After three decades, double-decker buses returned to the streets of Ahmedabad in February. The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) had procured 7 such buses, and four buses were launched on four different routes in the city in the last two months. However, starting next week, the remaining three buses will be seen on the city’s roads.
From April 15th, AMTS will deploy these buses on three new routes: Lal Darwaza to Bopal Vakil Saheb Bridge, Isanpur to Ranip, and Lal Darwaza to Vastral. Currently, double-decker buses operate on four routes: Vasna to Chandkheda, Lal Darwaja to Shilaj, Sarangpur to Singarwa Patiya, and Naroda to Lambha Cross Road. With the introduction of these three new buses, all seven double-decker AC buses will be at the service of the public.
Dharmsinh Desai, Chairman of AMTS, stated, ‘A decision was made to introduce double-decker ST buses in the city, with double-decker AC buses currently operating on the initial four routes. Three more new routes have been added, including Lal Darwaza to Bopal Vakil Saheb Bridge, Isanpur to Ranip, and Lal Darwaza to Vastral. With the addition of these three new routes, citizens will now enjoy more benefits from AMTS AC buses.’
Each bus has a capacity of 65 passengers, with 29 seats on the lower level and 36 on the upper level.
The double-decker bus is furnished with a combined total of four CCTV cameras. In instances of emergencies or announcements, the driver has access to a walkie-talkie set. A dashboard displaying live CCTV footage is located in front of the driver for monitoring purposes.
Furthermore, USB ports are positioned between each seat, providing convenient mobile charging options. Digital route boards, displaying route information, are strategically positioned on both the front and side of the bus.