You’ll See 60 Fully Electric Buses In S’pore From As Early As Next Year

What are some of your complaints when taking buses? The most common of these would definitely be overcrowding but you can’t really do much about that.

I do know of some people who complain about noisy rides due to engine sounds.

While not really a complaint, my idea for improvement has always been for all buses to show the location of each stop.

The same concept as the MRT basically.

Luckily for us., the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has got us covered in 2020.

Electronic Buses

One small step for man, one giant leap for public transport in Singapore!

This is not a real quote but me getting hyped.

LTA will progressively deploy 60 fully electric buses on Singapore roads from early 2020.

They’ve even made a post on Facebook detailing what the changes that are to come!

It looks pretty spiffy if I’m to be honest!

LTA’s goal is to eventually have the busses use 100% cleaner energy by 2040 and I think it’s a pretty realistic goal!

New Features

For those who’re lazy to watch the video (it’s only a minute long guys), I’ll sum up the upgrades for you.

Image: Facebook (LTA)

The buses will operate on batteries instead of diesel so it can be more environmentally friendly.

There will be information displaying info on the next four bus stops and nearby MRT and LRT stations. 

Literally just what I asked for, nice.

Centre dividers that split the bus entrances are now removed as well so that bigger strollers can board easily.

Just don’t use this as an opportunity to barge into the bus.

Image: Giphy

Another change that was shown was the bus having two wheelchair bays for those who require it.

I personally feel this is a huge one because it always felt really crappy when there was limited space for those who were wheelchair-bound.

But of course, the experience isn’t limited to just the passengers.

Image: Memecrunch

The drivers get to enjoy benefits from these changes too.

The entire driver dashboard on the electric bus will be completely digital.

There is also an anti-fatigue system which will monitor the driver’s eyes and issue a warning when the driver starts to fall asleep.

Understandable. Us passengers have no idea how long some of them have been sitting there.

There will even be an emergency button that cuts off all electricity and opens that bus doors. Preparing for evacuation is pretty important too.

Technology evolves and the changes to transport are happening fast. I’m looking forward to these environmentally-friendly (and convenient) bus trips!

Meanwhile, PMDs are banned on the footpaths of Singapore, which essentially mean a total ban. Check out our explainer video below for what’s the what: