GERMANY
Berlin operator BVG is helping its Ukrainian colleagues to maintain local transport in Kyiv and Lviv by sending four of its iconic yellow double-deckers, and providing spares for trams. Many vehicles and parts of the infrastructure have been destroyed by the hostilities that have been going on since February, and so BVG is donating the four withdrawn double-deckers to the city of Kyiv, and also donating all remaining gearbox and spare parts for Tatra trams, which are no longer in regular service in the German capital, to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin, said: “The German capital stands firmly on the side of the Ukrainian capital. Mayor Klitschko can rely on Berlin. This becomes clear once again through this aid campaign. We help through the state government and state-owned companies. In the summer, for example, we made refuse collection vehicles available for Ukraine. BVG is now following this example and is helping local transport in Kyiv with its donation. Added to this is the overwhelming willingness to help from society. Vitali Klitschko assured me how much any help is welcome. A big thank you to everyone involved!”
Daniel Wesener, Senator for Finance in Berlin, added: “Since the beginning of the war, the public infrastructure in Ukraine has been the subject of targeted attacks by the Russian army and has been badly damaged as a result. It is all the more important to provide concrete assistance to the civilian population and to maintain services of general interest. This also includes local public transport. Vehicles and spare parts are particularly needed on site. The tax authorities have therefore given the BVG the necessary approval for a donation of four double-decker buses and the provision of spare and transmission parts for the Tatra KT4D tram. My special thanks go to everyone involved for the idea, planning and execution of this assistance.”
Rolf Erfurt, Operations Director at BVG, commented: “Since the beginning of the war in February, BVG has been providing support in Berlin with the arrival, care and accommodation of people who have fled the Ukraine. When we received the call for help from our colleagues from the transport companies in Kyiv and Lviv, it was clear to us that we would also comply. The donated double-deckers were in use for around twelve years. They were prepared in the BVG workshops and made fit for the new task. Hopefully they will continue to provide loyal service to the people of Kyiv for a long time to come.”
In addition to the buses, all of BVG’s remaining transmission and spare parts for the Tatra KT4D trams that were decommissioned by BVG in 2017 will be donated to operator Lvivelecktrotrans, which bought 30 trams of the type after they were withdrawn by BVG five years ago.
