations in Lipetsk.
Evgeny Chekryzhov, who chairs the city transportation department, explained that the unusually low price is tied to a gift from the Ministry of Transport. In other words, the ministry is handing over ten modern household electric buses to the city under special terms, a move that underscores a close tie between federal support and local mobility needs.
Included in the package are two high-speed charging stations to accompany the buses. The arrangement requires only a symbolic financial participation from Lipetsk, a detail that makes the deal particularly advantageous for local planners and residents.
Electric bus VOLGABUS 5270E
The electric buses and their charging infrastructure are part of the concession package for the tram network, as Chekryzhov notes. This connection points to a broader renewal of Lipetsk’s tram system under a concession with Movista-Regions Lipetsk LLC. Work on the project will bring a new branch line spanning more than 5 kilometers and the purchase of 46 single-piece wagons.
The arrival of the new buses is expected to benefit residents of the surrounding suburbs by facilitating seamless trips to and from interchange points, improving daily commutes and access to urban amenities.
Previously, Lipetsk procured five electric buses from brands including KAMAZ-55994E and VOLGABUS 5270E at a total cost of 82,500,000 rubles. Those vehicles were deployed on routes but experienced mechanical issues. The city now awaits the installation of new components to replace malfunctioning foreign sensors with domestically produced ones, after which the fleet is projected to resume service without delay.