Municipalities in country to be able to purchase ecological public transport within investment program

Chisinau, 8 February /MOLDPRES/- A new project in green public investment and ecological public transport will be implemented in Moldova. The launch of the project -Facilitating Green Public Investment in Moldova: Implementing the Clean Public Transport Program took place late last week and will be funded under the European Union Environment program (EU4Environment).

The project is focused on supporting the implementation of modern services related to public transport, by using clean fuels (compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas) and energy generated from renewable resources. Thus, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in urban centers in our country will be reduced.

"The relaunch of discussions in green public investment and ecological and clean public transport is conditioned by the environmental, economic and social challenges we face and has the role of complementing the efforts of the Moldovan government in promoting green investment in key sectors of the economy. Green investments create opportunities for the development of economic activities that make sustainable use of natural resources and help reduce negative effects on the environment. Moldova's aspirations are to implement the goals of the European Green Pact, which provide for the promotion of economic development values in harmony with the environment, green principles in all sectors, sustainable public transport and the circular economy, "said Dorin Andros, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment.

The implementation of the Clean Public Transport Program includes two stages: the first stage (pilot) is provided for the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti, with a budget of about 19.1 million dollars. The pilot phase envisages the replacement of 77 old transport units (62 trolleybuses and 15 minibuses).

The program will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment and the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, with the support of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The activity is funded under the EU4Environment. Under the overall leadership of the European Commission, the implementing partners - OECD, UNECE, UN Environment Program, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Bank - build on the achievements of previous cooperation programs.

photo: MADRM