NGV bus rental to bid at the end of this year

BANGKOK, 4 October 2009 (NNT) – Deputy Minister of Transport Prajak Kaewklahan said that the NGV bus leasing scheme of the Ministry of Transportation would be transparently concluded in October 2009 before proposing to the cabinet, expecting the clearance of green mini buses in Bangkok within 6 months. A bid of NGV bus leasing scheme was expected to be carried out by the end of this year.

Mr. Prajak Kaewklahan, Deputy Minister of Transportation, revealed that the 4,000 NGV bus leasing scheme of the Transport Ministry had been approved by the Cabinet, saying that the Ministry of Transport had to include a procurement of 4,000 NGV-engine buses and early retirement plan for 7,009 BMTA employees plan before offering to the board concerned to consider this October.

Speaking over the NGV bus leasing scheme, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) had drafted the terms of reference (TOR) about the prices of NGV buses to seek approval of BMTA. Recently, the terms of reference about the prices of NGV bus rental had been displaying several times on the websites to show the transparency and answer any doubts of NGV bus rental scheme. A bid from the private sector about the bus leasing scheme was expected to be conducted this year.

Chairat Sa-nguansue, Director-General of the Land Transport Department, stated about green mini buses, with concession mostly expired on 16 August 2009, that the discussion of the extended time of purchasing new buses over 6 months had been affirmed with a hope on the clearance of green mini buses. The fare for new buses was under consideration at the moment.