Tallinn Aims to Retire Soviet-Era Trolleybuses in 2 Years
The head of the Tallinn Bus Company, Enno Tamm, said that the 30 Škoda trolleybuses still rolling through the streets of the capital could be retired within two years, and the trolley system on the whole could also be heading for an end.
Speaking to Postimees today, Tamm said that when one of the 1980s-era Škodas breaks down in traffic, the whole line is disabled, but newer trolleybuses, such as the 51 Polish-built Solari trolleys the city operates, are able to drive for short distances unconnected to the overhead power cables.
He said that trolleys were popular as they were environmentally friendly, but biogas or hybrid buses are now available as far cheaper alternatives, adding that trams are likely to play a bigger role in Tallinn in the near future and the city has been meeting with manufactures to weigh other alternatives.
The city is set to take delivery of the first of 20 new-generation trams in November this year, with the rest entering service in 2015 and 2016.