The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $50.65 million package to help the Kyrgyz Republic procure battery-electric buses and enhance transport infrastructure in the country’s capital Bishkek city. The bank reports.
The Urban Transport Electrification Project, which comprises a $25 million loan, a $25 million grant, and $650,000 in cofinancing from the High-Level Technology Fund, will finance the purchase of 120 modern, battery-electric buses that will replace outdated diesel and trolleybuses.
The project will also upgrade the infrastructure of two trolleybus depots and establish a 3.5-kilometer green mobility pilot corridor to increase bus speed and improve service reliability of public transport in Bishkek city center.
The ADB notes that the electric buses will be accessible for disabled and elderly passengers as well as women with children. The newly introduced electric bus fleet will use domestically produced renewable energy, benefitting from one of the greenest grids in the Central Asian region.
«This project constitutes the first step toward a long-term electrification of the Kyrgyz Republic’s transport sector,» said ADB Energy Specialist Johannes Vogel. «ADB is working closely with the government to further expand electric vehicle development in the country and to open opportunities for private sector participation.»
The transport sector is a major contributor to air pollution in Bishkek. The soaring number of urban passenger vehicles and minibuses has led to a significant deterioration of air quality in Bishkek over the past years. «Despite its considerable potential for renewable energy, the Kyrgyz Republic relies heavily on imported fossil fuel for transportation, with the transport sector accounting for 28 percent of national greenhouse gas emissions,» the ADB noted.
