For the first time, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will refurbish four Airavat and Airavat Club Class buses, transforming them into almost-new coaches. This initiative follows the successful refurbishment of 1,027 Karnataka Sarige buses since 2022, giving these vehicles a new lease on life.
A KSRTC official told The Hindu, “After successfully refurbishing the regular Sarige buses, we decided to extend this effort to the premium Airavat fleet.”
According to officials, while a new bus costs around ₹40 lakh, refurbishing an old bus to like-new condition costs merely ₹3 lakh. “The refurbished buses will help us meet the increase in demand due to implementation of the Shakti scheme in Karnataka,” the official added.
“If the refurbishment of the Airavat buses proves successful, we plan to refurbish the entire fleet of premium buses,” the official added.
Explaining the refurbishment process, officials explained that they select buses that are approximately 10 years old and have logged over 10 lakh kilometres.
An Airawat bus that will be refurbished by KSRTC. | Photo Credit: special arrangement
“Once selected, the bus is completely disassembled, leaving only the chassis intact. From seats to windows, every component is replaced. The body is rebuilt. After painting, the refurbished bus looks as good as new,” the official said.
KSRTC to refurbish Airavat fleet
The refurbishment process ensures that the buses have well-maintained engines, which typically do not need replacement, but for exceptional cases. Generally, buses that have been in service for 15 years are decommissioned. The buses slotted for refurbishment are only 10 years old.
Since the introduction of the Shakti scheme by the Karnataka government, the four transport corporations — KSRTC, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation — have procured 2,300 new buses. Currently, these corporations operate a total of 23,989 buses across Karnataka, covering an average of 65.02 lakh kilometres per day.
