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

BMTC e-buses (Representational picture)

Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has invited a tender to induct 120 non-AC midi electric buses through a lease model.

BMTC has floated a tender to select a service provider for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of 120 nine-meter non-AC electric buses. These buses are being introduced under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the State Urban Transport Fund (SUTF) of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT).

The selected service provider will be responsible for operating 180 assured kilometers per day per bus. A BMTC official said, "Three depots and three locations for opportunity charging will be provided by BMTC for the operations of these e-buses.”

The buses will be equipped with an Intelligent Transport Management System, Passenger Display Boards, CCTV systems, panic buttons etc. Tender is expected to open on February 13.

Currently, BMTC operates 390 e-buses, including 90 non-AC midi (9m) JBM-NTPC buses and 300 12m buses by Switch Mobility Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland.

During the flagging-off ceremony for 100 non-AC Tata Motors Smart City Ltd buses at Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on December 26 said that Bengaluru would have 1,400 electric buses by April 2024. These 100 e-buses are part of the 921 non-AC Tata Motors e-buses being inducted under the Centre’s FAME-II scheme.

Meanwhile, BMTC has also invited a tender for 320 AC e-buses for the third time. The first tender had no bidder, 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 BMTC to go for a fresh tender.

Currently, operational cost of BMTC's diesel non-AC buses is around Rs 80 per km, and for Volvo buses, it is Rs 95 per km. Under the lease model, BMTC will only need to deploy only a conductor, incurring an additional cost of Rs 13 per km.

Also read: Bengaluru to Get 1,400 Electric Buses by April 2024: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Officials said 320 low-floor AC electric buses are being inducted on the Gross Cost Contract (lease) model under the scheme for special assistance to states for capital investment 2023-24. The tender is likely to be opened on January 20, 2024.

A total of four depots: depot-7 (Subhash Nagar), depot-13 (Katriguppe), depot-18 (Whitefield), and depot-25 (HSR layout), have been identified for these 320 AC low-floor buses. The selected firm will also need to provide opportunity charging facilities in five locations identified by the BMTC.

Separately, the Karnataka cabinet meeting on January 5 approved BMTC's proposal to induct 10 double-decker AC electric buses on lease basis.