First 10 double-decker electric buses begin plying Singapore roads

[SINGAPORE] Singapore has taken another step in its move to reduce the carbon footprint of public transport with the deployment of the first 10 fully electric double-decker buses on Tuesday (Oct 27).

The buses will ply the roads on service 983 in Choa Chu Kang, 189 in Bukit Batok and Clementi and 83 in Punggol and Sengkang, and may be redeployed to other bus routes later.

The vehicles, supplied by the Chinese Yutong-Nari consortium, are said to be more environmentally friendly, quieter and more user-friendly than conventional buses that run on diesel.

This is despite costing up to twice that of conventional diesel buses. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it hopes the cost will come down over time with changes in technology and wider adoption.

At a formal unveiling of the buses on Tuesday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat said said Singapore remains open to new technology and is "not in a rush" to commit to any one technology or model. "We are doing it because it is better for the environment and this is an initial step to a greener future. We will have more options to choose from when technology progresses," he said.

He added that there is no fixed sum the government had allocated to replace conventional diesel buses. "What we have done instead is to set ourselves a goal by 2040," he said.

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The plan is to have all of Singapore's 5,800 public buses run on cleaner energy by 2040.

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung also attended the event on Tuesday.

The 10 buses join 15 electric single-deck buses that have already been deployed between April and July.

They are among a fleet of 60 fully electric buses bought by LTA in 2018, with all expected to be operational by 2021.

The LTA had said then that the electric buses will help it to better understand the challenges of running and maintaining electric buses in Singapore's tropical climate and traffic conditions.

An alternative is buses with engines that run on both diesel and electricity, 50 of which have been deployed on the roads since March last year.

Both hybrid and fully electric buses cost more than conventional diesel ones, but are less harmful to the environment.

The 60 fully-electric buses together are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by close to 8,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent to that generated by 1,700 cars.

The LTA has also touted more direct benefits to commuters, with the electric buses offering smoother and quieter bus rides.

With an ambient noise level of around 75 decibels, an electric bus has a level 3 decibels lower than a typical diesel bus in the current fleet.

Improvements to the buses' design, such as digital information display systems that show upcoming stops, and the removal of centre poles so parents with open strollers can more easily manoeuvre their way, also make sure the new buses make commuting less of a hassle.

Singapore's electric dreams for its transport system extend well beyond buses, with taxi operators, as well as private car owners, all encouraged to switch to electric vehicles.

In addition to tax rebates and incentives for early adopters of electric cars offered in Budget 2020, the government is also working with commercial entities to build up Singapore's electric car charging infrastructure.

From the 1,700 charging points now, the plan is to have 28,000 charging points for electric vehicles by 2030, which is also when the government expects the last internal combustion engine vehicle to be sold.

THE STRAITS TIMES