SINGAPORE : SMRT will add the new Euro V bus to its fleet of buses, in a move that marks the transport company's latest initiative to go green.

The new bus, which produces less pollutants, was launched by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Transport Ministry Teo Ser Luck on Wednesday.

The Euro V bus is the first of its kind in the region and will be plying on Singapore's roads from May 14. This model produces 42 percent less nitrous oxide pollutants than its predecessor - the Euro IV.

SMRT said it has bought 66 Euro V buses to replace its old fleet, and the new buses will be rolled out between August and December this year.

The Euro V bus costs about S$300,000 and SMRT expects to reap greater financial rewards by going green.

SMRT's CEO, Saw Phaik Hwa, said: "Going green is not something (we should do)... generations later, (after) something goes wrong... Even when we choose Euro IV for our vehicles and CNG (compressed natural gas) for our taxi drivers, (these will help) save on energy costs.

"So there is a business case for them. We hope that by making these choices, which is good for the environment, it will also be good for them."

That is why SMRT will be buying an additional 130 Euro V buses in the next two years.

The company will also add 300 new environmentally-friendly taxis to its fleet later this year. These include 200 that use compressed natural gas (CNG), and 100 taxis that meet the Euro IV standards.

Also going green is Singapore's other big transport provider, ComfortDelGro, which launched the country's first Euro IV buses in November 2007.

ComfortDelGro said it currently has 148 Euro IV busses and this will go up to 500 by the end of the year. It added that when it placed its orders for the Euro V buses in 2006, they were still not commercially available. But the company will consider bringing in the Euro V buses where appropriate.

ComfortDelGro has also converted 2,600 of its taxis with engines that emit less pollution. - CNA /ls