Electric bus service for Putrajaya by second quarter next year

PUTRAJAYA: In a move to reduce pollution here, electric buses will be pressed into service by the second quarter of 2018.

GETS Global Berhad managing director Datuk Che Azizuddin Che Ismail revealed to reporters that his company is intending to add some 150 new electric buses into its bus fleet in stages to replace the use of NGV buses in Putrajaya.

Che Azizuddin explained that adding 150 electric buses is in line with its efforts to reduce carbon emission, noise pollution and road congestion in the federal administrative capital.

“Such a move would greatly improve Putrajaya’s public transportation service as well as realising the vision of making Putrajaya a green living city by 2025.

“Hence, for starters, we will have the first batch of five electric buses to be operational by the second quarter of next year after which we will continue to have more of it each year,” he said after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Gets Global and Putrajaya Leisures & Services Group Sdn Bhd (Pulse Group), today.

The signed MoU allowed GETS Global to officially take over the shares of Pulse Group’s subsidiary company, Pengangkutan Awam Putrajaya Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd (PAPTT), who operates Nadi Putra buses.

On the fare structure, Che Ismail said that it is yet to be determined, but they are looking at providing free service for the public if the operational cost can be subsidized by the government.

“The current trend in the cities worldwide is to give free bus service to the public. Hence, if our operational cost can be subsidised by other sources of revenue, we definitely would not mind providing the service for free,” he said, adding that it is a hassle for them to collect the current Nadi Putra bus fare of 50sen from the passengers.