SBS Transit Invests $ 159 million In New Buses; Half of its Bus Fleet Will Be New By 2010
SBS Transit’s fleet renewal programme continues unabated with itslatest order for 350 new buses worth $ 159 million. This brings theCompany’s total investment in new buses over the last three years to $586 million.
The latest order for 350 single– and double–deck buses willsignificantly lower the average age of SBS Transit’s bus fleet toslightly over 8 years from about 11 years currently. Indeed, with theaddition of the new buses, one in two SBS Transit buses on the roadwill be new.
The new buses, which are expected to roll out in 2010, are from twoSwedish bus manufacturers – Scania and Volvo. The Scania orderinvolving 200 single–deck Euro V buses is worth an estimated $ 72million while the Volvo order of 150 double–deck Euro V buses is worthabout $ 87 million.
In all, SBS Transit will have 1,450 new buses in its fleet.
SBS Transit Executive Director, Mr Gan Juay Kiat, said: “We havebeen renewing our fleet over the last three years to provide ourcommuters with a more comfortable and safer ride. The new buses arealso environmentally friendly which is a key consideration for us. Wehave also selected those that are friendlier to the disabled and theless mobile. We will continue to invest in more new buses goingforward.”
From this order, let say SBST orders K230 for their single decks and Volvo B9TLs for DDs.
This will mean that we now have 1100 K230s and 350 Volvo B9TLs serving the roads from 2010 onwards.
Nice to see SBS Transit ordered more buses, but nothing surprise for the single decker order was going to Scania again, hopefully they might have differences at between this new order and the current 900 buses~~
For double decker order, it seems to be replace the Leyland Olympian as possible~~
I dont think they will have much difference with the current batch of Euro Vs K230s. I do not know what will be the future of Singapore bus scene will be like with 1100 Scania K230s. Its getting abit boring. Just hope that Government will speed up the process of opening the market to more players.
