The number of electric city buses on the roads of Seoul will increase to 143 this year, the metropolitan government said Friday. Beginning in November, an additional 114 electric city buses will be deployed on 19 routes throughout Seoul under the municipal government’s bid to reduce its fine dust pollution by replacing natural gas-powered buses with battery-operated ones. The addition will follow the city’s launch of a pilot run of 29 electric city buses on three routes last November. City officials said all-electric buses will be low-floored in consideration of vulnerable and elderly passengers. The Seoul government will offer a subsidy of up to 200 million won (US$170,400) for each electric bus introduced by private bus companies. The subsidy can increase to a maximum of 292 million won if installation expenses for charging facilities and other allowances are included, it noted. Electric buses are considered to be more eco-friendly than natural gas-powered buses, as they do not emit any air pollutants and create less noise and vibration.