415 buses removed as new buses join

Citizens are criticizing the fact that although new buses had arrived as part of the park reform of public transport fleet, old, outdated buses that emit smoke are still in service.

Head of the Inspection Department of the Public Transport Services Z.Tseveendorj reported on how many public transport buses have been removed and how the vehicles are controlled and put into service. He said, “A total of 415 new buses have been purchased since 2019 as part of the reform of the public transport fleet. Currently, 1,371 buses that are in registration, are still in use. Of these, 415 are new and the rest is old. With the introduction of new buses, 415 old buses were removed.”

“This does not mean that the more than 800 old buses, that are currently in public transport service, reached the end of their lifespan. These are old buses that have been in service for eight to 11 years. It is said that if the bus has traveled for 12 years, it has expired.”

He also mentioned that they will purchase 810 buses with the funding of 2023 and 2024 state budget. Thus, the used buses will be removed. In other words, buses that emit smoke will be removed from the transportation fleet. The organizations will decide on whether they will give it for spare parts or for scraps.

Regarding the emission of smoke from public transport buses in service, “Public transport services starts at 6:20 a.m. and buses leave from the center at 5:30 a.m. Before that, the organization checks whether there is smoke, whether the tires are worn, and whether the heating is working properly. During the inspection, the amount of smoke emitted is less, and the smoke of the old bus worn out due to heavy loads is more noticeable,” he explained. There are 993 public transport buses operating in 107 directions throughout Ulaanbaatar on weekdays. The remaining 400 buses are kept in reserve.