320 Solaris for Athens

Solaris Bus & Coach will deliver 320 low floor city buses to the Greek capital Athens. Representatives of Solaris and Athens bus company E.THE.L signed the contract for 220 midibuses and 100 articulated buses on 16 July 2008. It is

the biggest single contract ever won by Solaris Bus & Coach.

The order is worth over 80 million Euro and calls for 220 low floor midibuses of the Solaris Alpino 8.6 type as well as 100 low floor articulated Solaris Urbino 18. The first of the state-of-the-art city buses will be delivered to Athens six months after the signing of the contract.

The Solaris Alpino 8.6 and Solaris Urbino 18 will be equipped with air-conditioning systems designed to meet the challenging demands of the Greek climate. Easy access for wheelchair users will be ensured by electric ramps. CCTV monitoring systems, electric drivers’ windows and sun-protection window blinds for passengers will also be fitted to ensure highest comfort for bus users in Athens.

The Solaris Alpino 8.6 midibuses will meet the Euro 4 emissions standard, while the articulated Solaris Urbino 18 will fulfil the exacting requirements of the Euro 5 standard. Their clean engines will help to reduce the strain on the environment in the Greek capital by offering sustainable public transport.

"The tender of E.THE.L was one of the most demanding we ever took part in. To ensure highest quality for the purchaser, multi-stage evaluation processes were carried out, including visits to manufacturing facilities as well as intensive tests of products. We are delighted to have won this tender. It is the biggest order in the history of Solaris Bus & Coach," said Krzysztof Olszewski, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach, after signing the contract.

Previously, the largest orders for Solaris had been a contract for 260 Solaris Urbino 18 low floor articulated city buses for Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe of Berlin, signed in 2004, the 2007 order for 225 Urbino low floor buses for the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority and orders placed in 2007 and 2008 by Warsaw Municipal Bus Company, each calling for 150 Solaris Urbino.

Greece is the 18^th export market for Solaris and takes the company into a new country. Buses with the green dachshund already run in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland as well as in the United Arab Emirates.

E.THE.L operates more than 2,000 air-conditioned low floor buses in the Greater Athens region. 326 bus routes are served by seven bus depots. As part of the fleet renewal process, the citizen of Athens will be able to travel in extra style and comfort with the new buses from Solaris, whose distinctive design will soon become a familiar sight on the streets of the Greek capital.