PetroSolar to install smart bus stops in Niš by end of May

Serbia’s third-largest city is introducing local bus shelters with solar-powered systems. They will have free 4G Wi-Fi, mobile chargers and LED lighting. A group led by PetroSolar already delivered the smart bus stops, which will be placed in the center of Niš.

The Directorate for Construction of the City of Niš has said PetroSolar projekt doo delivered smart bus stops in line with the contract signed after a public procurement procedure. The firm from Novi Sad has the obligation to dismantle the old structures and replace them with facilities that have independent solar power supply and batteries.

PetroSolar was picked for the job together with Petro-mont doo, Amkor doo, Telefon inženjering doo and Like Line doo. Its offer was RSD 16.1 million or EUR 136,700 excluding value-added tax, which is RSD 19.4 million (EUR 165,000) in total.

In comparison, the city earmarked a maximum of RSD 20 million for the order. The second-ranked group, led by Model 5 doo, offered to do the job for RSD 2.3 million.

The bid was RSD 19.4 million or EUR 165,000 in total compared to the city’s budget limit at RSD 20 million, while the only other consortium has exceeded the cap

The local authorities revealed 23 units would be installed in the first batch. They include LED lighting and a 4G wireless connection, which is planned to be free to use. The smart shelters have three chargers each for mobile devices. The contract expires at the end of the year. It stipulates that more orders are possible.

The directorate said it is examining the possibility to mount displays showing the estimated time of arrival of local buses. The smart bus stops will be placed in the center of Niš by the end of the month, according to the local authorities. It is the third most populated city in Serbia, with 260,000 inhabitants in its territory.