Coming soon to Mysuru & Tumakuru: Double-decker, AC e-buses

In Mysuru, KSTDC runs the Ambaari double-decker bus service on tourist routes

Citizens in Mysuru and Tumakuru can look forward to travelling on double-decker buses by the end of this year.

In a unique first, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to introduce double-deckers, air-conditioned electric buses for intra-city travel in Mysuru and Tumakuru under a pilot programme.

Each city will get five such buses that are primarily aimed at catering to students and tourists, said KSRTC Managing Director V Anbukumar. "We are certain of running these buses by the end of this calendar year," he told DH.

In Mysuru, the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) runs the Ambaari double-decker bus service on tourist routes. It's an open-top bus and makes three trips per day. The fare is Rs 250 per person. But the City of Palaces has never had a double-decker bus service for intra-city travel. The KSRTC plans to change that.

Tumakuru, a fast-developing city located next door to Bengaluru, will also get double-decker buses because of its large student population.

Scene in Bengaluru

Bengaluru is the only city in Karnataka that has ever had double-decker buses. The vehicles were phased out in the late 1990s. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is now bringing them back with funds from the Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT). On January 2, 2023, the BMTC invited bids to procure five such buses that are expected to hit city roads by July.

The BMTC is looking at procuring buses that are up to five metres high, have a seating capacity of 70, and run 150 km on a single charge.

The KSRTC will likely follow the same specifications.

Anbukumar said they wanted the BMTC to launch the double-decker buses first. "Once these buses are back in Bengaluru, we will invite tenders and complete the process in just a few months," he added.

If the pilot programme is successful in Mysuru and Tumakuru, the KSRTC will likely introduce the double-deckers in cities like Davangere and Shivamogga, Anbukumar said.