(Photo: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd)
Prasarana Malaysia Bhd will cease placing orders for diesel-fueled buses as part of efforts to increase the adoption of electric buses. Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the final batch of diesel buses is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025, following the procurement tender award scheduled for March this year.
“About 60% of the purchased buses are smaller buses. This will mark the final batch of diesel buses. After this, tenders should focus on electric vehicles (EVs),” he said after presenting Prasarana’s performance report from last year and its plan for 2024.
He said, “This is in line with our national policy towards the adoption of EVs.” Adopting EVs is part of the country’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), aiming to achieve green mobility and electrify public transportation.
It was reported earlier that the government would purchase 150 EV buses and construct a charging depot to support the feeder bus service related to the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) project, with an estimated cost of RM600 million.
Prasarana has currently transformed at least 30% of its bus fleet into EV buses, according to the report.
Moving forward, the company said it will carry out three key initiatives under the NETR, with its first initiative set to imitative in Q1, targeting 103 bus and rail depots, hubs, and stations.
Prasarana is now in the application process for an Energy Audit with Conditional Grant (EACG), a key step that will guide the implementation of zero-, low-, and medium-cost energy efficiency measures.
The focal point of the initiative includes the bus electrification program, with plans for the complete electrification of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Sunway Line by 2037.
As part of the NETR energy transition levers, the installation of solar systems is a key component. Last year, Prasarana installed PV systems on the BRT-Sunway line depot and six stations, with additional installations planned for 2024-2027, covering 75 rail and bus depots, hubs, and stations, totaling 13 MW.
To date, the company has been able to generate 0.8 MW of electrical power via the solar panel system installed at six BRT stations along the Sunway route.
