Lithuania Welcomes 141 New Buses to Modernize Public Transport

Lithuania is set to significantly upgrade its public transport system with the arrival of 141 new buses. These modern vehicles will replace older, more polluting models in major cities like Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda, as well as in the municipalities of Šiauliai, Marijampolė, and Tauragė, Jonavos, Mažeikių, and Kėdainių districts.

This initiative is primarily funded by the Sustainable Mobility Fund (DJF), which draws on European Union investments from the Cohesion and European Regional Development Funds for the 2021-2027 period. The Ministry of Transport has earmarked a total of 60 million euros for the renewal of the public transport fleet. Of this amount, 50 million euros are designated for transport operators who have secured passenger transport contracts with 18 municipalities that have developed and implemented sustainable urban mobility plans.

An additional 10 million euros will be allocated to transport operators in 42 smaller municipalities that have not yet implemented such plans. The Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) has already launched three calls for applications for funding the acquisition of electric or hydrogen-powered buses. Two of these calls have already seen DJF funding allocated. The agency is expected to present its evaluation results and funding proposals for the third call to the Ministry of Transport by August 21. A supplementary call is planned to distribute any remaining unused funds from these initiatives.

This investment aims to improve air quality and enhance the efficiency of public transportation across Lithuania, extending the benefits beyond major urban centers to regional areas.

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141 new buses will replace old and polluting public transport vehicles in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Marijampolė and Tauragės, Jonavos, Mažeikių and Kėdainių district municipalities. However, this is not the end – applications from carriers providing services in other municipalities are currently being evaluated, so new, more environmentally friendly buses will soon run not only in large cities but also in the regions.