The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (the MoIT), is preparing the procurement of a bus priority scheme along the main road corridor through the capital city, Thimphu. The scheme is expected to be financed through the Green Climate Fund and World Bank IDA as well as co-funding by RGoB. A second component of the project will be the pedestrianisation of the main commercial avenue in the city centre and improvements to connecting building alleys and footpaths.
The objective of both of these schemes is to encourage a modal shift from private car use in the city to low emission public and non-motorised transport and thereby to reduce GreenHouse Gas emissions. The bus priority scheme will include the procurement of 50 battery electric buses, an intelligent transport system, new signalised pedestrian crossings, and the construction of new terminal buildings. These procurements are the initial investments for the Bhutan Green Transport Project which will develop additional improvements to the public and non-motorised transport networks to both mitigate the effects of climate change and provide resilience to its adverse impacts. The attached Project Information Memorandum (PIM) provides more details of the project and the separate procurements planned.
The Ministry held an Investor Day on June 26, 2024, both virtually and in-person, to familiarise potential international investors, suppliers and contractors with the project. It aimed to further provide contact points with potential Bhutanese partners or sub-contractors, and to explore the most cost-effective ways of dividing the procurement packages and allocating the project risks. The videos, presentation slides and the minutes of the event are available below. For any additional information or inquiries, please contact dekiw@moit.gov.bt.
Minutes of Investor Day of BGTP
Project Information Memorandum
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