"In modern cities smart ideas are taken into consideration already in the planning phase," Izmailova told BNS. "Tallinn is degenerating and retreating from principles important to me.

Trolleybus lines were taken down and sold as scrap metal. The trolleybuses were replaced by old rattly buses burning diesel fuel, while in Munich vehicles meeting the Euro 3 pollution standard had been prohibited from entering the city center since October 2012, Izmailova pointed out.

"The current city leaders lack vision, and the wise and progressive solutions of specialists are ruined by ignorance," Izmailova said. "Public money is invested in assets supporting corruption that do not promote the development of public transport as a modern and environmentally sustainable means of transport—making more and more people use cars, which cause traffic jams in the streets as well as atmospheric pollution harmful to [people’s] health."

Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT), the public transport company of the city, picked a winning bid earlier this week for used buses up to 12 years old. For €672,000 the city will buy 15-20 buses. The winning offer was made by KTK Tehnika OÜ based in Kaiu, Rapla County.

The city’s tender specified that the buses need have diesel engines and at least 160 kW power, automatic transmission, and the meet Euro 3 pollution standard.