Bengaluru Double Decker Bus: Why Is BMTC Re-Introducing These Buses On Limited Routes?

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is gearing up to reintroduce double-decker buses in the city, initiating a tendering process.

While commuters express a mix of delight and confusion over this decision, questioning why these buses, capable of accommodating more passengers, are limited to specific routes rather than being deployed on all busy roads, a senior official responded to these queries.

Why the Limited Routes?

While commuters welcome the reintroduction, many question why these high-capacity buses won't ply all busy roads. The answer lies in Bengaluru's urban evolution:

The official explained that the majority of the city's roads are not double-decker friendly, hampering the broader implementation of these buses. "We would like to have more double-decker buses to alleviate heavy congestion, but most roads are no longer suitable for them," stated the official, as reported by TOI.

Over the last 25 years, the city's landscape has transformed, witnessing the construction of 42 flyovers, 28 underpasses, skywalks, low-height gantries, and other structures, rendering many roads unsuitable for double-decker buses. Hence, their deployment is limited to specific routes in the tech-capital, Bengaluru.

The history of Bengaluru's double-decker buses dates back to 1997, but operational and maintenance issues led to their phased-out. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in reintroducing these buses as part of an initiative to enhance public transport in Bengaluru, which ranks among the top 10 most congested cities globally.

Selected Routes:

Given the constraints posed by the city's transformed infrastructure, the BMTC has identified three routes for double-decker bus operations: Majestic (Kempegowda bus station) to Shivajinagar, Majestic to Attibele, and Vijayanagar to Kalasipalya.

To facilitate this initiative, BMTC has approved the floating of tenders to lease up to 10 double-decker AC electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) basis, according to Ramachandra R, Managing Director of BMTC.

When was double-decker bus stopped in Bengaluru?

Bengaluru phased out double-decker buses around 1997. The specific year might vary depending on transport authorities' decisions and circumstances, but generally, the discontinuation process commenced in 1997.