Electric buses to roam streets of Seoul in September

By Park Sae-jin Posted : March 13, 2018, 18:02 Updated : March 13, 2018, 18:02

Electric Bus [Yonhap Photo]



SEOUL -- Seoul, a crowded city with about 10 million people, will bring in 30 electric buses this year as part of a campaign to reduce air pollution and replace thousands of gas-fueled city buses with eco-friendly ones.

There are about 7,400 CNG (compressed natural gas) city buses in Seoul. They are more eco-friendly than diesel-fueled buses but still emit pollutants including nitrogen oxides known as NOx.

"We have decided to operate electric buses as public transportations that could help citizens stay healthier," Hwang Bo-yeon, a director at the weather and environment department of the Seoul city government, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The city government will operate 30 electric buses in September, the official said, adding the number of electric buses would be gradually increased to replace 3,000 gas-fueled buses by 2025. Subsidies would be given to help bus companies ease their financial burden.

Hwang said electric cargo trucks and electric taxis would be introduced later. South Korea has expanded infrastructure for clean-energy vehicles. In February, the science ministry revealed a pilot project of replacing some 10,000 postal delivery motorcycles with compact electric vehicles by 2020. 
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