BMTA board approves purchase of 3,390 EV buses in three phases
State-run public bus operator Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) is procuring 3,390 electric vehicles (EV) to replace its ageing fleet that has been in service for more than three decades, Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri said on Friday.
She said the BMTA board at its meeting on Tuesday had approved the purchase of new buses as an urgent agenda, in line with BMTA’s policy of reducing environmental impact from its operations in the metropolitan area.
Manaporn, who supervises the BMTA, said this massive procurement project would be divided into three phases. In the first phase, 350 buses will be procured, while 1,520 buses each would be purchased in the second and third phases.
The BMTA had originally set 2023 as deadline for the first phase, 2024 for the second phase, and 2025 for the third phase. However, the project has been delayed as the previous BMTA board completed its three-year term in January last year and the new board members were appointed by the Cabinet on February 20. The board held its first meeting on Friday.
After the plan was approved, the BMTA expected to sign the purchasing contract for the first 350 EV buses within June or July, and the vehicles are expected to be delivered by August or September this year.
The new buses are expected to be financed by BMTA’s investment budget for fiscal year 2024, and would gradually replace old buses, especially those without air-conditioners, said Manaporn.
The board meeting on Friday also approved some projects proposed several months ago, namely the BMTA GPS – Fleet Management System project, and the project to develop Bang Khen and Minburi depots into commercial spaces.
