KSRTC seeks more time to decide on camera-fitted buses

10 such vehicles are being operated on core routes for over a month

As many as 93 camera-fitted buses were sanctioned under the JNNURM to Mysuru.— File Photo: M.A. Sriram

The trial run of the State’s first observation camera-enabled buses will continue for a fortnight more in Mysuru with the KSRTC seeking more time to appraise their performance and prepare a report card on its merger with the existing fleet.

Ten such buses, delivered in February this year under JNNURM Phase 2, are being operated on core routes here for over a month now to assess their utility and ‘commuter-friendly’ aspects.

A team each from the KSRTC, Bengaluru, and the company that delivered the buses are monitoring the buses’ performance.

The buses meet the Centre’s Urban Bus Specifications -2, giving priority for commuter safety. They have been built with 180 hp engine that are reckoned to be “powerful” and “eco-friendly”.

About 93 such buses were sanctioned under the JNNURM Phase-2 to Mysuru and 10 have been delivered till date. Their delivery depends on the performance assessment report from the KSRTC.

One of the issues noticed during the month-long trial run is that the buses are giving lower mileage.

“Compared to the Semi-Low Floor (SLF) buses (also allotted under JNNURM Phase-1), these buses are giving lower mileage. If this issue is overlooked, then the buses are expected to get thumbs up for the delivery of remaining buses,” sources in KSRTC told The Hindu .

While the camera-fitted buses giving a mileage of 3.6 to 3.7 km a litre of diesel, the SLF buses are giving mileage between 4.3 and 4.5 km per litre. “Perhaps, the lower mileage is attributed to higher hp engine. The SLF buses come with 120 hp engine.”

The camera-fitted buses were specially manufactured to enable the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), which was introduced for the first time in the country in Mysuru two years ago.

Each bus has been fitted with two cameras — one near the driver’s seat and the other in the middle — to capture passenger movement. With improved aesthetics and new-look cockpit with an alert option (to the ITS control room), the buses, equipped with advanced safety features, comes with safe door feature.

The safe door will not allow the engine to run if the door remains open, sources said.

Each bus costs around Rs. 32 lakh, and two cameras and the ITS network system alone costs around Rs. 5 lakh.

The in-built computer system is equipped to store footage recorded by the two cameras for seven days. Afterwards, the older footage gets to store the latest recording. The footage is retrieved and monitored if necessary for commuter safety.