BMTC reinvites bids for electric bus

The BMTC's efforts to induct 300 electric buses, partly funded by the Centre's FAME scheme, have hit the wall once again as the corporation has cancelled the tender for the fourth time after the lowest bidder quoted 20% higher than what it was looking for.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had called the fourth round of bids for procurement and operation of 300 buses under the lease model (gross cost contract) during the end of last year.

Under the model, the corporation will pay the company an assured amount for deploying buses and operating them. The tender documents had put the assured kilometre for 10 months at "no less than 63,000 km". The bidder who quotes the lowest charge per kilometre will get the contract.

An official said that the BMTC had expected a quote of about Rs 50 per/km per bus. "However, the lowest bidder, Evey Trans Pvt Ltd, quoted Rs 62.50 per km which is very high," he said.

In the wake of Covid-19 and the economic stress it brought, the BMTC had decided to buy non air-conditioned buses. "We had introduced several positive measures. Still the bids remained high. It has been decided to go for retendering. We hope to see a competitive bidding this time," a source said.

The induction of electric buses in BMTC has been delayed by more than two years thanks to the abrupt decision of former transport minister D C Thammanna, who in 2018 cancelled a tender in which a company had offered to run buses at Rs 37.50 per km.

The Department of Heavy Industries will provide 55 lakh per bus and Rs 33 lakh is being funded by the state government.

Meanwhile, there was no clarity on the progress made in acquiring 80 electric buses funded by the Bengaluru Smart City Limited. BMTC Managing Director C Shikha was not available for comments.