With 1.28 billion population, bus transportation in India is always referred to as a ‘last-mile connectivity’. Bus is the primary mode of public transport catering to almost 90 per cent of passengers in Indian cities and serving as an economical and convenient mode of transport for all classes of people. With production and sales touching a hundred thousand units per year, the Indian bus industry is reckoned one of the largest in the world and an important part of the automobile industry of the country.
Over the last few years, the bus industry has been growing, with significant changes being introduced in terms of technology, safety, passenger comfort, etc. The mounting number of commuters, rapid economic growth, development of infrastructure in small cities and different Government schemes introduced in the bus segment have led to growth in demand for world-class bus transportation in the country.
In order to raise the bus technology to international standard, the Government has taken several measures, particularly in the area of safety. It has come out with the ‘Bus Code’ that offers ultimate safety for every passenger. India has already emerged one of the major destinations for mass production of buses. Several international bus manufacturers have set up operations in India not only to support the fastest growing bus transport system in the country but also to export vehicles to other regions. All this in view of the fact that India has now been identified as a major centre for low-cost production.