Heave-ho: Corporation expedites process of acquiring new batteries
With passengers complaining about the frequent breakdown of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, the corporation has finally come up with a solution. Last week, a tender was passed to get extra batteries for the buses and the process was expedited so the corporation has now got extra batteries, which can last it more than a few months.
BMTC buses breaking down in the middle of the roads was not only causing a problem to passengers, but also leading to traffic congestion on the roads. For instance in Depot 9 alone, more than 35 buses had battery problems. These buses were untrustworthy, and could stop any time, forcing people to get on the road and push them to get them started.
“If the bus engine shuts down, we are totally helpless. We try to start it, but it doesn’t happen. Motorists and car owners behind us start honking while in the bus the passengers too ask us to get started. So we have no choice but to seek people’s help in pushing the vehicle to the side. And what to say about passengers in the next stop, whose wait just got longer?” said a BMTC bus driver.
Mechanical workers at the depots would use boosters to restart the bus. The booster is an equipment that helps start the battery. “We would use booster and retain the old battery, so the problem would continue. Even if we have breaks in between, we cannot switch off the vehicle as it wouldn’t start again. This just leads to fuel wastage,” said another BMTC driver.
BMTC buses require 10 fresh batteries a day. A total of 300 batteries in a month is a must. We are procuring a few more. We will fix them in buses that need them urgently
–Dr NV Prasad, MD, BMTC
But now the drivers, conductors and passengers can heave a sigh of relief as the corporation has passed tenders to get brand new batteries. “Last month, we had passed tenders to get new batteries. However, that was called off due to some issues. But we passed the tenders again and have already secured 100 batteries. The next 100 batteries are going to come on Monday and the other 100 after a week.
We have also ordered 350 batteries from other states. This will be installed in all many buses,” said Dr NV Prasad, Managing Director of BMTC.
The MD also disclosed that every day BMTC buses require 10 fresh batteries. “A total of 300 batteries in a month is a must and we are procuring a few more. We will fix it in the buses which have the immediate requirement,” said Prasad.
Source: bangaloremirror.indiatimes
