BANGKOK, 2 June 2015 – The Bangkok Mass Transportation Authority (BMTA) has commenced the 16 day trial run of the electric bus service learn more of the program’s advantages and disadvantages, says the BMTA Acting Director.
BMTA Acting Director Pranee Sugasorn, along with the executives from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, and the LOXLEY Public Company Limited launched the trial run of electric bus service today at the bus stop in front of Central World Shopping Center, on Ratchadamri Road, Bangkok.
The trial run is aimed to collect data on service capability and performance of the new vehicles for 16 days from 9am to 3pm. Passengers can ride on the new electric bus free of charge during the trial run.
The trial run will be executed at three routes. Bus No. 511 will run from Wat That Thong to Pratu Nam from 2 to 9 June 2015. Bus No. 141 will run from Chulalongkorn University to Pho Thong Market during 10-11 and 15-18 June 2015. Bus No. 63 will run from Kae-Rai to Victory Monument during 19, 22-23, 26, 29 June 2015.
The BMTA and the bus manufacturer will gather all of the collected data during the trial run to analyze both advantages and disadvantages, along with the restrictions under real usage in the future, as another traveling option for the public.
The trial run service will utilize a 12 meter, 29 seater bus with a modern design, equipped with ramps for wheelchairs, short circuit prevention and a heat protection system. The bus contains a 324 Kilowatt-hour capacity battery that takes less than 5 hours to fully recharge. These new buses can run for as far as 250 kilometres within a top speed of 70 kilometres per hour.
