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RIGA, Sept 2 (LETA) - With support from the European Union's Cohesion Fund, Daugavpils Satiksme public transport company in Daugavpils will purchase 20 Scania Citywide buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) for EUR 11.842 million, as representatives of Scania Baltics informed LETA.

The new buses will be purchased as part of the Cohesion Fund project Purchase of Environmentally Friendly Buses for the City of Daugavpils.

Following implementation of the project, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will be significantly reduced in the city, and more efficient use of energy resources will be achieved, according to Scania Latvia representatives.

The project will be implemented by December 31, 2023.

The total cost of the project is EUR 11,842,188, including the Cohesion Fund's co-financing of EUR 10 million.

Maintenance of the new buses will be performed by Scania Latvia service center in Daugavpils.

LETA learned from Transport minister Talis Linkaits (Conservatives) aide Baiba Abelniece that the minister said after his visit to Daugavpils that thanks to cooperation between the state and the local government and a shared understanding of the necessity to develop contemporary public transport system, residents of Daugavpils will have the most modern bus park 

By the end of 2023, Daugavpils plans to buy 47 environmentally-friendly buses.

As a result, 85 percent of Daugavpils bus park will be new, high-quality comfortable buses for all passenger groups.

Daugavpils Satiksme's contract with Scania Baltic for the purchase of 20 new environmentally friendly Scania buses was signed in 2021. The first new bus was delivered to Daugavpils this past June.

Daugavpils Satiksme was registered in 1991, its share capital is EUR 2.936 million, according to Firmas.lv. Last year, the company' turnover was EUR 3.432 million and profit EUR 4,250.

On the other hand, Scania Latvia was registered in 1993 and has a share capital of EUR 406,811. The company's turnover last year amounted to EUR 65.63 million and profit to EUR 4.1 million. The sole owner of the company is Scania CV Aktiebolag, registered in Sweden.