The local public transport associations (Agens, Anav and Asstra) are sounding the alarm about the possible flop of the tenders for the supply of methane, electric or hydrogen buses. The problem is timing: "Today - the associations explain - the companies in the sector, which in most cases are the subjects responsible for determining the tenders, are still encountering serious and widespread problems, attributable to the bus production chain, in bringing proceed with the procedures for signing i supply contracts by the deadline of 30 September 2022 established under penalty of forfeiture of the allocation of resources".
The associations underline that, in recent months, there has been "an increase in demand for alternative fuel buses, both at national and European level, but there is a strong slowdown in production due to the energy crisis, conflict in Ukraine, cost increase e scarce availability of raw materials. This situation is having a significant impact on the availability and delivery times of vehicles and power infrastructures, with the risk of seriously compromising supply tenders".
“We need – the associations continue – for the government to intervene on the timetable for the use of the 600 million provided for by the Pnrr and intended for the purchase of extra-urban and suburban buses with alternative fuel. Even keeping in mind the 2026 deadline for investments, the signing of supply contracts must be postponed to December 2023. This would consequently also postpone the deadline for implementing 50% of the program by a year and the funding would not be lost”.
To conclude, the associations add, "given the difficulty of increasing alternative diets, it is hoped that they will also be included among the initiatives that can be financed latest generation traditional/hybrid buses which would in any case replace an outdated fleet: over 30% of the vehicles in circulation, in fact, are highly polluting (before Euro IV). All this in the light of the important objective of the Pnrr: the transfer of 10% of private motorization to the public one”.
