How many buses in Tokyo?

I am wondering how many buses (both private and government-owned) are currently running in Tokyo? And of those, how many of them are electric/green/environmentally-friendly buses?

Thank You.

Hi jon,

According to this page,
http://bus-link.seesaa.net/article/115829438.html

In the Tokyo Metropolitan area plus remote Tokyo islands,
there are currently about 70 - 80 bus organizations including both private and government-owned ones. The total number of buses running in Tokyo might be about several thousands.

I don't know how many bus organizations in Tokyo own electric/green/environmentally-friendly buses, but in the case of Toei Bus (meaning: Tokyo Metropolitan Bus), old gasoline-engine buses have been gradually replaced with more efficient hybrid-electric buses since the early 1990s. In 2003, the first Fuel Cell Hybrid bus appeared in Tokyo. I have also seen a Toei bus driven by LNG gas.

According to my research, the total number of Toei buses running in Tokyo is 1,500.

Take a look at this video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUBPzUN0SBA
This is a typical Toei bus. As you see from this clip, a low-floor bus is usually called "Non-step Bus" here in Japan (this seems to be a word specific to Japan). You can see so many low-floor buses in Tokyo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1XwR4owdM

Almost all Toei buses now running in Tokyo stop their engine automatically every time they stop by a traffic signal.

According to this official table:
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/bus/kanren/environment.html
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government now owns 141 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) buses, 112 Hybrid-electric buses, and 1,300 green (automatically idling stop) buses.

This official table was announced on April 1, 2010 (old statistics), so it is highly likely that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government now own more environmentally-friendly buses.

Hello Dosanko,

good research!
I would like to know something more about the general strategy in Tokyo related to alternative propulsions. Do they plan to purchase more hybrid buses? Is this sponsored by the government? Are they forced to purchase more and more environmental friendly buses by a law or something else? Or do they use them because it is cheaper because of less fuel consumption?

Thanks in advance.