Bengaluru: NTPC is lowest bidder to supply 90 e-buses for BMTC

BENGALURU: NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd, a subsidiary of NTPC Ltd, has emerged as the lowest bidder to provide 90 non-AC electric buses for BMTC, sources said.
Apart from NTPC, Hyderabad-based Evey Trans Private Limited (Olectra) took part in the tender under the Bengaluru Smart City project. NTPC, a PSU under the Union power ministry, reportedly quoted Rs 44 per km without electricity and Rs 52 per km with electricity.
BMTC is now negotiating with NTPC to reduce the cost.“Our operational cost for non-AC diesel buses is Rs 55 per km. In addition to the quoted amount, we’ve to spend Rs 12 per km for conductors’ salaries. It will be a 12-year contract in which we pay on a per km basis and they will take care of the operation and maintenance,” said a BMTC source.
The plan is to induct 90 non--AC midi (9m) electric Metro feeder buses with a passenger capacity of 30 to 35. It will be deployed to and from Metro stations like Mysuru Road, Byappanahalli, Banashankari and Indiranagar. NTPC has formed a JV with its original equipment manufacturer partner JBM.
JBM starts trial run of e-bus
The one-month e-bus trial run by Olectra Greentech Limited, which has a JV with China’s BYD Auto Industry Company, ended recently. The 12-metre-long AC bus can accommodate 37 passengers and runs up to 200km on single charge.
“We operated on 10 routes with sand bags equivalent to the weight of passengers. Other manufacturers are bringing their buses. It will help us understand how these buses perform on bad roads,” said an official.
JBM has now deployed its e-bus on similar arterial routes. Other firms like Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Haryana-based Foton PMI and city-based Veera Vahana are also willing to conduct trials. This is part of the 300 e-buses planned under the Centre’s FAME-II scheme. BMTC has floated another tender for 300 non-AC e-buses. While the Centre’s department of heavy industries is giving a subsidy of Rs 55 lakh per bus, the state has allocated Rs 33.33 lakh per bus.