Nostalgia beckons the people of Bengaluru as double-decker buses are set to return to city roads by August 2023 after nearly three decades. These will be electric buses but won’t run on some of the prominent streets like MG Road.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is in the process of procuring five electric double-decker buses and will call for bids in the next few days.
The buses were phased out in the late 1990s. In the early 1980s, one of them toppled near Ramakrishna Ashram in Basavanagudi. That bus plied on route number 39 from Gandhi Bazaar to Majestic and was carrying schoolchildren.
But the strong allure of double-decker buses has prompted the BMTC to bring them back. The transport agency has received funds from the Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) to buy five buses.
It recently invited expressions of interest from electric vehicle manufacturers. Three companies — Ashok Leyland-backed Switch Mobility, Causis E-mobility Private Limited and Olectra Greentech Ltd — took part. But only one of them (Switch Mobility) had an actual bus to show.
The BMTC’s technical committee is to meet on Thursday to finalise specifications on battery capacity, range, floor type, etc.
A V Surya Sen, Director (Information Technology), BMTC, said: “We are taking time to finalise the technical specifications. We are looking for the right bus at the right price.”
He acknowledged that the buses would be “very expensive”.
The buses will need at least five metres of clearance above the ground and will run on some of the busiest routes in the city. Asked about the routes, Sen had this to say: “We can run these buses on many roads but some prominent streets like MG Road would not get them because of the presence of metro stations, skywalks, etc.”
Unlike in some other cities, the buses will not be deployed on tourism circuits. “We will run them on existing routes. Our aim is to ensure efficient public transport,” he added.
All about double-decker e-buses
* Five double-deck, air-conditioned e-buses will start running on Bengaluru roads by July/August 2023. Each bus will cost Rs 2.2 cr and have a seating capacity of 90
* These will not be open-roof buses and will have low or semi-low floors with a rear staircase
* The bus dimensions will be as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 139
* No additional crew will be needed
* After the first phase, the BMTC will procure five more double-deck e-buses under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The proposal is currently pending with the chief minister's office
* In the past, double-deck buses ran from Shivajinagar to Halasuru, Shivajinagar to KR Market, Shivajinagar to Srinagar, Majestic to Doopanahalli, Majestic to Domlur, Majestic to Jayanagar 4th Block, etc