Demand for buses in Ukraine rises 14% in Sept - Ukrautoprom

MOSCOW. Oct 9 (Interfax) - The number of initial registrations of new and used buses, including vans, increased 14% to 247 in Ukraine in September 2024 year-on-year, Ukrainian media quoted Ukrautoprom, the national association of motor vehicle manufacturers, as saying on its social account.

At the same time, this number included 155 new buses (63%), as a year earlier, which is 10 percentage points more than in August this year.

Ukrautoprom said that compared to August this year, when 161 buses were registered, the demand for them surged 53%.

Etalon buses produced by the Chernigov-based automobile plant led the top three brands of new buses registered in Ukraine in September with 60 registrations, up 76%, or 24 buses more than in September 2023, when it ranked second.

Ataman, which was the September 2023 and August 2024 leader, was ranked second with 37 buses registered in September 2024 against 56 year-on-year.

ZAZ ranked third with 24 buses, which was also third with 17 buses in September 2023, and was sixth with three buses in August this year.

The top three brands of secondhand buses registered in Ukraine in September were Mercedes-Benz (31), Volkswagen (16), and MAN (9).

Ukraine's bus fleet grew by 1,415 in January-September 2024, 29% fewer than in the same period in 2023, Ukrautoprom said. This number included 803 new buses (down 35%) and 612 used ones (down 19%).

Ukrainian bus manufacturers include JSC Cherkasy Autobus, the Chernigov-based automobile plant belonging to the Etalon corporation, and the Zaporozhye-based automobile plant belonging to UkrAuto Group, as well as by Bus Motor LLC (Bogdan buses), but their core products are school buses procured by regional administrations under the School Bus government program.