BMTC to get new buses by end of Sept, AC e-bus prototype in Oct

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will add dozens of new diesel buses by the end of September, as part of a broader initiative to expand its fleet and replace outdated vehicles, according to a top official. 

The BMTC has already received a prototype diesel bus from Ashok Leyland, which won the contract to supply 821 buses complying with Bharat Stage 6 emission norms. The prototype bus underwent a month-long trial run and passed the requisite technical tests. Fifty buses will be introduced by September-end and deployed across the city, said BMTC Managing Director, Ramachandran R. 

All the 820 buses are expected to be delivered next year. 

The BMTC is under pressure to expand its fleet due to the Shakti scheme, which offers free bus travel to women in Karnataka. While daily ridership has surged from 27.4 lakh to 40 lakh since the scheme’s introduction, the fleet has decreased from 6,888 to 6,200.

“The Shakti scheme has significantly increased female ridership, and we’re working hard to meet the demand. We have to scrap 2,000 buses and have replaced only 800,” Ramachandran told DH. 

The corporation will buy or lease 2,211 buses, including 920 non-AC electric, 820 diesel and 320 AC electric buses. 

To date, 630 non-AC e-buses have hit the road, while another 290 are expected by November. These buses, manufactured by Tata Motors subsidiary TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Ltd at its Dharwad plant, are leased at Rs 41/km, with the company providing the drivers. 

“Under the contract, all 920 buses are to be delivered by March 2025, but things are progressing faster than expected. Of the 920 buses, 630 are already on the road and another 120 have been delivered and are being registered. The rest will come by November,” Ramachandran explained. 

Electric AC buses

The BMTC will also receive a prototype electric AC bus in mid-October, the BMTC boss said. 

Earlier this year, OHM Global Mobility Limited, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, won the bid to lease 320 AC electric buses that will replace ageing Volvo buses, including those on airport routes. 

To manage the growing fleet and meet demand, the BMTC is also hiring 2,500 conductors, many of whom will be assigned to the leased electric buses, said G T Prabhakara Reddy, Chief Traffic Manager (Operations), BMTC.