First electric bus to arrive in Bengaluru today

Bengaluru: The first Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) electric bus will arrive on Sunday from Kosi near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and is likely to be used for feeder services at Kengeri Metro station.

NTPC and JBM Auto are jointly working on providing a nine-meter long non-AC electric bus. The tender was invited in February 2020 to acquire 90 buses under the Smart City project, BMTC officials said.

The 35-seater bus will be used mainly for feeder services at metro stations, officials said. These buses are planned to be deployed at Mysore Road, Baiyappanahalli, Banashankari and Indiranagar metro stations. The first electric bus had already departed from the JBM bus plant in Kosi near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday night and is expected to arrive in Bengaluru on Sunday, a BMTC official said. Electric buses were to be deployed at metro stations from June. But there was delay due to several reasons. The remaining 89 electric buses will be deployed in the city by December 15. The buses have been taken on a 12-year lease by the BMTC.