by InTrieste
In a small but symbolic ceremony the city of Udine unveiled two gleaming new electric buses, signaling another step in a sweeping effort to modernize public transportation across the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
The vehicles — Menarini Citymood 10e models — are the latest addition to a much broader regional initiative aimed at replacing traditional diesel-powered buses with greener alternatives by 2030. The ambitious overhaul, which spans the cities of Udine, Trieste, Gorizia, and Pordenone, comes with a hefty price tag: over €300 million in public investment.
“The delivery we’re celebrating today is part of a structured, long-term plan to decarbonize our transport system,” said Cristina Amirante, the Regional Councillor for Infrastructure, during the handover ceremony at the Arriva transit depot in Udine. “It’s about improving service quality, reducing our environmental footprint, and giving people real alternatives to private car use.”
Flanked by Udine’s Municipal Councillor for Mobility, Ivano Marchiol, and Diego Regazzo, CEO of Arriva Udine, Amirante emphasized that the electrification effort forms a core part of the regional government’s broader sustainability and modernization strategy.
Key to accelerating the transition has been the Italian government’s use of European Union recovery funds — specifically through the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR), or National Recovery and Resilience Plan. These funds have helped streamline procurement and production, even as Italy contends with high demand from municipalities nationwide all racing to decarbonize their fleets.
“There have certainly been delays due to production bottlenecks,” Amirante noted. “But today’s delivery shows we’re making tangible progress.”
The new buses are set to hit the streets of Udine in the coming days, joining a slowly growing fleet of electric vehicles as the city moves toward a quieter, cleaner future — one stop at a time.
