Double decker buses in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has identified over 70 routes across the country to ply double-decker buses for public transport.

The ministry has identified five potential routes from Bengaluru-Mangaluru, Bengaluru-Chennai, Bengaluru-Hubballi, Bengaluru-Mysuru and Bengaluru-Hyderabad – to run double-decker buses.

“Many countries are encouraging plying of such buses in their public transport system, which not only provide comfortable journey to passengers, but also help reduce the number of cars on the road,” said an official in the road transport ministry.

It has also announced the double-decker bus code, according to which the carrying capacity of each bus will be up to 82 passengers.

According to specifications fixed by the government, the double-decker buses will have two service doors on the lower deck and at least two emergency exits on the upper deck as well as lower deck, apart from escape hatches.

“We need to discourage people from buying vehicles and improve the public transport by providing a comfortable journey,” he said.

Other routes which the ministry has identified for double-decker buses are Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Agra, Kozhikode-Kochi and Visakhapatnam-Bhubaneswar.

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier said the government aimed to reduce private vehicles by encouraging double-decker buses.