BMTC set to introduce AC electric bus
Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is preparing to introduce airconditioned electric buses to its fleet. OHM Global Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, will supply 320 such buses to the BMTC.
In addition, BMTC plans to replace old Volvo buses operating on Vajra and Vayu Vajra airport routes with airconditioned electric buses. Officials said that BMTC recently awarded OHM Global Mobility the contract to operate airconditioned electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract (lease model).
“OHM will operate airconditioned electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, with BMTC paying them ₹65.8 per km. The prototype bus is expected to arrive in Bengaluru in three months, with the firm set to deliver all buses by March 2025. Currently, BMTC operates nonAC electric buses,” an official said. BMTC’s new fleet of 320 lowfloor AC electric buses will be 13 metres long. They are designed to be disabledfriendly. They will have retractable ramps. Each bus will have to run 250 km per day for 365 days, totaling 87,500 km annually.
BMTC has selected four depots — Depot 7 (Subhash Nagar), Depot 13 (Katriguppe), Depot 18 (Whitefield), and Depot 25 (HSR Layout) — for the deployment of these 320 electric AC buses. Currently, BMTC operates 593 Volvo AC buses, with 474 daily schedules covering Vajra and Vayu Vajra routes. In terms of electric buses, BMTC operates 300 Ashok Leyland Switch Mobility ebuses, 213 ebuses from Tata Motors, and 90 JBMNTPC ebuses, all nonAC.
Of the 6,147 buses in the fleet, 5,643 are dieselpowered, and 503 are electric. The nonAC electric bus fleet is made up of 90 Midi 9metre buses, 300 12metre buses, and 113 lowfloor 12metre buses.