Tata Motors said it had received an order from KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) to supply 487 Tata Marcopolo built buses and another for 780 to HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) as per “Urban Bus Specifications” under JNNURM – II scheme. These orders are part of the over 2700 orders for Tata Motors ‘URBAN’ buses received under JnNURM – II scheme.
Tata Motors said it has also developed Electric Hybrid buses and Articulated buses to meet the future transport needs for the smart cities.
The ‘URBAN’ buses from Tata Motors with a smart new front fascia, have been designed for Safety, Comfort and convenience for passengers and better operating efficiency for State Transport Authorities, the automaker said.
The TATA Marcopolo buses are fitted with CCT cameras and come with a wider passage-way for free movement, wider window panes for better visibility along with wider and lower entry/exit doors.
Tata URBAN buses also has Intelligence Transport Systems that can display the number of seats in a bus, location etc at bus stops. It uses GPS and GPRS.
Like their competitor from Volvo, these buses have bucket type seats, softer suspension, tubeless tyres and lower NVH.
“These buses also enhance the operational efficiency for STU’s (State Transport Units), as these are compatible to hook-up with a central control room server, through which an operator monitors the performance of each bus in terms of number of trips, off-road position, adherence to pre-scheduled maintenance by monitoring real-time health of the bus, through OBD (on-board diagnostics). Through this feature operators can also moderate and redesign the frequency of buses on every route,” Tata Motors said.
The buses come with a new generation ISBe Cummins fuel efficient engine with new 6-speed overdrive gear box and cable shift mechanism. “A large number of Tata ‘URBAN’ buses being fit with ‘Automatic Transmission’, ensures greater on-road performance for a smooth jerk-free ride.”
The contract will make Tata narrow its gap with Volvo in the government sector. Most of the early orders for low-floor buses, including those from Delhi and Bangalore, had gone to Volvo. Already, Tata said, over 60,000 Marcopolo buses plying across the length and breadth of India.
Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors. “With these orders, Tata Motors reinforces its position as a leading partner to state transportation corporations, in providing them with the right product and service solutions, enabling them to create and maintain a sustainable public transportation system. Balancing affordability for passengers, along with a world-class ‘Metro’ like experience and long-term economic viability is a need of every transport undertaking and we at Tata Motors are committed to that need. We will shortly commence delivery of our ‘URBAN’ buses.”
The buses are manufactured at Tata Marcopolo Motors Limited (TMML) world-class facility in Dharwad in Karnataka and Lucknow, with state-of-the-art technologies and expertise in systems for bodybuilding and bus body design, conforming to international standards in quality. They are subjected to ‘roll-over tests’ as mandated by the Urban Development Ministry. ”
Tata Motors will impart training to drivers of the STU’s/operators on handling the new ‘URBAN’ buses, including general service and maintenance.
“The company is committed to support these buses by leveraging its large network of over 1800 Authorized Service set-ups all of which are geared to provide best-in-class service support, over the life cycle of these buses. At strategic locations we have upgraded our set-ups for the maintenance and repair of these new generation bus bodies,” it said.