Warsaw ipdates fleet with 120 articulated diesel buses prepared for dual use

In recent years, Warsaw has consistently prioritized the expansion of its electric bus fleet: today, more than 200 fully electric vehicles operate in the Polish capital. In the near future, an additional 169 new electric buses will arrive, resulting from the fulfillment of three new procurement contracts signed this fall. Alongside these significant electric bus procurements, Warsaw issued a tender for 120 articulated diesel buses this August after a long hiatus, which Solaris won. According to the already signed contract, deliveries will begin in the second half of 2026 and conclude in 2027, with the vehicles replacing the city’s oldest buses. The agreement also provides an option to order an additional 100 articulated Solaris diesel buses.

The fully low-floor, 18-meter Urbino buses can accommodate a total of 133 passengers, including 39 seated. The vehicles will be air-conditioned and equipped with an onboard surveillance system. Photovoltaic panels will be installed on the bus roofs to partially cover the energy needs of the electric onboard consumers. In line with the operator’s practice, the vehicles will be equipped with an alcohol ignition interlock (alcolock), which prevents the engine from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver’s breath.

As part of the safety equipment, the vehicles will include several driver assistance and monitoring systems in line with EU GSR II requirements. These include the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW), Reversing Camera or Sensor System (REIS), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Blind Spot Information System (BSIS), Moving Off Information System (MOIS), and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. External passenger information will be provided by white LED destination displays, while onboard LCD monitors will show the route and travel time between stops.

The total contract value is gross 324 million zloty, approximately 30 billion forints. This translates to a gross unit acquisition cost of about 2.7 million zloty, or nearly 250 million forints per vehicle, including all related additional services and technical content, which is significantly higher than the price level of traditional urban diesel articulated buses.

However, the higher unit cost is not solely due to the basic technical content of the vehicles. A key feature of the procurement is that the buses are also designed with additional configurations that enable their use for civil protection and emergency tasks. In emergencies—such as natural disasters or other crisis situations—the vehicles can be used for evacuating large numbers of people, as well as transporting bedridden patients or injured persons on stretchers or beds.

To this end, the buses will be equipped with fastening and conversion solutions that allow for the quick installation of stretchers and beds without special tools, fitting the basic equipment. This dual-use design, which exceeds classic urban operational requirements, significantly influences the procurement cost level. However, it is important to note that the costs of the design and redesign tasks arising from the dual-use capability are borne by the operator, and these—along with related additional equipment such as stretchers and their fasteners—are reflected in the contractual price.

The agreement also allows for the procurement of up to 100 additional vehicles. However, this is not a classic option right, but a special contract award method regulated by the Polish Public Procurement Law, which—under strictly defined circumstances—allows the contracting authority to purchase the same type and configuration of vehicles from the same supplier. However, separate negotiations are required for the price, meaning the price level established during the procurement process is not automatically applicable to future orders.