Electric Buses in Třinec

BUSINESS Electric Buses in Třinec Třinec, a city in the Beskyd, Mountains, is famous not only for the steelworks Třinecké železárny and wonderful landscapes, but also for being the leader in smart and clean transport. Arriva Morava Company operates electric buses made by the Czech producer Škoda for the public transport system of Třinec, which gives the city an exclusive standing in ecological transportation. “Electric buses are silent, modern, emission-free and environmentally-friendly vehicles. The vehicles are named Škoda Perun HE. We produce them using the new attractive bodyworks of Solaris Urbino. This is a very significant reference project for the future of electric buses in other cities,” Škoda Electric Communication Manager, Mgr. Michal Tobrman, says. Electric buses by Škoda have already replaced dieselpowered vehicles used in primary connections in Třinec so far. New vehicles serve lines of 110–150km daily. At night they are recharged in the bus depot where each bus has a small recharging unit. “In the future, the project will be extended by an automated recharging infrastructure at the bus stops. That will enhance the range and operation of the vehicles. The City of Třinec is therefore becoming a true pilot project and showroom of city transport opportunities in the Czech Republic, as well as anywhere in Europe,“ Tobrman adds. “Transport in Třinec is a major air polluter. It is therefore our duty to do our best in order to improve the quality of environment. Třinec has adopted the concept of a smart city which involves the support of clean mobility and smart transport. In co-operation with Arriva, we have been looking for electric vehicles in public transport, and we are very happy that Třinec is one of the first cities in the Czech Republic with a modern, clean, environmentally-friendly electric bus network. Better quality of air also means a better quality of life, a which corresponds with our motto ‘Třinec – a city full of energy’“, says Třinec mayor Věra Palkovská. Škoda Perun electric buses are purely battery-operated zero-emission vehicles. Their silent and environmentallyfriendly operation qualifies them to replace diesel-fuelled buses in historic centres and residential districts. Škoda Electric ranks among the companies who are successfully developing projects of electric mobility in the Czech Republic and abroad. POSITIV ǀ 2/2018 47