Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is preparing to introduce air-conditioned 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 air-conditioned electric buses.
Officials said that BMTC recently awarded OHM Global Mobility the contract to operate air-conditioned electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract (lease model).
“OHM will operate air-conditioned electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract(GCC) model, with BMTC paying them ₹65.80 per kilometre. 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 non-air-conditioned electric buses,” an official said.
BMTC’s new fleet of 320 low-floor AC electric buses will be 13 metres long. They are designed to be disabled-friendly. They will be equipped with retractable ramps.
According to officials, each bus will be required to run 250 kilometres per day for 365 days, totaling 87,500 kilometres 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 e-buses, 213 e-buses from Tata Motors, and 90 JBM-NTPC e-buses, all of which are non-air-conditioned.
Out of the 6,147 buses in the BMTC fleet, 5,643 are diesel-powered, and 503 are electric. The non-air-conditioned electric bus fleet is made up of 90 Midi 9-meter buses, 300 12-metre buses, and 113 low-floor 12-metre buses.
