LTA to expand hybrid and electric bus trials

It is moving towards a greener transport system.

The Land Transport Authority of Singapore has been working with bus operators and manufacturers to expand hybrid and electric bus trails.

According to the authority, it has successfully conducted a diesel-hybrid bus trial by SBS Transit and Volvo in 2015 and is now facilitating a fully-electric bus trial with Go-Ahead Singapore, BYD and S Dreams.

"While these buses come at a higher cost, they are less pollutive, and contribute to a more comfortable working environment for bus captains and smoother rides for commuters," LTA said.

It mentioned that it will be stepping up to larger-scale trials in the next couple of years with 50 hybrid buses and 60 electric buses given the encouraging preliminary results.

"We will have three bus services which are fully served by electric buses. This will help us gain a deeper understanding of the operational challenges that come with the wider deployment of such buses under local tropical weather and traffic conditions. We will draw from our experiences in these trials to calibrate our approach to adopting alternative energy buses," LTA said.