An articulated
low floor KAMAZ bus is undergoing a test drive in Kazan. Until the end of this
week, it will run on the routes of the transport company PATP No.2. The Mayor
of Kazan Ilsur Metshin looked around the new bus today. The Head of the city noted
that systematic work is being carried out in the capital of Tatarstan to
improve the transport network, the rolling stock of public transport is
regularly updated. “The city is growing with new neighborhoods and residential
complexes, so our next project is a new transport network, as well as the
renewal of rolling stock”, - Ilsur Metshin said.
The 18-meter articulated
low floor bus resembles an Ikarus brand bus, the so-called “harmonica”, popular
in Soviet times. The main advantage of such buses is their capacity. For
comparison, regular buses in the city can accommodate a maximum of 100
passengers, while the capacity of an articulated low floor bus is 162 people, with
44 seats. Ilsur Metshin noted that the new transport, with a successful test
drive, will make life more comfortable for Kazan residents who live in remote districts
of the city. “We need such buses for transport services for residents of the
Salavat Kupere district and the village of Derbyshki”, - he said.
Ildar Shakirov,
deputy head of the Executive Committee of Kazan, noted that the capabilities of
the new transport will be evaluated only after the test drive. “It is important
for us to know how convenient this bus is, first of all, the technical specifications
are important – the capacity for the bus lane and mobility. All tests will take
place without passengers”, - he said. According to him, the transport underwent
a similar test last year in Moscow.
The bus meets
the Euro-5 ecological class, runs on diesel fuel. The exterior design is made
using a new technology, made of composite materials, which provides complete
protection against corrosion. The transport is equipped with ramps for
wheelchaired passengers, systems of forced tilt of the body and navigation. For
the comfort of passengers, there is a spacious salon with a wide platform,
comfortable handrails with driver call buttons, USB connectors for gadgets,
electronic information boards and two screens. A video surveillance system with
8 anti-vandal video cameras is also installed, and there are devices for
contactless fare payment on four doors.
For reference, in
2007, the bus system in the city was transformed. In the same year, buses of
the NEFAZ brand running on diesel fuel were purchased in Kazan.
Presently, there
are 71 routes of municipal passenger transport for 951 vehicles (buses,
trolleybuses and trams) in the city. There are 730 buses, among them 333 NEFAZ
buses, which is 45.6%, of which 190 buses run on compressed natural gas.
Under the
federal project “System-wide measures for the development of road facilities”
of the Safe and Quality Roads national project in 2020 and 2021, the city transport
park was replenished with 113 buses of the NEFAZ brand running on methane. As
part of this program, the federal budget subsidizes 60% of the cost of the bus.