In what has been an exceptionally slow day for Mercedes news, DaimlerChrysler has just put out a press release that's sure to get you Citaro bus fans all hot and bothered.

It turns out, Romanian bus operator Regia Autonoma de Transport Bucuresti and the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary EvoBus GmbH just signed a contract for the delivery of 500 city buses for the city of Bucharest.  Of the 500 buses orderd, the majority will be the Mercedes-Benz Citaro manufactured in the Manheim production plant.  Residents of Bucharest can expect to see the first 400 buses delivered in 2006, with the remaining scheduled for mid-2007 delivery.

I'd love to go into more specifics, but I think instead I'll let the press release bring you the rest of the Citaro excitement in all its splendid glory.  Enjoy.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


DaimlerChrysler receives major order for 500 Mercedes-Benz city buses for Bucharest

Stuttgart/Bucharest, Jan 12, 2006

At the end of December 2005 in Bucharest, the Romanian bus operator Regia Autonoma de Transport Bucuresti (R.A.T.B) and the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary EvoBus GmbH signed a contract for the delivery of 500 city buses for the city of Bucharest. This major order consists of Mercedes-Benz Citaro solo vehicles from the Mannheim production plant. The first 400 buses will be delivered in 2006, with delivery of the remaining 100 vehicles scheduled for mid-2007.

“By ordering 500 Citaro buses, the R.A.T.B. has opted for the leading urban bus on the European market,” said Wolfgang Diez, who is responsible for DaimlerChrysler’s global bus operations. “With these state-of-the-art low-floor buses, Bucharest is setting a new western European standard for Romania.”

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is the most successful family of low-floor regular-service buses in Europe. More than 13,500 Citaro buses have been sold since the beginning of series production in 1998. Thanks to its cost-efficiency and environment-friendly operation, the Citaro is setting new standards in its segment.

Bus passengers appreciate the Citaro’s passenger-friendly low-floor concept, ample headroom and bright and cheerful interior design. And thanks to features such as the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the Electronic Braking System (EBS) with disc brakes at all wheels, the Citaro complies with the latest safety standards.

“The Citaro is a successful model with a global reputation. It can be found in the urban bus fleets of many European capitals, including Rome, Paris, London and Madrid,” said Theodor Maurer, head of Sales at EvoBus GmbH. “This order has tremendous symbolic significance for us. It demonstrates that our sales and product strategy is bearing fruit in central and eastern Europe.”

With a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles, the Romanian metropolitan bus operator R.A.T.B. is the country’s most important transportation operator.

DaimlerChrysler’s global bus operations are combined in the business unit DaimlerChrysler Buses and Coaches. EvoBus GmbH is responsible for the unit’s business operations in Europe.

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler