First e-buses to arrive in Sarajevo in 2027

Sarajevo will receive its first electric buses for public transportation under a project to improve air quality. The delivery to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is planned for 2027.

The Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism has issued a request for bids for the procurement of five new diesel buses, five new low-floor electric buses, and six single or four double charging stations. According to the announcement, BiH has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Air Quality Improvement Project (AQIP) and intends to use part of the proceeds for the procurement of diesel and electric buses.

The procurement is part of a project financed by the World Bank

Bidding will be conducted through international competitive procurement in line with World Bank rules. Bids must be delivered on or before April 9, while the buses must be delivered within 12 months, the request reads.

A USD 50 million loan was approved by the World Bank for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) in mid-2023. The project’s total value is USD 70 million, and the entity government will provide the remaining amount.

FBiH is one of the two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina. The other one is the Republic of Srpska. The bus procurement is part of the third of the project’s four components.

Strengthening air quality monitoring and management is the first component. The second covers scaling up sustainable heating and energy efficiency in single-family houses. The third part envisages the transition to low-emission transport in Sarajevo Canton, while the fourth component is project implementation support.

The project covers four cantons

The project covers four cantons of FBiH: Tuzla, Zenica-Doboj, Herzegovina-Neretva, and Sarajevo.

According to the Sarajevo Canton’s Ministry of Transport, 50 new vehicles for public transport were purchased between 2021 and 2025: 25 trams and 25 trolleybuses. This year, 35 new vehicles will arrive in Sarajevo: 10 buses, 15 minibuses, and 10 trolleybuses.

The delivery of five e-buses in 2027 will mark a historic first for Sarajevo’s public transport, according to the ministry.