The Ministry of Transport and Communications has launched a tender for the procurement of 150 electric eco-friendly buses and 75 charging stations at a total value of €51 million. The deadline for submitting bids is 30 March 2026.

This is a second attempt following the failed tender of June last year, which collapsed because the sole applicant did not meet the technical requirements. The new tender provides more concrete specifications: buses must be white or red, have a minimum of 33 seats and capacity for at least 66 passengers, and each charging station must provide a minimum of 120 kilowatts.

The planned distribution is as follows: 100 buses will be assigned to JSP "Skopje", and 50 to municipalities outside the capital. The delivery schedule is split into three phases: 30 buses within six months, 60 within 12 months and the remaining 60 within 18 months.

Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski previously emphasised the importance of the project. "Given the Prime Minister's engagement in this process, I am confident that the new buses will arrive this year," he stated.

According to research by the Centre for Civil Communications, JSP "Skopje" currently operates 341 buses, of which only 185 are in working condition and only 157 run on any given day. Passenger numbers have fallen by 30 million over the past decade — from 52 to 22 million annually. The new electric buses should contribute to the renewal of public transport and reduction of air pollution in the city.