DTC to buy 1380 buses; opportunity for SME bus body builders
Updated: Jun 30, 2014 01:22:06pm
New Delhi, Jun 30 (KNN) The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) today announced plans to buy 1380 CNG propelled bus chassis , throwing opportunities for small and medium enterprises engaged in the bus body building to partner themselves with the large sized automobile companies.
The project will run into several crores of rupees.
In this context, DTC seeks bids from manufacturers of CNG propelled bus chassis and/or fully built CNG buses for supply (including design, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning) of 900 mm floor height (semi low floor) CNG propelled city type non-AC new buses conforming to Bharat Stage-IV (Euro-IV) norms with responsibility of maintenance for 10 years or 6,50,000 kms operation whichever is later, an official notification said.
According to recent reports, the Delhi Transport Corporation has admitted that 600-700 of its buses have been failing every day in the past few weeks - that's roughly one in every six DTC bus on the road and an unheard of breakdown rate of almost 16 per cent.
Further, an average of 33 cluster buses fail on the road everyday on account of DTC's aging and inefficient fleet. Officials admit the corporation is so busy repairing its broken vehicles each day that services are hit.
Official have blamed weather conditions, which impact the engine, especially in air-conditioned buses.
Reports have also said that the Indian bus industry is a major pillar of strength for the Indian automobile industry, with more than 400 bus body building establishments producing on an average more than 90,000 units per year and providing employment to millions directly and indirectly.
Significantly, a majority of bus body manufacturing units are from the MSME segment.
With Government policies for liberalizing the Indian automobile market as well as developing quality highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres; and also development of urban road infrastructure and urban transport systems through JnNURM I project, demand for buses is on the increase.
In addition, a lot of international bus manufacturers like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Scania have entered the Indian market, and many of others are in the process of setting-up bus manufacturing units in the country, reports said.
Some decades ago, truck type chassis were used by the Indian bus industry for bus body building with conventional technology. The entry of Volvo in the Indian bus industry brought about technology, passenger comfort, product quality and value for money for Indian bus passengers as well as bus tour operators.
Meanwhile, the Government has also developed norms for process of evaluating, assessing and approving the capabilities and capacities of a bus body builder to consistently produce specified quality of bus bodies through “Accreditation of Bus Body Builders” which has been effective from April 1, 2013.
Till date, more than 120 body building units have got accreditation from agencies like the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT). (KNN/ES)
The project will run into several crores of rupees.
In this context, DTC seeks bids from manufacturers of CNG propelled bus chassis and/or fully built CNG buses for supply (including design, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning) of 900 mm floor height (semi low floor) CNG propelled city type non-AC new buses conforming to Bharat Stage-IV (Euro-IV) norms with responsibility of maintenance for 10 years or 6,50,000 kms operation whichever is later, an official notification said.
According to recent reports, the Delhi Transport Corporation has admitted that 600-700 of its buses have been failing every day in the past few weeks - that's roughly one in every six DTC bus on the road and an unheard of breakdown rate of almost 16 per cent.
Further, an average of 33 cluster buses fail on the road everyday on account of DTC's aging and inefficient fleet. Officials admit the corporation is so busy repairing its broken vehicles each day that services are hit.
Official have blamed weather conditions, which impact the engine, especially in air-conditioned buses.
Reports have also said that the Indian bus industry is a major pillar of strength for the Indian automobile industry, with more than 400 bus body building establishments producing on an average more than 90,000 units per year and providing employment to millions directly and indirectly.
Significantly, a majority of bus body manufacturing units are from the MSME segment.
With Government policies for liberalizing the Indian automobile market as well as developing quality highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres; and also development of urban road infrastructure and urban transport systems through JnNURM I project, demand for buses is on the increase.
In addition, a lot of international bus manufacturers like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Scania have entered the Indian market, and many of others are in the process of setting-up bus manufacturing units in the country, reports said.
Some decades ago, truck type chassis were used by the Indian bus industry for bus body building with conventional technology. The entry of Volvo in the Indian bus industry brought about technology, passenger comfort, product quality and value for money for Indian bus passengers as well as bus tour operators.
Meanwhile, the Government has also developed norms for process of evaluating, assessing and approving the capabilities and capacities of a bus body builder to consistently produce specified quality of bus bodies through “Accreditation of Bus Body Builders” which has been effective from April 1, 2013.
Till date, more than 120 body building units have got accreditation from agencies like the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT). (KNN/ES)
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