BMTA drops plan to buy more NGV-powered buses

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) yesterday decided to drop its plan to buy more natural gas vehicles (NGV), opting to repair its current fleet of old buses and rent some electric ones instead.

Acting BMTA director Pranee Sukrasorn announced the decision after a meeting of the board.

Previously, after the purchase of 489 NGV-powered buses, the BMTA planned to buy 2,694 more in the second phase of its 13-billion-baht procurement project, she said.

The budget originally slated to buy the NGV buses will instead be spent on repairing 671 old buses in the first phase and 500 more in the second, she said.

Aside from that, some of the money also will be needed to fund a plan to rent 20 electric buses in a pilot project to switch to using electric vehicles for public transport, she said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wants the BMTA to study the feasibility of switching to electric public buses, Ms Pranee said.

Deputy Transport Minister Ormsin Chivapruck said it has yet to be decided whether the BMTA will have the buses repaired in Bangkok or in Ratchaburi.

The average cost of repairing the buses at garages in Bangkok is estimated to be 800,000 baht each while the cost in Ratchaburi is one million baht apiece.

“The repair of each old bus will take about 40 days but after that it can be used for up to 15 years,” he said.

The first bus has already been repaired and will be equipped with four security cameras, an audio bus station announcement system and a Global Positioning System, he said.

In the first phase it is expected to take a year to fix all the old buses, he said, adding the BMTA will avoid interruption to bus services during the repairs.

Mr Ormsin wants the BMTA to also install smart bus stops that can automatically announce bus routes and arriving buses, Ms Pranee said.