The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the tender to procure 50 diesel hybrid buses at about S$30 million to Volvo East Asia (Pte) Ltd.
2. This is part of LTA’s efforts to build a more environmentally friendly public bus fleet. Not only can commuters expect quieter and smoother rides, bus captains can also enjoy a more comfortable working environment. To prepare our bus workforce for this change, LTA will work with industry partners to help upgrade and upskill our bus professionals through the Singapore Bus Academy.
Diesel Hybrid Buses
3. Building on LTA’s single-unit diesel hybrid bus trials, 50 diesel hybrid buses will be rolled out gradually for service by the second half of 2018. These low-emission buses will help us better understand the operational challenges that come with the wider deployment of such buses under our tropical climate and traffic conditions, which will enable us to calibrate our approach in adopting diesel hybrid buses in the future. This will also help bus technicians and engineers better understand the technical challenges in maintaining such buses. Details of the services which the 50 diesel hybrid buses will be deployed to will be announced closer to the implementation date.
4. In response to LTA’s tender, Volvo East Asia (Pte) Ltd. had earlier submitted a high quality proposal with the best value for money and hence was awarded the contract. The company has a strong track record, with their buses forming about a third of the entire public bus fleet currently in Singapore. In determining the award of the tender, besides the price, LTA also considered many quality aspects of the participating bidders, such as their relevant experience, track records, technical capabilities and compliance to local regulations.
Electric Buses
5. To help LTA gather more up-to-date information on the latest electric bus and charging technologies, a Request for Information for electric buses was put up by LTA on 2 October 2017. The tender to procure 60 electric buses will also be called soon. Commuters can expect to see electric buses deployed for service by 2019.
