Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), operator of city bus service, today (March 27) put into service 100 new NGV-powered buses on five main routes to serve Bangkok people who have been waiting for the new air-conditioned buses for over a decade.
The official services of this new bus fleet followed yesterday’s ceremony to commence the operation of the bus service by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith at the BMTA head office.
The first fleet of 100 buses from a total 489 buses will shuttle on five main routes now operated by buses Numbers 20, 21, 105, 138 and 140.
The remainder of the bus fleet will be delivered to the BMTA by June of this year.
The BMTA signed a contract last December to buy 489 NGV-powered buses from CHO-SCN, a consortium of Scan Inter Plc and Cho Thavee Plc.
SCN-SCN is the only private firm which submitted a bid for supplying the buses to the BMTA at the price of 4,261 million baht, about 5% higher than the median price.
The BMTA said all the 489 new NGV-buses will be used to transport commuters within Bangkok and its periphery.
The new bus has 35 seats and is of low-decked design which allows for convenient entry and leaving for the elderly and the handicapped.
The buses are also equipped with ABS braking and stability control systems.
The nine NGV gas capsules along with the associated gas regulating equipment on each bus is in compliance with the ISO 11439 standards.
In addition, the bus is sealed with NVH (noise, vibration and heat) insulators which are also fire resistant.
CCTV cameras are also installed at 5 points in the cabin as well as 2 secure wheel-chair anchoring points.
All are equipped with GPS tracking equipment which allows commuters to track each vehicles exact location via Apps on their smartphones.
Also E-Ticket systems are installed to allow carriers of government welfare cards and monthly ticket holders greater convenience.
The BMTA had plan to procure new air-conditioned bus fleet began 13 years ago or in 2006, but it was only achieved this year after legal and political hurdles that put the project on hold.
Source link
