PM urged to review NGV bus plan

News > Transport

Published: 14 Jan 2013 at 21.21
Online news: Transport

The so-called group of 40 senators has urged the government to review its plan to purchase 3,183 new public buses fuelled by natural gas for vehicles (NGV), saying it was too expensive and put a burden on the government and the people.

Senator Paibul Nititawan, leader of the 40 Senators group, said on Monday in a senate meeting that the government will not only have to pay for the cost of the buses, estimated to be more than 13 billion baht, but it will also be subjected to almost 14 billion baht in maintenance costs. As a result, public bus services will become more expensive, rising from 10 baht to 13 baht.

Mr Paibul suggested the use of public buses powered by batteries as an alternative because these buses cost less to purchase and fix and also are more environment-friendly.

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bkposter
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Discussion 14 : 15 Jan 2013 at 08.4314
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If in fact the NGV or the battery option is chosen, it should be made very very public as to how the decision was reached. And the bidding process should be totally transparent and all bids welcome even if they are from a foreign company. The specs should be flexible to allow all companies to bid. the bids should be posted on an public website and open to scrutiny and no bid should be accepted until it has had an independent body to inspect the bids.
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boontong
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Discussion 13 : 15 Jan 2013 at 08.0513
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The appointed senators conducts are questionable. Have we not seen how they 'performed' their duties? If it is on the DEM - everything ok. If it is of PTP - opposed all the way.
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boontong
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Discussion 12 : 15 Jan 2013 at 07.3112
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"Hesaid if the prime minister does not want to be accused of corruption and force the public to pay higher bus fees then she should immediately order the government to review the bus purchase plan."
Sounds like this appointed senator is intimidating the PM. If you have evidence of corruption now, please expose it or else you can be charged for withholding information that is of public interest.
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pjt
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Discussion 11 : 15 Jan 2013 at 07.3111
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Are these buses also going to be made in China - why cannot we make them in Thailand (apart from the obvious opportunities a large import contract offer)? We have a thriving auto industry - it should be possible, even if we have to license initial technology and know how. There is no reason why our domestic demand could not form the basis of an industry with export potential
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Eric
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Discussion 10 : 15 Jan 2013 at 07.1810
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I hope we have better quality senators. Here another situation of opposition senators opposing any government initiatives. Suggesting battery powered which is still a relatively new technology against established NGV is a poor suggestion. Not only its more expensive, it will need to re-train the technicians and build the infrastructure of charging stations to support such a large fleet. These senators rushed through their recommendation without providing proper facts.
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nowayout
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Discussion 9 : 15 Jan 2013 at 06.519
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"Mr Paibul suggested the use of public buses powered by batteries as an alternative because these buses cost less to purchase and fix and also are more environment-friendly"

Yeah right! Does Mr Paibul have any clue what he's talking about? An electric vehicle is magnitudes more expensive that NGV engines. And then there is the added cost of all the hardware needed for electric support and charging capacity. Thailand's electric grid could never support such a far fetched plan. Most of the buses now are already running on NGV.
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ggh
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Discussion 8 : 15 Jan 2013 at 05.258
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If we compare NGV to diesel buses, the benefits of NGV are the emissions are cleaner meaning less pollution, NGV is less expensive, maintenance costs are less such as longer oil change and tune up periods because NGV burns cleaner. Also less wear on engine parts because of the cleaner burn.
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loong
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Discussion 7 : 15 Jan 2013 at 01.367
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Anyone remember a few decades ago that the truck came down Pechburi road and rammed through the building and exploded like a fire bomb, a few shop houses destroyed and many people burnt to death. How safe is NGV bus? Why not stick to HINO or ISUSU that speak for quality than quantity? After 25 years they still in decent shape. On the other hand, the Chinese brand look fairly new but all suspensions squeaking and falling apart in just a couple of years. How many decision maker take public transportation to and from work in Thailand? The US's VP takes public transportation on daily basis.
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jwatch
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Discussion 6 : 15 Jan 2013 at 00.156
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PM and Review...doesn't compute :P
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CMfarang
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Discussion 5 : 15 Jan 2013 at 00.135
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' a deal may have been made between a group of businessmen and politicians since the last controversial procurement of 4,000 NGV buses, said Mr Paibul.'

Well, a deal was made or it wasn't, which is it?
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PM urged to review NGV bus plan | Bangkok Post: news