Volvo East Asia wins LTA tender for 50 diesel hybrid buses

VOLVO East Asia, which provides a third of Singapore's public bus fleet, has won a tender from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for 50 diesel hybrid buses for S$30 million as the authority seeks to build a greener bus fleet.

The low-emission diesel hybrid buses will be gradually rolled out for service by the second half of next year, the LTA said in a release on Wednesday.

They will also help the transport authority ascertain the operational challenges linked to the broader deployment of such buses in Singapore's tropical climate and weather conditions, as well as allow bus technicians and engineers to understand how best to maintain the vehicles.

"LTA will work with industry partners to help upgrade and upskill our bus professionals through the Singapore Bus Academy," it added.

The authority said that it awarded the contract based on price as well as other factors such as track record, experience and technical capabilities.

"Volvo East Asia has submitted a high-quality proposal with the best value for money and hence was awarded the contract," it explained.

On Oct 2, the LTA sent out a request for information on electric buses to better understand latest buses and charging technologies. It plans to call a tender to procure 60 electric buses soon, which will be deployed on the roads by 2019.