October 21 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian municipalities of Vratsa and Stara Zagora have signed two contracts worth 85.1 million levs ($49.0 million/43.9 million euro) in total with the environment ministry for the purchase of electric vehicles for public transport, the ministry said on Monday.
The project in Vratsa municipality will benefit from 26 million levs in EU financing under operational programme Environment 2014-2010, while Stara Zagora municipality will receive 44.9 million levs, the ministry said in a statement.
Under the terms of its contract, Vratsa municipality will buy 13 new electric buses, 9 new trolleybuses and 14 slow-charging and fast-charging stations. Stara Zagora municipality will acquire 33 new electric buses and 18 dual charging stations.
The purchase of the electric public transport vehicles is expected to reduce fine particulate matter emissions in both municipalities.
Works on the projects should be completed within a 30-month period in Vratsa and 40-month period in Stara Zagora.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)