In early October 2023, the opportunity arose to take a road trip through central Romania from Bucharest in the south, north through Transylvania, Moldavia and Bukovina. Public transport information on major cities/towns is readily available on line for pre-planning and use a similar online format including comprehensive timetables, route maps and ticketing arrangements. However, the smaller towns have little information and timetables are focused towards the local populations. Transport interchanges and bus stations are easily found using Google maps and street scene.
What was totally unexpected was the modern fleets of buses/trolleybus/trams. In Bucharest, Sibiu and Brasov, major investment in recent years, and still ongoing investment, has seen large fleets of non-fossil fuel vehicles delivered. A great deal of the funding required comes from central government and the EU.
Despite traffic being a major problem throughout the country, cities suffer congestion throughout the day and traffic heading out of town at weekends cause miles of queues, local public transport is popular with heavy loads observed throughout the day and evening.
Romania is a country well worth a visit: beyond the public transport there is wonderful history, architecture and scenery. Not forgetting the food, wine and beer.
SC Tursib SA, Sibiu. SB 46SBT, fleet number 223, Anadolu Isuzu Citiport 12. Built in 2017, entered service in 2020. Approaching the Zidul Cetatii stop (the old walls) on a route 5 outward journey, the high frequency route has a 10-minute morning peak and 15-minute daytime headway.
SC Tursib SA, Sibiu. SB25SBT, fleet number 309, Menarinibus Citymood 18 II. Built in 2018, entered service 2020. SC Tursib SA operate 17 of these vehicles, although on a Sunday this was the only one that appeared to be operating. The only other articulated bus seen on that day was one of the recently delivered CNG powered Mercedes Benz. Photographed departing Zidul Cetatii with a standing load.
SC Tursib SA, Sibiu. SB 70TSB, fleet number 129, Mercedes-Benz Conecto III NGT., new in 2021. Entered service May 2022. Photographed on Bulevardul Victoriei returning to the city centre.
SC Tursib SA, Sibiu. SB 74SBT, fleet number 902, Karsan Jest electric new in 2021. Operating a loop through the historic centre of Sibiu, the minibuses can carry 21 passengers, 10 of them seated. Two recharging points are located opposite the railway station entrance on Piaţa Gării (Train Station’s Square). The charging points look similar to those used for recharging cars and the buses park nose into the pavement, this facility allows for greater utilization throughout the day without the need to return to the depot.
STB SA, Bucharest. B 03826, fleet number 5321, Astra Irisbus Citelis 12T, built 2007. Route 69 operates from Valea Argeșului Metro station via the university to Baicului. During the late evening this route still has seven buses per hour. Bucharest will receive 100 new Solaris trolleybuses in 2024.
STB SA, Bucharest. B 635STB, fleet number 6635, Otokar Kent C12, new in 2019. Operating route 368 Valea Oltului to Piata Romana, the peak vehicle requirements being between 06.00-07.00 hours and 19.00 to 21.00 hours. Photographed passing the Parcul Ateneului Park and Garden. STB SA has 320 Otokar Kents in service.
STB SA, Bucharest. B 703PMB, fleet number 7003, Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 hybrid, new 2020. Route 205 operates north from the old town to Straulesti. Photographed passing the National Museum of Art. The Bucharest Transport Company (STB, Societatea De Transport Bucuresti) was formed on the 13th of September, 2018 after a reorganisation of the financial structure of its predecessor RATB.
RATBV SA, Brasov. BV 22TOC, Karsan e-ATA 18, new 2022. There are currently 12 in operation. Photographed negotiating the roundabout at Nicolar Titulescu Park on route 5 towards Roman.
RATBV SA, Brasov. BV 19WEL, fleet number 2132, SOR EBN 8, new 2021. There are currently 10 in service. These buses are 8m in length, seating 16, fitted with Winston Battery / Lithium-ion with a capacity of 172 kWh. Departing Castel Bus Station on route 50, heading south west to the hills and beauty spot of Solomon's Stones Spring.
RATBV SA, Brasov. BV 01483, fleet number 2003, Solaris Trollino IV 18 Škoda, new 2020. One of 26 in service. Departing Castel Bus Station on trolleybus route 6 towards Saturn, a large bus station south east of the city. Shortly after departing the city centre the trolleybus reverts to overhead power.
RATBV SA, Brasov. BV 20FYS, fleet number 2179, Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 hybrid, new 2021. Photographed on stand in Castel Bus Station, about to depart on route 28 to IAR Ghimbav, an industrial estate and airfield north of the city centre served only at peak times. The service normally terminates at Fundaturii a couple of kilometres short of the airfield.
SC Transport Local SA, Târgu Mureş. MS 82TGM fleet number 109, BMC Procity 12, new 2021. Currently 20 in service.
SC Transport Local SA, Târgu Mureş. MS 19 TGM, fleet number 201, Solaris Urbino IV 12 Electric, new in 2022. The city has 32 in service. Route 20 is a convoluted cross city service with a 15-minute headway between 05.00 and 22.15 hrs. The city of Târgu Mureş has a population of 116,000 located in the Transylvania region of central Romania.
SC Apă Termic Transport SA, Sighișoara. MS 38 ATT Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro, built 2004, arrived in Sighișoara 2020. New to Verkehrsbetriebe Brandenburg an der Havel GmbH as BRB-VK 134. SC Apă Termic Transport SA currently operate 18 vehicles of which 14 are second hand. Despite the number displayed in the windscreen this bus appears to be on route 1. The town has two routes numbered 1 and 2 which both do variations throughout the day. Route 1 has eighteen variations and route 2 twenty variations plus a more regular route listed as ‘Baragan Bus Schedule’.
BMC Romania has its import centre in the north of Bucharest at Ciorogarla, importing two models, the Procity and Neocity. 100 new BMC electric buses will start running in Bucharest by the end of 2023. The first batch of 51 buses arrived in the port of Constanta in October 2023 with the rest scheduled to be delivered in November. The buses are 12 meters long and have a range of at least 200 km between charges, and are produced in partnership with the Chinese company ZTE Smart Auto. Future production of the buses could start in Ciorogârla.
Gura Humorului, Romania. SV 22PGH, Karsan Atak electric, new in 2022. This is one of four acquired by the town. Photographed on route 2 heading towards Voroneț. Gura Humorului is a small town of approximately 17,000 inhabitants located in the north of Romania some 60 kms south of the Ukraine border.
SC Troleibuzul SA, Piatra Neamț. On the left, NT 48TPN, Irisbus Crossway LE 10.8M, new in 2012 to Arriva Lelystad as 85-BBB-4. Purchased by SC Troleibuzul in 2022. On the right, an Isuzu Novociti from 2018. Much of the town centre is undergoing major road works with most bus services being on divert. Piatra Neamț is the capital city of Neamț County, in Western Moldavia the north eastern area of Romania.
SC Transmixt SA, Bistrița. On the right, B 158TMX, Güleryüz Ecoline 12, new in 2016. On the left, BN 09 TMX, Irisbus Crossway 12.8M, new in October 2023. The buses converge on the roundabout at Calea Moldovei and Strada Nasaudului.
