Azerbaijan Plans to Replace Baku's Remaining Older Diesel Buses in 2027

Azerbaijan plans to replace the remaining older diesel buses in its capital, Baku, during 2027, a senior transport official said on October 28. The statement outlines a target for public transport renewal, not a completed replacement programme.

Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov told a sustainable-development dialogue in Baku that approximately 2,600 buses now operate in the city, up from about 1,700 three years ago. He said the additional 900 vehicles use compressed natural gas or electric propulsion.

Hummatov said officials expect roughly 500 older buses that no longer meet current standards to remain in service at the end of 2026, and intend to replace those vehicles next year. The stated timetable depends on implementation; the announcement did not establish that the replacement fleet has already entered service.

The bus programme is part of Azerbaijan's broader effort to modernise urban transport while reducing emissions. Compressed natural gas vehicles can have different emissions profiles from older diesel buses, but they still burn fossil fuel; fully electric buses eliminate tailpipe emissions while their wider environmental impact depends partly on electricity generation.

The deputy minister linked the plans to a transport infrastructure programme for Baku and surrounding areas through 2030. He also pointed to electrification initiatives elsewhere in Azerbaijan. The statements were made at a dialogue focused on energy-sector decarbonisation and the country's climate commitments.

Neither the final purchase cost of the remaining replacement vehicles nor a detailed delivery schedule was specified in the reports reviewed for this article.