Bus company PT Ekasari Lorena Transport (Lorena) received 34 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses Wednesday from PT Hino Motors Sales Indonesia (HMSI), for use along the Transjakarta busway system.

The buses, scheduled to begin operating September 1, will run along Corridor 5 linking Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta with Ancol in North Jakarta as well as along Corridor 7, which connects Kampung Melayu with Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta.

Lorena is currently constructing a bus depot, equipped with its own CNG gas station, to facilitate the buses' operation.

"We are building the hub on a one-hectare piece of land, specifically for our busway buses. It's nearly finished," Lorena president director Gusti Terkelin Soerbakti said.

When completed, the depot, located in Bambu Apus, East Jakarta, will consist of a maintenance center and terminal.

"We haven't built the installation units yet, but they'll be completed soon, because many are needed," Gusti said.

The company spent a total of Rp 125 billion (US$13.2 million) on the Hino buses, the depot and the CNG gas station, he added.

In response to its gasoline requirements, Lorena's Bogor depot now operates its own gas station, which is open to the public.

"Our buses require a lot of gas and kept refueling at other gas stations. That's why we built our own," Gusti said.

The gas station improves the company's efficiency as management can more easily control the consumption of gas when company drivers refuel at the depot, he added.

Lorena was chosen to operate the buses after winning a bid to operate along the Jakarta busway corridors.

According to Dradjad Adhyaksa, head of the Transjakarta Public Service Body (BLU), Lorena will provide Transjakarta with 13 buses for Corridor 7 and 10 buses for Corridor 5, in addition to single-decker buses.

With the new buses, fleet requirements will be met, he added.

"Lorena's buses will meet the requirements for Corridors 5 and 7, increasing our efficiency," he said.

It is hoped the CNG buses can provide an environmentally friendly option for mass transportation in the city.