June 23, 2022. Consip, the central purchasing department of the Italian public administration, has awarded the framework agreement for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses for central/local governments and public transport companies. The winners were Scania (Italscania), Industria Italiana Autobus, Iveco and Otokar.
The Framework Agreement will have a duration of 18 months (possibly extendable by an additional 6), while the contracts signed by the administrations will have a duration of 10 years. The contract is scheduled to be activated in July.
The initiative makes available more than 1,000 vehicles of different sizes (including more than 800 powered by CNG and about 200 fueled by LNG) that PAs will be able to purchase using the resources of the Complementary Fund to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) earmarked for the purchase of buses used for suburban public transport (Ministerial Decree on Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility No. 315 of 02/08/2021).
The advantages of using the framework agreement include the opportunity to have multiple suppliers, significant breadth of range, high customization of supply based on one’s needs with colors, liveries, additional equipment for the driver’s seat and passenger compartment, on-board devices in use for LPT, Driver Assistance Systems, anti-Covid measures, passenger safety devices or use of full service maintenance.
