50 diesel hybrid buses to hit the roads from December 2018

They will feature passenger information display systems to provide route specific information.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will roll out 50 diesel hybrid buses (DHBs) for public services from December 2018 as part of its efforts to build a more environmentally friendly public bus fleet, an announcement revealed.

The new buses will be progressively deployed to different services to calibrate LTA’s approach in adopting DHBs in the future.

“This progressive deployment will help us better understand the operational challenges that come with wider deployment of such buses under our tropical climate and traffic conditions,” the agency said in a statement. “It will also help bus technicians and engineers better understand the technical challenges in maintaining such buses.”

The DHBs are propelled by both a diesel engine and electric motor, LTA said, with the batteries automatically charged by the diesel engine. The buses will be supplied by Volvo East Asia.

Meanwhile, the buses will also feature passenger information display systems (PIDS) which provide commuters with route specific information, the announcement highlighted.

“On the exterior of the bus, the PIDS will display the bus service number, destination and the next three MRT or LRT stations that the bus connects to, allowing passengers to plan their bus and train transfers,” LTA explained.

On the inside, the PIDS will provide information on the next four bus stops, MRT and LRT transfer information and indication if the bus has arrived at the stop on top of on-board audio announcements.

LTA intends to install PIDS on all new buses to further enable commuters to better plan their journeys in the near future.