Employees of the enterprise stated that such a decision makes no economic sense. The decommissioned trolleybuses pose an emergency threat and constantly require repairs and spare parts that are not produced in Ukraine.
The employees appealed to the authorities with a request to support the domestic manufacturer and abandon the idea of purchasing used transport from Europe. The issue was discussed in the session hall of the city council, where deputies invited the workers after they held a protest near the city council building.
The protesters emphasized that "ASZ No. 1" is the largest enterprise in Volyn. The plant provides jobs for more than 1,000 city residents and regularly pays taxes to budgets of various levels. Last year, these contributions amounted to UAH 79.8 billion. These funds go to the needs of the country's economy, so the staff is outraged by the city authorities' plans to direct budget money to purchase foreign equipment that has already exhausted its service life.
In addition, the plant workers reminded that their products have already proven their viability on the European market. "Bogdan" buses and trolleybuses have EU certification and are supplied to Poland and the Czech Republic. Recently, agreements were reached on cooperation with France and Denmark. The Lutsk enterprise is capable of offering a diverse model range of public transport that meets high European requirements for ecology, safety, and efficiency. The company is betting on the domestic market of Ukraine and is ready to supply new models of trolleybuses and buses not only to Lutsk but also to other cities of the country. However, the habit of Ukrainian officials to purchase decommissioned transport in the EU deprives the plant of such an opportunity.
