Brussels public transport company STIB-MIVB will be donating 36 buses to Ukraine over the coming months, they announced at a ceremony on Monday.
These are diesel buses that entered service between 2010 and 2011, each with around 700,000 kilometres on the clock, most of which are still operational, CEO Brieuc de Meeûs explained on Monday.
The ceremony was attended by Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR) and the Ukrainian Ambassador to Belgium, Yaroslav Melnyk. The vehicles will have to pass a technical inspection before departure.
STIB is disposing of the buses as part of the transition to an electric fleet.
The STIB vehicles can be used to bolster public transport in Ukraine, but they can also be converted into mobile units where people can go to find some warmth or a working internet connection. The buses that are no longer roadworthy will be used for spare parts or as shelters.
STIB staff will drive the buses to the border between Poland and Ukraine.
