PETALING JAYA: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd is setting its sights on a fully electric bus fleet by 2037, marking a major shift away from diesel as it ramps up efforts to modernise and decarbonise public transport.
The transition to electric buses, it said, forms part of its long-term strategic direction and will be implemented in phases, taking into account infrastructure preparedness, energy supply systems, operation costs, and service needs.
Equally important is ensuring a seamless transition without impacting service quality for commuters.
“There are no plans to procure new diesel powered buses. The focus will instead be on acquiring electric buses for future fleet expansion and replacement.
“Prasarana remains committed to supporting the sustainability agenda alongside reducing our carbon footprint in line with the country’s aspirations,” said its spokesperson when contacted.
As the next step in expanding the use of electric buses, Prasarana’s subsidiary, Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, has awarded a contract for the procurement of 250 electric buses, with the first batch expected to begin operations next month.
Currently, it said electric buses have already been deployed in its operations through the Sunway BRT service, which is the world’s first Bus Rapid Transit system to operate on an elevated route using fully electric buses.
Since commencing operations in 2015, the service has utilised 15 electric buses operating exclusively along the elevated corridor in Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya, it said.
“This implementation demonstrates that electric bus technology is both viable and effective within the local operating environment,” it said.
There have been calls for the government to lead the way by adopting electric vehicles to save on fuel costs.
This comes amidst global fuel price volatility owing to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East which continues to create uncertainty in the global petroleum market.
For the period from April 30 to May 6, the retail price of unsubsidised diesel in Peninsular Malaysia is RM5.12 per litre, while the retail price of RON97 was set at RM4.90 per litre, up five sen from RM4.85 previously.
Unsubsidised RON95 was at RM3.97 per litre, up 10 sen from the previous week.
The government also maintained targeted subsidised prices for the rakyat and selected sectors, including RON95 (Budi95) at RM1.99 per litre, the Subsidised Petrol Control System at RM2.05 per litre, the Subsidised Diesel Control System at RM2.15 per litre, as well as capping the diesel price at RM2.15 for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
