The Indian commercial vehicle market took a major step towards cleaner and greener transport by switching over to BS-IV emission norms from April 1 this year. Overlooking all the drama that unfolded during the transition period, trucks and buses in India are now set to get a lot more efficient and eco-friendly, thanks to the BS-IV norm.
While the new norms ban the sale of vehicles with BS-III or lower emission levels across the country, BS-IV vehicles were already plying in nearly 30 cities where the required quality of fuel was available. Given the pollution in cities, STUs were one of the early adopters of BS-IV vehicles, going for BS-IV compliant buses quite a number of years ago.
The recent BS-IV additions have come from two forward-looking STUs Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), who have gone for BS-IV compliant Volvo buses and coaches respectively.
BMTC has placed an order for 100 units of the Volvo 8400 next-generation city bus which comes with a ‘Made-in-India’ 8-litre engine. Mr. R. Ramalinga Reddy, Honourable Minister for Transport, Government of Karnataka, accepted the keys to the first bus that is compliant with UBS-II norms apart from BS-IV emission norms.
Dr. Ekroop Caur, Managing Director, BMTC stated, “Bengaluru’s urban mobility needs are growing rapidly. We are augmenting our fleet of premium buses to provide commuters a desirable alternative to personal vehicles that are leading causes of congestion and pollution.”
Further north, in the western part of the country, saw GSRTC induct 10 BS-IV compliant 12 m Volvo 9400 range coaches in the presence of Mr. Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, pledging its commitment towards sustainable and environment-friendly passenger transport.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vijay Nehra, MD, GSRTC, stated: “Close on the heels of the recent supreme court judgement mandating compulsory implementation of BS-IV norms, GSRTC has become the first STU to induct BS-IV compliant Volvo coaches in India.”
