BANGKOK, 10 August 2015, The Ministry of Transport has strongly suggested that the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) consider cancelling its planned purchase of the 2nd batch of 2,694 buses running on natural gas (NGV).
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary Soithip Traisut made the suggestion during a meeting with the BMTA, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning and the Department of Land Transport. The ministry made the recommendation after it had forwarded to the BMA last week the feasibility study of the viability of electric buses for public transportation. According to the study, natural gas is not suitable for public transportation purposes in the long run due to price and availability.
Yesterday’s meeting concluded that BMTA should either purchase electric buses or maintain the existing 2,860 buses scheduled for decommission until further notice.
The meeting however agreed with the BMTA’s plan to sell a batch of its 628 older buses, asking the agency to provide the ministry with the details of the plan to sell those buses as soon as possible.
