MOSCOW, 25 May (BelTA) – Mass transit system operators of the Russian city of Kazan have received a batch of 94 low-floor MAZ-203 buses with Euro-5 compliant engines made by the Belarusian automaker MAZ ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the press service of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia told BelTA.
Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin and the head of the Kazan branch of the Belarusian embassy in Russia Oleg Isayev took a closer look at the new buses and were satisfied with the available options. The buses were parked in one line and examined in a central square of the Russian city. Each bus has already been assigned a specific route and has been tested in action.
According to Kazan drivers, the buses offer very soft travel experience and are very reliable. “Certainly, minor repairs are possible. Oil and brake pads may need replacement but capital repairs will not be required since these engines can last forever,” BelTA has been told.
The Kazan mayor said: “First of all, I'd like to thank our Belarusian partners for cooperation, which has resulted in such a long-term program. We bought 50 MAZ buses 11 years ago and they are still in use. They now represent kind of a face of our public transport system. But passenger comfort is what matters. These buses offer a brand new standard of service.”
After this update Kazan's vehicle fleet will be one of the freshest in Russia. Taking into account the 108 other MAZ buses the city acquired in 2016, the share of new buses in the city's vehicle fleet will reach 45%. There are plans to buy a total of 139 diesel MAZ buses this year. It will allow replacing buses made in 2007-2010 with the new make, which offers more comfort.
