Frequent commuters in the area have urged the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to immediately construct a shelter in the newly beautified area in order to make their wait comfortable. “It’s unbearable to wait under the scorching sun for buses. Often, the time taken for buses to arrive at the stop is unpredictable. Soon, the rainy season is also going to arrive,” said a commuter, while adding that there are adequate arrangements made for seating and the area only requires an overhead shelter to protect bus commuters from harsh weather.
“For the FAME subsidy, the lease model of procuring buses is mandatory. Since this is the only way the subsidy is available, STUs are forced to adopt the lease model even when they can and would prefer to buy and operate the buses themselves,” explained Shaheen Shasa from the Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV).
In the first since the launch of EV buses in the BMTC fleet in 2021, this bus’ battery was reported to have got overheated on April 5 and the fire detection and suppression system was activated. The bus was docked at Bidadi Depot and was charging when the incident happened. With the FDSS activated, smoke arose from the bus.
The first tender for the double-decker was not finalised due to technical reasons. BMTC received a single bid from Chennai-based OHM Global Mobility Limited, and according to BMTC sources, the bid was for Rs 102.5 per km. However, the tender was cancelled owing to high bids, and BMTC is now looking for bids lower than that.