The reasons why the offer of the Chinese group BYD for the supply of 100 electric buses was rejected 12 meters long, with lower autonomy, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, noting that their procurement will be part of a second tender, which will now concern a total of 750 vehicles with anti-pollution technology.

As the ministry states in its announcement, “of the initially submitted bids for the supply of 100 12-meter long electric buses with lower autonomy (Section 4 of the Tender) in the Open Electronic Tender for the renewal of the urban bus fleet, only one remained valid.

This offer, after examination, last October and December, by the Tender Evaluation Committee in accordance with the prescribed procedure, does not meet the terms and technical requirements of the Declaration and, therefore, was rejected – unanimously for objective reasons”.

It is recalled that the Evaluation Committee was formed and has been performing its duties since March 2022. The Committee consists of the President – Professor of the School of Electrical Engineering of NTUA, two regular members from the relevant Departments of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and two regular members from relevant Addresses of OSY, the urban road transport provider in Athens.

It is noted that the competitor in question had also submitted an offer in Section 5 of the Competition for 250 electric buses. That tender was remarkably similar to that for Section 4. It had, accordingly, been rejected by the Evaluation Committee, for non-compliance with the provisions of the Tender.

Following this development, the supply of the 100 vehicles provided for in Section 4 of the first tender will be included in the second tender, which will now concern a total of 750 vehicles with anti-pollution technology. This has already been launched since last September, is being planned methodically and comprehensively, and is estimated to be announced within the first half of 2024.

Finally, it is recalled that the first 250 electric buses will already be on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki in April 2024, while in any case the strategic planning is being implemented to renew the fleet with 1300 new vehicles with anti-pollution technology, by the end of the four-year period”.