The Brno Transport Company (DPMB) has announced a tender for the purchase of 37 new articulated buses, which should be delivered over the next couple of years. This order is part of the company’s long-term effort to modernize its fleet of aging vehicles.
These new buses will have a built-in air-conditioning system and low floor, as well as various other modern features. “In addition to the automatic passenger counting system, the carriages will be equipped with a new anti-collision system,” said Miloš Havránek, CEO of DPMB. “It monitors blind spots, alerts drivers to risky situations and helps prevent possible collisions. These will be the first buses in our fleet equipped with this system. In the past, we tested it and the results were promising in terms of preventing traffic accidents.”
The manufacturer should start gradually delivering the new buses from spring 2026, with the last delivery to DPMB expected in 2027. The new buses will be diesel-powered, but city officials claim they will meet the EURO 6 emission standards and will thus have a minimal impact on the environment. They will replace Solaris buses from 2014 and the first compressed natural gas buses, which have now covered 600-700,000 kilometers.
At a time when European regulations require transport companies to gradually increase the number of zero-emission buses, Havránek said that preserving part of the fleet with diesel power is a strategic necessity, as the company has a contract with the South Moravian Fire Service to provide buses in the event of evacuation of the area around the Dukovany nuclear power plant.
“The difficult situation in the energy field in recent years has also shown that it is advantageous to have a diversified fleet in terms of propulsion,” he said. “Nevertheless, we meet all standards for supporting low-emission vehicles and meet the strict requirements set by legislation.”
The estimated total cost of new buses will be around CZK 333 millions, and they will be deployed gradually on lines 42, 44, 50, 84, E50 and E56, joining DPMB’s existing fleet of 320 buses on the streets of Brno.
