HUNGARY MVK Zrt. has procured 40 rigid and 35 articulated low-floor Lion’s City CNG buses from MAN Truck & Bus for operation in Miskolc. According to the German manufacturer the modern, well-equipped vehicles will help contribute to the renewal of a city which has a 160,000-strong population. In recent years Miskolc’s “Smart & Green” programme has resulted in a marked improvement in the city’s trains and a new tram system being put into operation. Replacing the bus fleet was next on the agenda.
With their green and white livery, the MAN natural gas buses stand out against the dark blue and yellow of the former local public transport fleet. MVK Zrt. expects them to deliver a significant improvement in air quality by reducing harmful emissions. The gas buses also operate more quietly than the former diesel buses.
“We are proud of being able to contribute to the replacement of the bus fleet in Miskolc,” explained Reinhard Faderl, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus Hungary Kft. “The first MAN buses were delivered in 2002 and this was followed by the delivery of Neoplan Centroliner articulated buses in 2006. The latest order represents a new chapter both for MAN and for our good relationship with the city of Miskolc.”
The new buses have audio visual passenger information systems both inside and out, air-conditioning and free WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network). Seating is available for 30 people in the 12-metre buses and 42 in the artics, while there is standing space for 54 and 110 respectively. In the rigids the Euro 6 E2876 engines have an output of 272hp and maximum torque of 1,050Nm at 1,100-1,700rpm. The artics are just under 19m long and have engines that deliver 310hp and 1,250Nm at 1,000-1,700rpm.
MVK Zrt. has invested in its own gas fueling station on the company premises allowing six commercial vehicles to be re-fuelled at the same time in a private area and two cars to be re-fuelled in a public area. This not only ensures re-fuelling for the public transport fleet, but also improves the CNG infrastructure in the region, says MAN.
The handover of the new buses was preceded during the day by a conference at Miskolc town hall. The transport provider Kaposvár Transport Zrt, which put 40 MAN Lion’s City CNG buses into service last autumn, reported at the conference on the excellent operational experience they had had with the buses. According to the transport provider, the buses had been more efficient than expected, and it has been possible to integrate them seamlessly into ongoing operations.
