Bengaluru: Ohm Global Mobility to supply 320 AC e-buses to BMTC for airport routes, tech corridors

"OHM will operate AC e-buses on a Gross Cost Contract (lease model), wherein BMTC will pay them Rs 65.80 per Km. The prototype bus is expected to reach Bengaluru in two to three months. The firm is expected to deliver all buses by March 2025," a senior BMTC official said.

OHM will deploy drivers, operate and maintain buses, as well as set up charging infrastructure, but conductors will be from BMTC.

According to the tender documents, the selected firm will procure, operate, and maintain the low-floor (400 mm) buses on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model with an assured distance of 225 km per day for 350 days per year over 12 years.

Officials said they are planning to replace old Volvo buses plying on Vajra (connecting tech corridors) and Vayu Vajra airport routes with buses supplied by OHM.

Another official said: "We had floated the first tender in October 2023 for 320 e-buses under the Rs 150 crore in special funds from the state government. The first tender had no bidders, and the second tender received only a single bid from Olectra Greentech Ltd (OGL), quoting Rs 85 per km to operate and maintain e-buses. This forced us to go for a third tender, in which OHM emerged as the sole bidder. So we issued the LoA to OHM before the election model code of conduct kicked in," he said.

Also Read: Bengaluru to get 2,211 buses by March 2024, govt sets recruitment conditions

BMTC has a total of 593 Volvo buses and 474 daily schedules on Vajra and Vayu Vajra routes. The average mileage of Volvo buses in BMTC is about 2.5-3 kmph. The operational cost of Volvo buses is around Rs 90 per km. The earnings per km on the Vajra routes are Rs 50 per km, while it is Rs 70 per km on Vayu Vajra routes. Though there is a demand for AC buses due to soaring temperature in Bengaluru, Shakti free bus travel for women passengers is applicable only in non-AC buses.

Also Read: Reversing the trend: Bengaluru's BMTC regains ridership with free bus travel for women

Bengaluru has only non-AC e-buses

At present, BMTC has only non-AC e-buses - 300 Ashok Leyland's Switch Mobility and 90 JBM-NTPC.

In addition to this, BMTC had issued an LoA to Tata Motors for 921 e-buses in 2021; however, only 213 buses are operational so far, and the remaining are expected to be rolled out by March 2025 in a phased manner.

BMTC is also planning to induct 10 double-decker e-buses and 120 non-AC electric buses. "Both are still in the bidding stage," said an official.

Also Read: Bengaluru to get 120 non-AC electric buses; BMTC floats tender

All e-buses are inducted on lease model. BMTC is paying Tata Motors at a rate of Rs 41 per km (tendered by Convergence Energy Services Limited), Rs 51 per km for JBM-NTPC under the Bengaluru Smart City scheme, Rs 48.9 per km for Switch Mobility (Centre’s FAME-II scheme).

Ashok Leyland gets an 820 diesel bus order

Separately, BMTC officials said they have scrapped the 840 diesel bus tender which was awarded to Tata Motors.

Also Read: Bengaluru to get 1,400 electric buses by April 2024: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

"Drivers were complaining of engine overheating issues in Tata buses since its cooling system had some technical issue. At present, 20 diesel Tata BS-VI buses are running, and we detected overheating issues during trial runs. Following this, we floated a fresh tender for 820 diesel buses, and Ashok Leyland has emerged as the lowest bidder and is expected to supply the buses in another few months," the official adds.