MAKING BUSES SMARTER AND SAFER

The stakeholders of the bus ecosystem are leaving no stone unturned to make buses smarter and safer. Ashish Bhatia looks at some of the inclusions expected to drive the recovery of the segment.

- Ashish Bhatia

In the pre-Covid19 days, the new-age bus aggregator and operators plying the luxury coach were expected to look at out-of-the-box inclusions from a technology, safety, and comfort perspective. It was to justify the per seat occupancy cost levied on the passenger. Fast forward 16 months and the world has changed. Inclusions that were directly correlated to the per-seat occupancy cost, implying, a higher ticket cost must translate to greater value additions from the fleet operator. It is of utmost priority to convince passengers to consider buses as a smart and safe option for their transportation needs. It’s a sign of a maturing market and a testimony to the supply side reacting to the market pull in a bid to stay relevant. Not just in India, this phenomenon is a trend globally.

SMART AND SAFE BUSES

It all started with the need to ensure social distancing and prevent the transmission of Covid19. In the break, the chain phase, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) together with the stage and contract carriers have been forced to reimagine their product and service offerings. OEMs are seen taking the erstwhile concept of fully built buses to the next level. For example, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has equipped its entire BharatBenz fleet with Covid19 safety features. In a press release, states Karl-Alexander Seidel, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Daimler Bus India, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, “In response to the need of the hour, our BharatBenz bus fleet offers innovative solutions to mitigate virus transmission. These vehicles address people’s apprehensions towards public transport by offering reassuring features in line with Covid19 safety and hygiene protocols.”