Delhi’s only ev double-decker bus to run on tourist circuit, not city routes

Bus is being tested for tree canopy height, overbridge clearance and battery range; earlier double-deckers under “Suvidha” were phased out in 1989 during CNG shift.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has handed over their only double-decker electric bus to the tourism department and the vehicle will be launched during the Delhi Darshan service in the coming months. However, the bus will ply through a dedicated tourism circuit rather than regular city routes.

DTC cites route constraints for avoiding commuter service; the 9.8m-long bus returns a format shelved decades ago, with officials still finalising driver training and logistics. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

DTC officials said that while regular services are off-the-table for now, owing to the challenges of narrow lanes, weight and height constraints, the tourism route provides a plausible testing ground. The 4.75 metres tall bus stretches to 9.8 metres in length, has seating for 63 passengers (including the driver), which is nearly triple the capacity of the city’s nine-metre DEVi (Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector) buses.

“We are mapping routes, measuring tree canopies, checking overbridge clearances and wires. Since the tourist circuit will not require the buses to move on any internal roads, it is more feasible to use them for tourism purposes where one or two trips will be made in the entire day,” said a tourism department official.

The electric bus was initially supplied by one of the manufacturers as a pilot to the transport department. Given the logistical constraints, DTC has opted to allocate the vehicle directly to the tourism department rather than deploy it in the traditional commuter network.

Double-deckers were once a staple of Delhi’s streets, run by the DTC under the name “Suvidha”, before they were phased out in 1989 as the city transitioned to the CNG fleet. Earlier attempts to revive them ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and in 2022 before the G20 summit have failed due to route-feasibility concerns.

Officials said that they are still working on route logistics, checking battery range, ensuring overhead clearance and training drivers accustomed to standard-height buses.