India’s first indigenously designed and developed tarmac coach, Veera, was formally unveiled at the India Aviation 2016 by the Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju. What makes this bus stand out from others in the market is that it has two-and-half times higher passenger capacity than the regular coaches and helps the groundhandling companies to clear passengers faster and at a much lower cost.
“Ours is the first indigenously designed, developed, built and tested tarmac coach in India. We are the fourth company in the world to have manufactured this bus completely independently,” the Managing Director of the Bangalore-based Veera Vahana Udyog Private Limited K Srinivas Reddy said in an interview to SP’s ShowNews.
Fitted with Euro- IV diesel engine with fully Allison transmission, this 14.40 meter long, 3 meter wide coach with three doors on either side has a clearing capacity of 106 passengers. This will assist in quick boarding and deboarding.
“Initially, we are deploying two vehicles and another eight are in the pipeline,” the MD said adding that his company’s manufacturing facility at Bangalore has the capacity to manufacture 4 to 6 coaches in a month at present. “We are proud to be manufacturing such a state-of-the-art coach in India. We are in talks with Air India, Indigo, Spice Jet, GoAir and some other international clients as well,” Reddy said.
Three extra wide doors guarantee a smooth, safe and easy entry or exit on either side of the bus. There are two cameras on either side of the bus and one on the rear of the bus. “Ours is the only tarmac coach in the world which provides wheelchair access on both sides of the bus,” the company official said.
The coach has ultra-low floor, normal floor height of 360 mm and kneeling height of 280 mm. The entire vehicle is controlled by multiplexing electrical system with onboard diagnostic tool which is user-friendly for fault identification and for trouble-shooting. An ergonomically designed control elements and fully adjustable driver’s seat with air-conditioning unit-- all as standard features allow for a stress-free operating climate for the operator of the bus.
