Bhubaneswar: Double-decker electric buses are likely to be introduced in the state soon as part of the housing and urban development department’s plan to revamp the city’s public transport scenario. “The buses will be introduced in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and in Puri initially,” housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said on Tuesday. “We have floated a tender to procure the double-decker electric buses. The vehicles will be introduced on an experimental basis and based on the outcome, we will decide on expanding the service to other parts of the state,” Mahapatra added.
The minister stated that the double-decker buses will be environment-friendly since they will be electric vehicles in design. “Initially, we are planning to run the buses from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack and to Puri,” the minister added.
While other cities have phased out such buses, the vehicle has recently been introduced with the EV design in Mumbai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Nagpur.
Mahapatra reasoned that the double-decker buses can carry a larger number of passengers, thereby, reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. “This will further help reduce traffic congestion,” he said.
“Adequate infrastructure will be set up for running the buses. Since double-decker buses need more space, these vehicles will run only on wider roads like the national highways,” Mahapatra added.
City-based urban planner Piyush Ranjan Rout, however, reasoned that the double-decker buses are more suitable for tourists rather than for regular passengers travelling in public transport. “Plus, such buses require high maintenance,” he added.
Rout further said that overhead wires dangling from lamp posts and buildings will pose problems for such buses. “A few such buses on few suitable routes are good, but they can’t reach the core parts of the city,” he said.