He believes that the bus will encourage even more people to use public transportation, which already plays a significant role for many residents of the town stretching along a narrow valley.

Public transport in Jesenice is provided by Arriva Slovenija, with its CEO Bo Karlsson saying today that Arriva's vision was to become a environmental pioneer and was very proud to bring the first hybrid bus to Slovenia.

The hybrid bus cost around EUR 300,000, which is some 30% more than regular buses. But the difference is expected to be offset in four to five years by lower fuel cost.