The iconic double-decker buses might come back in some cities, in India

Things are valued the most, when they start disappearing or disappear completely!

The iconic double-decker bus, the essence of the metro cities, are likely to hit the roads of West Bengal and Karnataka again, after so many years since it was last seen, back in the late 90s.

Old double-decker bus in Bangalore

Old double-decker bus in Calcutta (now Kolkata)

History :

Let's first know how it all started. In India, double-decker buses were introduced in the year 1937, which was powered by horses. Later, horses were replaced by an engine, which was an integral part of a tractor, pivoted to a separate enclosed trailer as a passenger unit. By 1947, there were 242 of them in Bombay (Now Mumbai), in total. 

Horse-driven double-decker carrier in Bombay.

Modern double-decker bus in Mumbai

Sadly, there are very few left to date. On one hand, BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) wants to reduce the number of buses due to it's operational and maintenance cost, but on the other hand, the commuters and transport experts are not really happy because they feel, a double-decker bus can carry more passengers than a single-decker bus, occupying the same road space and also, it has its own heritage value. However, discussions are still going on, to scrap the ones that have completed their life spans and make all-new buses.

Operations in South India and West Bengal :

In Southern India, Bangalore and Hyderabad had double-deckers for some time before the discontinuity. Chennai's Transport Corporation also had a small fleet of these buses, mainly in the high-density and longer distance routes. They operated from 1975 before being discontinued. They were restarted in 1997, and again, phased off completely by 2008.

Kolkata and some cities in Kerala had these buses too. But, even they couldn't hold on to the buses for too long due to various reasons.

Contribution of Ashok Leyland  :

Ashok Leyland was the brand that pioneered in making double-deckers and the first model that was launched, was named, 'Ashok Leyland Titan'. This would have barely been possible without their support. From the chassis to the trailer, they created it all. Mr. Balan was one of the founding fathers of this giant. He is still working for the same company at AL- service training center, Chennai. Besides, almost all the employees working in the R&D unit, goes through rigorous training sessions under him.

Reintroduction of double-decker buses in Kolkata :

The West Bengal Transport Department is planning to reintroduce the historic double-decker buses on city routes. Although the date has not been confirmed yet, it is very much likely to take place in  the near future. Two prototypes have been designed in-house by the transport department and, are on their last legs to start rolling. These would initially be open-roof buses, and if the design turns out to be successful, the making of more such buses will be taken into consideration. They will be first used for tourist services and later, there will be more buses to the fleet, after making necessary alterations to the design, to be used as a public transport. 

Reintroduction of double-decker buses in Bangalore :

Apparently, a bunch of double-decker buses are going to start rolling in the streets of Bangalore as well. The garden city also seems to be doing it, primarily, to enhance tourism and retain its heritage value. Another reason is, the dirty traffic, which is drastically increasing, is expected to be relieved, to some extent. BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) came up with this plan, to help children and youths remember the glory of the city and know it better. These buses will be plying on bigger roads that are free from the Metro service. If you are a Bangalorean, you could also find a red vintage double-decker bus kept at the Shanti nagar bust stand as a tourist attraction.

Why double-decker buses stopped in India?

Although there are still some buses plying on a few routes in Mumbai, they are completely stopped in the other cities. Mumbai’s iconic double-decker buses are most likely to go off the roads by October 2023 due to high operating & maintenance costs, unavailability of ancillaries and the evolving infrastructure wherein the buses can't pass through certain areas due to its abnormal height.

The BEST says, maintaining these gigantic vehicles has always been a  challenge as it costs way more than that of normal or single decker buses.

It's true that it carries more passengers than a single-decker bus, occupying the same amount of space on road surface, but the traffic density is not the same as it was, 30-40 years ago. They ran smoothly across the city with all the liberty. They need optimum space around them to be freely manoeuvred as they need more time and space while cornering, due to its unusual geometry, which they got, back in those days, but its next to impossible to get that freedom now, due to the increased congestion in the cities.

Why is it dangerous to travel in a double-decker bus? 

Well, everything has their own advantages and disadvantages. But, it is safe, if the double-decker buses come with a height of the existing sleeper coaches, with a height of 4.2 metres. If it exceeds that height, it should be tested thoroughly before they hit the road. Double-decker buses are usually around 4.5 metres in height, but an increment of even a few centimeters can create huge problems when the bus runs at high speeds.

Auto experts say, inter-city services of double-decker buses is not possible because their built and body behavior are suitable for a distance of 45-50 kilometres with a maximum speed of 40 kms per hour. The problem would aggravate while running around the hills, travelling from one city to another. Also, bus drivers tend to super-speed at 100-120 kms per hour on highways and at that speed, they  could be extremely dangerous for both passengers and outsiders.

The centre of gravity is always higher for tall buses and the swing would affect the safety for sure. Speed and turning have always been an issue with these buses, and could overturn even at a horizontal curve, if not manoeuvred carefully. 

A low centre of gravity adds to the stability of a vehicle. But, double-deckers are less stable than single-deckers because of the raised centre of gravity. As passengers fill the seats of the upper deck, the centre of gravity raises and adds to instability. Now, when a bus turns at a slightly higher speed than normal, the centrifugal force, due to the mass of the passengers, acts to push the bus outwards from the curve of the turning radius. The bus operators usually do not allow standing on the top deck as standing would raise the centre of gravity, resulting in destabilising and overturning.

Some common accidents by double-decker buses :

Is there such thing as a Triple-decker bus?

Yes, Triple-decker buses do exist, but none in India yet. Have a look at some of them from around the world.

Triple-decker bus in Berlin.

Triple-decker bus in London.

Triple-decker bus in London.

Here is a quick video to show you as to how double-decker buses are tested :

Hope this was informative. Thanks for going through this article, you may leave your comments below.