Solaris hands over 50th bus to LVB Leipzig

Solaris Bus & Coach has handed over the 50th Solaris city bus built for Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) of Leipzig, Germany. The jubilee bus is part of a batch of five Solaris Alpino midibuses. LVB have been a Solaris

customer since 2005.

All eyes on the new buses: Malgorzata Olszewska, Managing Director of Solaris in Germany, handed over the 50th Solaris bus for the city of Leipzig to Ronald Juhrs, Director of Technology and Operations at Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB). Together with four sister vehicles, this agile Solaris Alpino midibus will enhance public transport in Leipzig.

"We are delighted to have been able to offer the ideal small size vehicle for Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe with the Solaris Alpino," said Malgorzata Olszewska during the handover. "The Alpino may be small, but it offers the same high level of comfort as its larger relations of the Urbino family of city buses. We are honoured that LVB have chosen its qualities for their fleet."

"With the commissioning of the 50th Solaris, LVB continue their long-term strategy for consistent fleet renewal," said Ronald Juhrs. "These smaller and narrower buses allow LVB to offer cost-effective and comfortable public transport in places where narrow roads and tight corners would make the use of larger buses difficult or even impossible."

14 passengers will find comfortable seats on the 8.6-metre Solaris Alpino midibuses for Leipzig. Four additional tip-up seats offer extra capacity when needed. A multi-purpose area is positioned at the middle of the bus. Wheelchair users will access the new buses via a manual ramp at the centre doors. Leipzig’s Solaris Alpino are powered by a 178 kW (242 PS) Cummins engine meeting the demanding EEV emissions standard. It is matched to a ZF automatic gearbox. Furthermore, the buses are fitted with video surveillance, passenger information systems, passenger television and passenger-operated ticket machines.

LVB have been a customer for eco-friendly Solaris buses since 2005. Apart from Solaris Urbino 12 standard buses, a state-of-the-art Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid bus has been operated since autumn 2007. Its diesel-electric hybrid drive reduces fuel consumption and emissions. This year, LVB will receive another twelve Solaris Urbino city buses, bringing the number of Solaris buses in Leipzig up to 66.