SPTC receives 10 of 59 new fuel efficient buses- an environmentally friendly boost to its fleet

The Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques is pleased that SPTC is moving a step closer to a more environmentally friendly public transport fleet. This now that the corporation has added 10 new 34 seater, E3, less fuel consuming buses to its fleet.

This results to 38% of the national fleet to be comprised of new buses. SPTC is expected to receive another 49 new buses manufactured by Ashok Leyland, India in the next three months. The next 15 buses are expected to arrive in the next 2 weeks.

The new buses made a short motorcade in Victoria to showcase the smoothness of its ride, the comfort of its seats and other improved features such as the digital card reader with built in hard drive record, demystifying front windscreen, internal camera and fans.

This was followed by a ceremony at the SPTC office at New Port were by the Minister for Transport, thanked the lengthy work and negotiations done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  and the Government of India to coordinate the line of credit by the Ministry of Finance with EXIM Bank of India.

The assistance of the India counterpart was not only financial but also technical with much coordination between SPTC’s technical team and Ashok Leyland on the exact specifications of the buses.

“The Seychelles Public Corporation’s technical team has ensured that the specifications for these buses are better than any of the buses in the current fleet in every way. A notable objective of the SPTC Strategic Plan is its aim to reduce the number of customer complaints and improve service delivery. The general comfort of our commuters has been considered at its fullest, from providing cushioned seats to the anti-skid floor and wider gangway. Grab rails, integrated handles at the seats and a structure that will provide better airflow is expected to improve commuter experience with increased ease of movement and safety,” explained minister Derjacques.

The new buses are expected to release 50% less carbon foot print making the SPTC bus fleet more environmentally friendly.

“The most notable aspect of this project has always been SPTC’s acknowledgement of its carbon footprint and assurance that it’s Fleet Replacement Plan encompasses the need to reduce carbon emissions. Behind us are the first batch of buses with better fuel efficient engines which will lead to lesser consumption of fuel the fuel economy will ensure that there is lesser emissions however, the Department of Transport is working on a project that is expected to deliver the first batch of electric buses to SPTC and the future henceforth is for a gradual replacement of the diesel buses within SPTC’s fleet,” emphasized Minister Derjacques. 

The buses were also blessed by two local priests and are expected to start operations early next month. The 59 new buses is of a total cost of US$2.84 million.