As the demand for midi buses which can connect narrow roads and cover interior places in Bengaluru has increased, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has invited a tender to induct 120 non-AC midi electric buses through the gross cost contract (GCC) model.
The BMTC recently issued the tender to choose a service provider for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of 120 nine-metre non-AC electric buses.
“We’ve initiated the tender to acquire 120 electric midi buses for metro feeder services. These buses will navigate narrow roads, serving both inner-city locations and the outskirts in response to high demand for such mini buses,” a senior official from the BMTC told The Hindu.
Officials further said that the introduction of these buses follows the GCC model, as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the State Urban Transport Fund (SUTF), managed by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT).
Presently, the BMTC operates midi buses on city routes, along with highly sought-after metro feeder buses. Following two incidents of buses catching fire within just 10 days in February 2022, the BMTC temporarily halted the operation of 186 midi buses in its fleet. These 9.2-metre-long buses, shorter than the standard 12 metres, accommodate approximately 30 passengers.
The BMTC is going to induct 120 midi buses which will be equipped with features such as an intelligent transport management system, passenger display boards, CCTV camera systems, panic buttons, etc.
Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off 100 electric buses in the BMTC fleet and announced that the BMTC will get 1,400 electric buses by April 2024.
The initial batch of 100 electric buses is part of the larger fleet of 921 buses that the BMTC is incorporating under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme by the Union government.
