MOSCOW, August 13 (RIA Novosti) — Wireless trolleybuses will become a common sight in Pokrovka and Maroseyka streets in Moscow after a renovation, Deputy Mayor for Transport Maxim Liksutov told Moscow 24 TV channel.
The new vehicles would retract their trolley poles and navigate the streets in question running on batteries.
According to Mr. Liksutov, the city officials decided to get rid of the trolley lines as they would look out of place in the pedestrian area. In order not to shut down the existing route there, the mayor’s office will purchase special trolleybuses capable of running on batteries.
The driver would only have to press a single button to retract trolley poles, and when a trolleybus would leave the pedestrian area, the poles would resume their contact with wires.
The renovation of Pokrovka and Maroseyka is scheduled to be completed by August 25. The streets will be transformed into a pedestrian area with expanded sidewalks and only a single lane for motor traffic.