Double-decker buses are likely to return to Bangalore’s roads by the end of this year.
With the Centre publishing specifications for such buses, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is expected to buy four or five of the vehicles.
BMTC managing director Ekroop Caur was quoted as saying: “A few states have been willing to buy double-decker buses for capital cities. But there were no standard specifications until now. We are waiting for an opportunity to buy four or five of them.”
The Automotive Research Association of India, the certified organization that determines specifications for vehicles to be used in India, published double-decker specifications in April 2016.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, the popular double-deckers were a common sight on Bangalore’s roads, but they taken out of service completely in 1997. The lone double-decker bus that remained in the fleet was used for city tours until 2014. Called Bengaluru Darshan, it was a hop on-hop off service, taking tourists around important sightseeing spots such as Vidhana Soudha, Tipu Fort, Ulsoor Lake, MG road, and Iskcon, and Gavi Gangadhareshwara and Bull temples.