The future of city bus transportation clearly lies in semi low-floor and low-floor buses. All the bus manufacturers like Tata Motors, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Eicher Motors and Cerita Motors are lining up a range of models to meet the requirements of different city transport corporations.Ashok Leyland has always led the way as far as bus business in India is concerned. Its major strength lies in its engineering and design capabilities. The company has always remained a step above competition in terms of offering the best technology products in the bus segment. One such initiative is the development of 'ibus', a low-floor city bus concept which was showcased at Auto Expo 2008.
The ibus could well be the product Ashok Leyland is banking on for city bus application. The product which was first showcased at the Auto Expo. The ibus was developed by a team of 25 young engineers, who have done a thorough analysis of the existing city transportation system in major metro. The ibus team finally came up with a solution and the product was designed and developed, all in just 10 months time.
The ibus showcased was a fully loaded version with top-of-the-line features. For the first time in India, a choice between travelling in 'executive' or 'economy' class in the same bus was offered to the customer. Other features include wireless Internet, electronics-enabled 'workplace', digital display of all 'diagnostic' information, rear camera video display, LCD wide screens (for infotainment), individual AC controls, electrically-controlled air suspension (ECAS) with kneeling facility for boarding and alighting (particularly for the elderly and physically challenged), 220v adapters and laptop holders, electronic leveling system to accommodate with the inconsistent Indian infrastructure and smart card-based ticket wending machine.
In terms of safety, the bus has disc brakes with ABS, rear collision warning system, doors with obstacle sensing system and 1.5-metre wide doors that makes entry and exit of passengers faster and easier.Post-Auto Expo, Ashok Leyland showcased the ibus to various transport corporations, including Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai. The response was overwhelming, said Mr. B. Venkat Subramaniam, Special Director (Marketing), Ashok Leyland.
“We will offer a few options for the buyer, which could start from a basic vanilla offering to the fully loaded version. A buyer can choose the feature required, and we can incorporate it in the product. Commercial production will commence in six months”, added Mr. Venkat.
Ashok Leyland also showcased the model at the Ninth Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP – International Association of Public Transport) Asia Pacific Assembly held in Bangalore.
Asked if the company will participate with this bus for the DTC tender, Mr. Venkat said the company has already developed a low-floor city bus for the purpose. Media reports indicate that AL has developed a city bus jointly with the Chinese bus manufacturer Foton.
Indian manufacturers are gearing up to gain a share of the city bus market which is clearly moving to global standards in terms of technology, design and features. The city bus market is growing rapidly, with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai upgrading their fleets. The ibus is an example of how Indian manufacturers are gearing up to the challenge. The bigger challenge will be to ensure profitability of these fleets.
