One of the 10 SBS Transit buses with rooftop gardens. Source: Facebook/Singapore Green Building CouncilBuses in Singapore have been outfitted with rooftop gardens in an effort to lower energy use and costs for bus operators.

As part of an initiative called “Garden on the Move,” two rooftop soilless gardens have been mounted atop 10 SBS Transit buses in Singapore. Each greenery patch measures 1.8 m by 1.05 m and weighs roughly 40 kg. The initiative, which is funded by the Temasek Foundation and includes partners such as Moove Media, National Parks Board and Singapore Green Building Council, will examine if the green rooftops lower the interior temperature of buses, thereby leading to less fuel used for air-conditioning and, subsequently, lower operational costs. The trial is expected to last for three months.

According to Dr. Tan Chun Liang from the National University of Singapore’s School of Design and Environment who is also advising on the study:

“While the impact of greenery on buildings has been well documented, much less is known about the effects of greenery on moving vehicles.

“To increase green coverage on our roads in this manner is an exciting prospect and we certainly hope that our study can provide the hard figures for mobile gardens as well as other innovations to improve our built environment.”

Lim Hock Chuan, chief executive of Temasek Foundation Ecosperity, added, “Green roofs are not just for buildings or even buses. With some imagination and effort, they can be applied to almost any urban infrastructure, and we can maximise tangible benefits as well as quality of life improvements out of them.”