PUBLISHED ONBYSean LerPublic buses in Singapore are becoming cleaner and quieter, but are they safer?
Reports of electric vehicle fires do surface occasionally, with the last reported incident at a Marine Parade car park on Sept 24.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which aims to transition the public bus fleet to cleaner energy, has acknowledged that some commuters may be concerned about the safety of electric buses.
"Safety is our top priority," the regulator said in an explainer video on Friday (Nov 6), adding that incidents involving electric buses are considered rare.
It noted that overheating can pose a fire risk if not properly managed, highlighting that Singapore's electric buses have "extra safety layers".
This, the authority said, means housing the batteries in fire resistant compartments which are designed to contain fires for at least 30 minutes.
But if temperatures continue to rise, the buses' automatic fire suppression system will be activated automatically to cool the area down.
This allows incidents to be managed quickly and safely, it added.
[[nid:749226]]
Meanwhile, the buses are also equipped with monitoring systems that alert bus captains if an issue arises, with warning alerts appearing on the dashboard.
Each bus is also equipped with a fire extinguisher, emergency hammers and multiple emergency exits.
Commuters can also use an emergency door release valve to exit the bus safely.
They are also advised to heed the instructions of bus captains should the unlikely scenario of an evacuation be required.
By 2030, half of Singapore's public bus fleet is expected to be electric. LTA plans for the entire fleet to be running on cleaner energy by 2040.
[[nid:750008]]