Demand for buses in Ukraine drops 10% in Oct 2024 YoY - association

MOSCOW. Nov 11 (Interfax) - The number of initial registrations of new and used buses, including vans, declined 10% to 236 in Ukraine in October 2024 year-on-year, Ukrainian media outlets cited Ukrautoprom, the national association of motor vehicle manufacturers, as saying in statement on social media.

At the same time, this number included 135 new buses (57%) versus 136 (51%) the year before.

Demand for new buses dropped by nearly 5% in October 2024 compared to September 2024, when 247 buses were registered, Ukrautoprom said.

Etalon buses produced by the Chernigov automobile plant led the top three brands of new buses registered in Ukraine in October 2024 with 33 registrations, or three fewer than in October 2023, when Etalon was the second most popular brand.

Ataman, which was the October 2023 leader, ranked second with 30 buses registered in October 2024 versus 49 the year before.

ZAZ ranked third in October 2024 with 28 buses, which was also third with 18 buses in October 2023.

The new registrations in October 2024 also included 16 Citroen buses versus one in October 2023, nine Ford buses (11 in October 2023), seven Bogdan buses (1), and four buses by MAN and Fiat each, according to the association's statistics.

The October 2024 top three brands of secondhand buses registered in Ukraine were Mercedes-Benz (31), Van Hool (10), and Renault (8).

Ukraine's bus fleet grew by 1,651 in January-October 2024, 27% less than in the same period in 2023, Ukrautoprom said. This number included 938 new buses (down 31%) and 713 used ones (down 19%).

Ukrainian bus manufacturers include Cherkasy Autobus, the Chernigov automobile plant, part of the Etalon corporation, and the Zaporozhye automobile plant, part of UkrAuto Group. There is also Bus Motor (Bogdan buses), but it mainly makes school buses procured by regional administrations under the School Bus government program.