RTC has to wait for China buses

HYDERABAD: Commuters who wish to travel in Chinese rear-engine buses will have to wait for two more months due to long and cumbersome import/export procedure. The buses were expected here by the end of April but due to official formalities in China they will now reach India in the next two months.According to information, the Photon company is sending three buses of different models by cargo ship.From the Visakhapatnam port, they will be brought by road to Hyderabad. The cargo ship will take 20 days to carry the load from Beijing to Vizag.AP State Road Transport Corporation, the biggest public transport undertaking in the country, has preferred the China’s buses because of their easy maintenance and better revenue-investment ratio.Moreover, a rear engine bus has more space for laguage and costs less.The APSRTC has entered into an agreement with Photon Automobiles in China to buy a 12-metre-long rear engine bus, a 10.5-metre-long battery-run bus and a 9-metre- long mini bus.As per the agreement, the buses should pass the test of trial to be conducted by the Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India. The ARAI will carry out computerised scanning of the suspension and other systems to determine whether the buses will be suitable for Indian roads or not.Only after a successful test run, the buses will be handed over to the APSRTC for regular operation.According to RTC executive director G Jaya Rao, the battery-run bus will be operated in Hyderabad city, the mini bus on Tirumala and the rear engine bus in districts on an experimental basis.If found suitable, the APSRTC will order more Photon buses from China.