DTC may give up plan to run vestibule buses

The Delhi Transport Corporation has nearly given up on an idea of introducing vestibule buses in the capital. The corporation ran these high-capacity buses on a trial basis, but faced several hiccups due to cramped roads and buses were found below par performance. These large-sized buses need more road space and better road design for manoeuvring, a DTC official said.

The vestibule, or double buses — a single-decker design comprising of two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint — can carry nearly 150 passengers. These articulated buses are about 15-24 metres in length.

As against the low-floor buses, the vestibular buses have the advantage of low operating cost. However, the corporation in its last year’s board meeting observed that the Indian bus manufacturers were not offering the latest technology.

“In the past, DTC had operated vestibule/mega buses on trial basis provided by the VMs (vehicle manufactures) as a demonstration product. But there is a limitation in procurement of such buses from the indigenous VMs who are more interested in selling their financially viable products under construction. VMs have not made any effort in this regard to develop such buses in line with the updated technology available elsewhere in the world,” the corporation had stated.

Sources said the corporation’s technical department has not given a go ahead for buying these buses.

The DTC is also testing an electric bus developed by a China-based automobile firm. But a decision on acquiring e-buses will be taken after completion of the six-month trail. According to the public transporter, the trail began on March 10.

Despite a string of government schemes and tenders, no new buses have been added to the corporation’s ailing fleet in the last several years.

The DTC has a fleet of 4,461 buses, which include 3,781 low-floor buses and 680 standard-floor buses. Since 2013, the DTC had three failed tenders to procure buses.