By 2040, you could be riding on cleaner and greener public bus rides.

Greener public transport

As part of the new Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2040, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced its commitment to greening Singapore's transport system and network.

The master plan was released on May 25, 2019, and describes future developments in Singapore's land transport industry.

One major development that Singaporeans will experience is the transition of the fleet of local public buses to one that runs on cleaner energy by 2040.

This is in line with one of the themes of the master plan, which is "Healthy lives, safer journeys".

Alternatives to current diesel-reliant buses include electric and diesel-hybrid buses.

Public transport is a much more environmentally-friendly option as compared to cars.

With one vehicle ferrying multiple people, carbon emission per person is reduced.

However, fleet vehicles such as buses still produce more emissions per vehicle than cars.

LTA's announcement is a step forward in terms of sustainability.

Fully electric buses to be deployed by 2020

LTA has just awarded a tender for 60 electric buses, which will be progressively delivered from end-2019.

The 50 single-deck and 10 double-deck buses will only be making their rounds in 2020.

The buses will be supplied by three parties: BYD (Singapore), ST Engineering Land Systems and Yutong-Nari Consortium.

According to Land Transport Guru, electric buses are propelled with motors and run solely on electricity.

The electric buses on trial in Singapore are likely to be battery electric buses, where energy is stored onboard in a chemical battery.

The perks of these buses are that they produce zero emissions and much less noise.

A portion of the more than S$130 million that LTA has invested into the trials for electric and diesel hybrid buses has been dedicated to the installation of charging infrastructure for electric buses.

The charging stations could potentially be located at bus depots and terminals.

Although the buses cost between 50 and 200 percent more than diesel buses, The Straits Times reported that the lower running costs and reduction in pollution might lead to longer term savings.

It is not yet known which routes the electric buses will be servicing.

Diesel hybrid buses already on trial

On the other hand, LTA has already been conducting trials with 50 diesel-hybrid buses since December 2018.

Hybrid buses run on electricity at speeds of up to 17km/h.

When the brakes are applied, the electric motor acts as a generator that recovers kinetic energy, which is then stored in batteries as electricity, reported a separate ST article.

Above speeds of 17km/h, the bus will switch to diesel.

Past trials involving Volvo hybrid buses reported a "significant reduction" in emissions, according to ST.

The buses are operating under SBS Transit and SMRT, and current services include bus services 272, 93 and 59, which serve different estates such as Bukit Merah, Telok Blangah and Tampines.

Here's what the bus' exterior looks like:

The rides experienced on diesel-hybrid buses are smoother and quieter.

Here's a peek at the interior of bus service 272, which boasts new LED screens with route information.

Notice in this video how it's pretty silent when the bus is stationary, as compared to normal diesel buses.

LTA will assess the feasibility of operating electric and diesel hybrid buses in Singapore's tropical conditions, as well as their cost-effectiveness.

If the trials are successful, the agency will purchase more electric and diesel-hybrid buses in the future.

Top photo from Glitchfan2428, YouTube