Chelyabinsk Oblast to roll out 132 new buses under federal transport upgrade

Chelyabinsk Oblast is set to receive 132 new buses as part of a federal public transport initiative. The vehicles will serve routes across the Chelyabinsk urban agglomeration, including several key cities and districts. Local carriers will benefit from discounted leasing terms under a state-backed programme.

Russia's Ministry of Transport has greenlit the region's request to allocate the buses. The majority—118 in total—will go to Chelyabinsk, Kopeysk, and the Sosnovsky urban district. Smaller allocations include eight buses for Zlatoust, and two each for Miass and Snezhinsk.

The leasing scheme is managed by the state-owned Gostransportnaya Lizingovaya Kompaniya. Carriers operating on regulated-fare routes can access the buses at a 40% discount. This subsidy forms part of broader federal efforts to modernise public transport infrastructure. Local transport firms will acquire the fleet through preferential leasing terms. The programme aims to improve service reliability and expand capacity across the region's bus networks.

The new buses will enter service under a cost-reduced leasing model. Chelyabinsk Oblast's transport operators can now proceed with fleet upgrades. The initiative targets better connectivity and efficiency for passengers in the urban agglomeration.