Double decker buses on Bengaluru roads to remain a dream

BENGALURU: The long-pending plan of bringing back double-decker buses to City roads has been shelved. Despite calling for tenders thrice, no company has come forward to operate these buses.

The companies that participated in the tender have quoted a price of Rs 96 per kilometre, which is too high for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). The corporation has now decided to drop the plan as it would incur huge costs to operate the buses, which may not be financially viable.

In the 1980s and 90s, double-decker buses would ply on the roads of the Garden City and it was a matter of pride. Traveling in these buses and exploring Bengaluru was an amazing experience. People from different parts of the city would come to see the city’s famous attractions sitting in these buses. Over time, these buses disappeared from the scene and the glory was lost. However, the government and the Transport department tried to bring back those moments by reintroducing double-decker buses. But, it has remained a dream.

The reasons why the BMTC dropping the plan are:

– No company is willing to supply double-decker buses.
– The quoted amount is too high and not affordable by the Corporation.
– The buses would not be profitable as they would have to be operated at a higher ticket price than regular buses.
– The buses would only be operated on select routes, which would not generate enough revenue.

The BMTC is already facing losses with its Vajra fleet of Volvo buses, and adding double-decker buses would only increase the financial burden. The corporation has decided to drop the plan on introducing double-decker buses and instead focus on other ways to improve public transportation in the city.