Bangkok to Roll Out 1,520 Electric Buses by Year's End

[snoop1130]

Photo courtesy of Stiftung KliK

 

Bangkok is set to see a green transformation in public transport with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) planning to lease 1,520 electric buses. By August, the first batch will hit the streets, replacing the aging fleet of over 30-year-old buses that lack air-conditioning. This initiative not only targets a major upgrade in public transport but also aims to cut 70% in fuel and maintenance costs.

 

The project's budget is 15,355 million baht, stretching over seven years from 2025 to 2032. The BMTA will propose this initiative to its board on February 26, with hopes to clear Cabinet approval by early March.

 

Following consultations with several authorities, including the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance, the plan is to finalize an electronic bidding process. With all approvals in place, the lease contract could be signed by April.

 

 

The first 500 buses are expected on roads by August, helping reduce urban PM2.5 pollution levels. The remainder of the fleet will arrive by late 2032, significantly cutting down the BMTA's current debt of over 100 billion baht.

 

BMTA chief Kittikarn Jomduang Charuworarakul stated that this move will drastically reduce maintenance costs. Plans for another phase include acquiring 1,520 more electric buses through public-private partnerships, further advancing Bangkok’s efforts toward eco-friendly transport. The Ministry of Transport is working to include this in the Project Pipeline, with financial backing from the PPP Promotion Fund, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-25

 

 

[MikeandDow]

Not again !!!  What happened to the last lot  are they still at the wharf

[NativeBob]

Great news! Any replacement of outdated buses is just great. But maintenance of electric buses is hell. 

[bdenner]

19 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Not again !!!  What happened to the last lot  are they still at the wharf

Along with the 1000 or so fire fighting appliances shipped in the early 2000s. They rotted on the wharf because the vehicles, made in Thailand, were sent to Sweden (stand corrected) for fit out and Customs wanted a ridiculous import tarrif on there return. = Wackers!!!

[tomazbodner]

57 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The first 500 buses are expected on roads by August, helping reduce urban PM2.5 pollution levels. The remainder of the fleet will arrive by late 2023, significantly cutting down the BMTA's current debt of over 100 billion baht.

When exactly was this written?

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This initiative not only targets a major upgrade in public transport but also aims to cut 70% in fuel and maintenance costs.

A move in the right direction, but think about the new electric bill... 

[KhunLA]

11 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

When exactly was this written?

Facebook used the same photo 30 Jan 2023

https://web.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=559420956215384&id=100064424542593&set=a.559428426214637&_rdc=1&_rdr#

 

This one a bit older ???

[rwill]

If they are from China hopefully the motors are included...

[mfd101]

No sense of urgency in any of this. All happening at glacial speed.

[khunjeff]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the plan is to finalize an electronic bidding process. With all approvals in place, the lease contract could be signed by April

 

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The first 500 buses are expected on roads by August

 

So we haven't had bidding yet, and the contract won't be signed until April, but 500 buses will be operating by August? How is that even possible?

[newnative]

Hope they finally get rid of those horrible, polluting red buses once and for all.

[Banana7]

500 buses arriving in August 2025 and the remaining 1,020 buses by 2032?  This sounds ridiculous. They should all be in operation by the end of 2025 not 7 years later.

[NativeBob]

Seriously, to make a single bus battery you'll have to bring wat more hell-of-damage to nature than new generation catalysts used in C-Engines. Also, Thailand doesn't have that cheap electricity to recharge the fleet of buses. 

Something doesn't add up in this story, no?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/25/2025 at 4:47 PM, MikeandDow said:

Not again !!!  What happened to the last lot  are they still at the wharf

No. they're all on the road and have been for years.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/25/2025 at 5:17 PM, bdenner said:

Along with the 1000 or so fire fighting appliances shipped in the early 2000s. They rotted on the wharf because the vehicles, made in Thailand, were sent to Sweden (stand corrected) for fit out and Customs wanted a ridiculous import tarrif on there return. = Wackers!!!

You couldn't have got the story more wrong.    In a G2G deal vehicles were made in Austria, (Sweden and "ridiculous import tariffs" is complete nonsense) and Steyr ended up having to compensate BMA €20m.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/460241/city-losses-mount-in-fire-trucks-case

[DonniePeverley]

No matter what happens the red diesel black smoke busses will still be there. No matter what happens, a nuclear strike, a covid virus, those busses will never go.