Final batch of diesel buses arrives for Prasarana; EV buses expected to enter service next year – Loke

Electric buses under the Rapid bus service by Prasarana will debut next year according to transport minister Anthony Loke, The Star has reported. The announcement comes as the final batch of diesel buses for Prasarana have arrived in Malaysia, according to the report.

“The tender process has ended and we are in the process of appointing the vendor. The delivery of the buses will take around 12 months,” Loke said today. Among the requirements for the EV bus tender was that the vehicles must be locally assembled (CKD) in Malaysia, and even though the bus manufacturers are from overseas, the tender requirement is for them to have a local partner, he said.

“The tender will be awarded to companies that have Malaysian partners, or that are incorporated here,” Loke said. The diesel-powered buses that arrived for Prasarana today are of the last batch, and this is to make way for the electric buses coming to the service next.

“This is in line with the government’s commitments to transition to more sustainable, environmentally friendly and low-carbon public transport systems,” Loke said. This batch of 310 diesel buses are manufactured by Chinese firm Higer, and while the bus components are made in China, the buses are assembled in Johor, said the transport minister.

The batch of 310 new diesel-powered buses were ordered by Prasarana in January this year to add to its bus fleet, with the order being the last for internal combustion engine-powered buses. This was followed by the acquisition of 250 electric buses, which was in the tender process at the time.

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