Arriva grows in Croatia with award of new bus contract

Arriva will be growing its bus operations in Croatia, having successfully won a new bus contract following a competitive public tender process in the Croatian city of Velika Gorica, just south of Zagreb.

The expansion of Arriva’s footprint in Croatia further strengthens its position as the country’s largest private bus operator, with more than 600 vehicles connecting communities to 1,000 destinations throughout the country, as well as to European destinations such as Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Services will begin in July this year, and the new contract will bring up to 50 additional jobs into Arriva so it can serve Croatia’s sixth-largest city, which lies just south of Zagreb, the nation’s capital. New routes – including between Velika Gorica city centre and its main railway station – will boost commuter connectivity and encourage the use of sustainable transport.

The contract will run for seven years and commence on 1 July 2024. Customers will be carried on a fleet of 18 MAN Lion’s City buses featuring low floors with ramps, air conditioning and electronic passenger information screens. Arriva Croatia also plans to introduce five electric buses in Velika Gorica from next year, meaning Velika Gorica becomes the first of Croatia's major cities to adopt green transportation.

Sian Leydon, Managing Director for Mainland Europe, said: “This is an important win for our business in Croatia and underlines our reputation as one of the country’s leading public transport providers. Securing the opportunity to expand our operations into Velika Gorica will provide essential links for commuters and is a real endorsement of the quality service we’re delivering in Croatia. Expanding transport links between cities will encourage people to switch from private cars to public transport which is good for the environment and for relieving congestion and pollution.”

Arriva has operated local, regional and international bus services in Croatia since 2013 and serves 11.7m passengers a year. The business manages 14 bus stations, along with nine maintenance centres and employs more than 1,000 staff in Croatia.

About Arriva Group:

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,500 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys across 10 European countries. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, and on-demand transport solutions, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four lines of business: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.