Public transport – trolleybuses that can also run without electricity

For residents in more remote neighborhoods and localities near Bălți, the expansion of electric transport depended on the existence of overhead power lines. Thanks to battery-powered trolleybuses, the journey continues even on sections without a contact network, giving people the opportunity to travel without worries.

The modernization took place in several stages. Between 2012–2014, Bălți purchased 23 trolleybuses through a package that included a 1.6 million euro grant from the European Commission and a 3 million euro loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A subsequent phase provided vehicles with batteries and the rehabilitation of the electrical infrastructure, supported by a 2.5 million euro EBRD loan and a 1.2 million euro grant from the multi-donor fund to which the EU contributes. A new package of a 4.6 million euro EBRD loan and a 2.4 million euro EU grant included the purchase of trolleybuses and the modernization of street lighting. By September 2024, the 22 new low-floor trolleybuses with increased autonomy had arrived in Bălți, and the first two had been put into circulation.

The vehicles were assembled in Chișinău. The low floor facilitates passenger access, and the batteries allow the transport network to expand without building a contact network on each new segment. The trolleybuses provide a connection to the villages of Elizaveta, Corlăteni, and Răuțel.