Together with the buses, a set of spare parts and more than 6 tons of diesel fuel will be transferred to Balti. According to the Romanian press, Resita is switching exclusively to “green” public transportation. At the end of 2023, the city received the first ten electric buses purchased by the municipality under the Regional Program. It is being implemented in several stages. Thirteen new streetcars were purchased and the streetcar line was renewed. In March 2025 Reshitsa purchased 14 more electric buses, which will serve both urban and suburban routes. This completes the “green transition” of public transportation.
This is what made it possible to decide to donate the diesel buses to the twin city of Bălţi. Especially since the situation with urban transportation in general, and with bus service in particular, in the “northern capital” is very difficult. There are no municipal buses there. Transportation is carried out by private companies. Passengers repeatedly express their dissatisfaction with the fact that private companies do not always follow the schedule, the cars may not go on the line at all or leave early. The local authorities have practically no leverage over the operators.
Alexander Petkov, the mayor of Balti, proposes to buy several buses on credit to organize the municipal fleet for the benefit of the citizens. At a meeting of the Bălţi municipal council in March 2025, the proposal to take a bank loan of 40 million lei to buy municipal buses on lease was discussed. However, the councilors rejected the mayor’s initiative by a majority vote.
It is clear that if the procedure of donating the buses from Resita is safely completed (the consent of the municipal council of Balti and customs procedures are still needed), it will be a temporary solution. The municipal authorities of the Romanian city purchased the buses in 2016, but not new ones either. Their service life is not specified. Diesel buses, which are also not new, are not the best solution for the ecology of any city.
This is understood by the local authorities of Balti. Alexander Petkov wrote in social network: “A few weeks ago, our specialists were already in Reshita to inspect the transferred cargo. At the next meeting of the Balti Municipal Council, scheduled for June 24, it will be necessary to approve the decision to accept the aid. These buses, though not new, are in working condition and were running in the public transport network of Resita municipality a month ago. Now they will help to improve the work of public transport in Balti municipality.
