An electric bus by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) caught fire after developing a mechanical problem at Hebbal BWSSB office on August 6, 2024.
After the most recent fiery accident incident involving an electric bus, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has instructed electric bus drivers to be extra cautious during rain. They have issued Dos and Donts for the bus crew for the monsoon season.
A senior BMTC official said, “In view of the expected continued showers in the next few days which will see flooding of roads, ‘we are putting in place additional measures to protect our buses’ electrical components from water damages. We have given all drivers specific instructions on how this must be done with and what they should avoid doing. Drivers were asked to use their discretion and not cross any flooded sections. However, we want to assure everybody that there is no cause for alarm as far as safety of these buses is concerned.”
Following an inferno that consumed an electric bus headed towards Goraguntepalya some time ago that occurred when it broke down near Hebbal BWSSB office on August 5th, National Thermal Power Corporation Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited and Jay Bharat Maruti Limited officials confirmed that they are inspecting the vehicle and need one week to complete investigations. In this case there were no injuries because all passengers had safely got out before fumes started coming out through its exhaust pipe.
The vehicle had stopped due to heavy rains resulting in road being submerged but despite several attempts made by driver it could not restart and later smoke started billowing out from it followed by fire outbreak.
BMTC operates a fleet of non-air-conditioned Ashok Leyland Switch Mobility e-buses (300), Tata Motors e-buses (213) as well as JBM-NTPC e-buses (90). Out of BMTC’s 6,147 buses, 5,643 are diesel-powered while 503 are electric. The non-air-conditioned electric buses consist of 90 Midi 9-meter buses, 300 12-meter long buses and 113 low floor 12-meter long buses.
