SINGAPORE - Listed transport giant ComfortDelGro has clinched a $30 million contract to operate an electric bus service at National University of Singapore's (NUS) Kent Ridge campus.
Its wholly owned private bus company ComfortDelGro Bus will run the campus shuttle service in a "multi-year contract which is valued at more than $30 million".
While it did not say how many buses will be deployed, The Straits Times understands that the aim is to eventually convert the 30 or so buses currently deployed for the campus shuttle to electric models.
In July, the company trialled an electric bus as part of the NUS shuttle service which it is currently providing.
The buses, which will operate from the third quarter of next year, will continue to serve the eight existing shuttle bus routes covering the NUS Kent Ridge campus, University Town and NUS Bukit Timah campus daily from 7am to 11pm, including public holidays.
They will be wheelchair accessible and equipped with a telematics system, an anti-fatigue system as well as a forward collision and side collision warning system.
The NUS contract comes about two months after sister company ComfortDelGro Engineering won a strongly contested tender to operate 479 of 632 electric vehicle chargers slated for introduction next year.
The chargers will be installed in the central, east and west regions of Singapore, mostly in public carparks.
ComfortDelgro last week reported that net earnings of $25.8 million for the third quarter ended Sept 30 were up 19.4 per cent from the same time last year, as economies continued to open up.
The better showing was on the back of a smaller government relief package of $19.8 million, versus grants of $44.2 million last year. It also took into account a minority interest adjustment of $5.5 million.
Revenue for the three months rose by 7.4 per cent to $880.3 million. Operating costs - including fuel - rose by 12.9 per cent to $737.5 million.
ComfortDelGro said the impact of Covid-19 was still being felt in the quarter, with further outbreaks and tightening of measures in a number of markets it operates in.
