DUBAI // A nine-months trial of an electric bus will soon begin in Dubai as part of the transport authority’s long-term aim of using the emission free vehicles as part of it fleet.
“We have agreed with Liberty Automobiles Co to operate this electric bus for nine months during which the bus will be deployed as part of our fleet at the cost of the company in order to assess the technical and operational performance as well as the efficiency of the electrically-powered bus operation,” said Yousef Al Ali, chief executive of the RTA’s Public Transport Agency.
The trials will measure the effectiveness of running an electricity-powered bus daily on Dubai’s streets and for inter-city services.
A specific route will be outlined by the transport authority and checked by engineers from Liberty Co.
The company will cover the costs of insurance, operation, branding, equipment, service, labour, spare parts, tyres, maintenance and the recharging during the trial run.
RTA drivers will be trained before the bus is deployed and the company will regularly follow-up with drivers during the trial.
The company’s premises at Al Garhoud will serve as a depot and resources to recharge the bus will also be provided as part of the agreement with the RTA.
The electric bus experiment is part of the RTA’s commitment toward a sustainable and healthy environment, Mr Ali said.
The RTA had earlier announced plans to begin test runs for a battery-powered electric bus with a range of 200km on a single charge and at a top speed of 100kmph.
The authority has plans to add 750 green buses for the Expo 2020 fair in Dubai.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
