Thai Smile Bus to decommission gas vehicles, focuses on electric fleet
Thai Smile Bus (TSB) company announced its commitment to clean air and environmental sustainability with plans to decommission its entire fleet of 350 natural gas-fuelled vehicles (NGV) buses by the end of the month. Kulpornpath Wongmajarapinya, TSB Chief Executive Officer, revealed that over 95% of the NGV buses have been already phased out, including the latest batch of 58 buses taken out of service recently.
Accumulatively, 334 NGV buses have been removed from service, leaving only 16 more to be decommissioned by the end of the month. Kulpornpath Wongmajarapinya, TSB’s chief executive officer, stated that this strategic move aligns with the company’s initiative to support net zero emissions.
Kulpornpath also outlined the company’s progressive plans to acquire another 1,000 electric buses this year, increasing its electric vehicle (EV) fleet to 3,100. Currently, TSB operates 2,100 electric buses across 123 routes in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, catering to a daily passenger load of between 250,000-280,000, reported Bangkok Post.
Additionally, the Thai Smile Boat company, a sister concern of TSB, will be reinstating the metro line, a shuttle passenger boat service. The service will operate between Sathon Pier and Rama VII Pier on the Chao Phraya River, starting in the first quarter of this year.
At present, the Chao Phraya River is the operation of 35 electric boats, accommodating more than 5,000 passengers daily. The company has plans to add nine more electric boats to its fleet this year, bringing the total to 44.
The company is preparing to offer tourist boat services throughout the year, further underlining its commitment to sustainable transport solutions.
In related news, in late August last year, Phuket allocated 156 million baht (US$4.7 million) for 24 electric buses, connecting key destinations like Central Phuket and The Mall, with plans for additional charging stations to support eco-friendly transportation in the region, reported Phuket News.
