The long-delayed project to procure 489 natural gas-powered buses for Bangkok will be expedited so a new fleet of buses will hit the roads in time for the new school semester in June, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured.
Previously, SCN-CHO, a joint venture, emerged as the sole remaining bidder to supply 489 NGV buses for Bangkok after 10 companies pulled out of the race for the 4.02-billion-baht city bus project.
Speaking after yesterday's cabinet meeting, Gen Prayut said there is still a need to buy several more new buses to replace part of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's (BMTA) ageing fleet.
For the next procurement of the buses, Gen Prayut said the terms of reference must be drawn up to allow car assembly plants in Thailand to take part in the bidding to supply the buses.
"We don't just want to buy from others, but we also want to have them built domestically," Gen Prayut said.
Asked about a Chinese state enterprise's offer to sell natural gas for vehicle (NGV) buses at a price lower that the median value of 4.02 billion baht, Gen Prayut said the state enterprise belongs to a local Chinese government, not the central government, which raises doubts about the standard and quality of their buses.
The BMTA has been instructed to seek more information about the state enterprise before any decision is made whether to buy from them, Gen Prayut said.
Any government-to-government agreements must involve only the central governments of the two countries, he stressed.