The Lviv Bus Works (LAZ) invited city and oblast administrations to examine its new product, a 24-seat commuter bus. Three such vehicles will be available in September plus another 30 in October, whereupon the company plans to receive a license for the first shipment.
According to Vasyl Trach, LAZ president, the new model was conceived by the carriers, since Peugeots and Gazelles cruising city streets fail to meet all passenger needs. The first shipment of the new model was ordered by Kyiv's Avtosvit even before the minibuses began being manufactured. Next year its output is expected to reach 300 vehicles. Actually, LAZ is prepared to supply not only the Ukrainian but all CIS markets. The new model sells at $29,000 and if all goes well the cost will drop to $25,000. By comparison, each Peugeot, seating 12, costs $20,000 and a LAZ clone $60,000 — 70,000.
The new model is mounted on the good old ZIL chassis and is propelled by a Minsk Motor Works engine, although the manufacturer is resolved to install a Western engine in the near future. This will increase the cost by $3,000-$4,000, but the model will be more reliable.
Mr. Trach says large Ukrainian cities buy about 30 buses a year and LAZ puts out 1,300. Myroslav Tarnavasky, head of marketing, takes an optimistic view, believing that over 2,000 new models will be seen on CIS streets within two years.
Traditionally, every new bus model is given a woman's name, probably by analogy with typhoons racing and never stopping before any obstacles.







