Singapore has been making significant efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, and one of the areas in which it has been particularly successful is in transitioning its bus fleet from diesel to electric power.

The journey began in 2006 when the Land Transport Authority (LTA) first started experimenting with hybrid buses. In 2010, it launched a tender for electric buses, but there were no suitable options available at the time. However, by 2016, battery technology had improved, and the LTA launched a new tender for electric buses, which it awarded to Chinese bus manufacturer BYD.

Today, Singapore has a fleet of over 1,000 electric buses, which is one of the largest in the world. The LTA has set a target to have the entire bus fleet run on cleaner energy sources by 2040. To achieve this, it plans to phase out diesel buses by 2040 and replace them with cleaner alternatives such as electric and hybrid buses.

The move towards electric buses has several benefits. They are more energy-efficient than diesel buses, which means they are cheaper to run and emit less pollution. Additionally, they are quieter and provide a more comfortable ride for passengers.

The LTA has also been working on improving the infrastructure to support electric buses. It has installed over 1,000 charging points at bus depots and interchanges, and it plans to have a total of 2,000 charging points by 2025. The charging points use a combination of fast and slow charging to ensure that the buses can be charged quickly and efficiently.

Overall, Singapore’s journey towards a cleaner bus fleet is an excellent example of how a city can make significant strides towards reducing its carbon footprint. With the government’s commitment to phasing out diesel buses and the ongoing development of electric bus technology, Singapore is well on its way to achieving its goal of having a fully electric bus fleet by 2040.