Thailand’s Transport Minister has instructed the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) to promptly proceed with the bus procurement plan which aims to acquire a total 3,183 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. According to the Government Public Relations Department, Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong revealed that he has ordered the BMTA to expedite the procurement process in compliance with the government’s policy to put the new fleet of buses on the streets of Bangkok as soon as possible.
The 12-metre buses will replace aged and dilapidated diesel buses in BMTA’s fleet. Operation of the new buses is expected to reduce fuel costs and the impact of bus emissions on the city environment. In addition, the government has approved the project to reduce foreign currency for fuel importation.
The Terms of Reference for the first and second stages, each of 489 natural gas buses, have been published. The per-bus budget is THB 4.5 million (approx USD 140k), meaning the two stages are each worth about USD 68 million and the total project is valued at more than USD 400 million (THB 13 billion).
The minister expected the first batch of 489 buses to be purchased by the BMTA no later than November to enable delivery during January-March next year. The BMTA was also urged to solve any pending problems in the term of reference (TOR) to avoid causing delays in the project.
(Source: Thailand Government)
