The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will replace its natural gas-powered (NGV) buses with electric-powered (EV) air-conditioned buses, with the first batch of 500 EV buses set for delivery this year.
BMTA director Mr Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul provided an update on progress in the agency's plan to lease electric buses as part of a shift away from NGV buses.
The revised plan -- now favouring clean energy -- has been submitted to the Ministry of Transport. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) is compiling details of the plan before the ministry forwards it to the Secretariat of the Cabinet (SoC).
Mr Kittikan said the revision was needed to clarify the rationale for switching to EV buses without altering the original budget or project scope. The first phase includes leasing 1,520 electric buses under a seven-year (2025–2032) contract via e-bidding, with a total budget of 15.3 billion baht.
While the original plan to include the project in cabinet's agenda was scheduled for early last month, delays during the review process have pushed the timeline back.
Despite the delay, Mr Kittikan said the BMTA will receive the first 500 EV buses this year, with the rest to be delivered by next year.
As part of its broader goal to phase out outdated buses, the BMTA aims to retire 60% of its combustion-engine fleet -- totalling 2,300 buses -- by 2029. The shift towards EV buses is projected to help the BMTA reduce fuel and maintenance costs. EV buses are three times cheaper to operate than combustion-engine buses.
The BMTA runs a total of 2,884 buses, including 1,520 non-air-conditioned buses and 1,364 air-conditioned ones.
The agency is also optimising its existing bus routes and schedules to better meet passenger demand and further reduce fuel consumption.