State public transport operators are being encouraged to gradually switch from diesel and gas to electricity to avoid fluctuating fuel prices and make vehicles more environmentally friendly.
The fuel switch was suggested Monday by Transport Minister Prajin Juntong who wants agencies under his ministry - the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the Transport Co Ltd - to start thinking more seriously about fuels in terms of their future costs and vehicle emissions.
Electricity, which has been referred to more frequently in the ministry’s latest transport plans, appears to be a suitable alternative given the rising price of compressed natural gas, also known as NGV (natural gas for vehicles), he said.
Explaining transport policies at Monday’s meeting with the three transport agencies, ACM Prajin said he will do his best to ensure energy security and safe travel.
In the long term, the BMTA, which runs most buses in Bangkok, is likely to operate electric buses.
“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is also interested in this issue because electric buses can save more money,” he said.
The BMTA is in the process of acquiring 3,183 new buses to replace its ageing fleet. While the first batch of 489 buses will still run on NGV — the purchase plan is already in the bidding stage — the remaining 2,694 buses will go electric, ACM Prajin said.
While electric buses are three times more expensive than other buses, they will involve less operating costs and are cheaper to maintain in the long run, the minister said, citing the BMTA’s latest study.
The ministry expects to forward the electric bus plan to the cabinet for a final say this month, he said.
As for trains, ACM Prajin said diesel-fuelled locomotives are becoming outdated. The State Railway of Thailand will set up a panel to review plans for new locomotives and carriages.
SRT governor Wuthichart Kalayanamitr said the agency will now rent, instead of buying, 50 locomotives and gradually replace diesel-fuelled trains to electric ones. Renting will give the SRT the flexibility to adapt more readily to new train technology and development, Mr Wuthichart said. It will also save on maintenance costs, he said.
ACM Prajin played down concerns that electric-powered public transport will push up demands for electricity and affect electricity security.
The government plans to buy electricity from Laos to run trains on a new Chinese-Thai rail route linking Bangkok, Vientiane in Laos and Kunming in southern China, and increase domestic power generation by investing in solar and wind energy in the Northeast, ACM Prajin said.
As for inter-provincial buses operated by the Transport Co Lt, electric power should be first applied to shorter routes, he said.