Thane Municipal Corporation to roll out double-decker buses to decongest roads

TMC officials said the double-decker buses are expected to reduce the number of private vehicles in Thane city.

For the first time, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is set to roll out double-decker buses in the city. The first fleet of 10 double-decker buses will run between Teen Hath Naka and Gaimukh Junction on Ghodbunder Road, a stretch known to be dominated by private vehicles. The TMC also plans to add 100 new CNG buses by March 2026.

TMC officials said the double-decker buses are expected to reduce the number of private vehicles in Thane city, and especially on Ghodbunder Road, a stretch famous for traffic jams and potholes. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

According to civic officials, the new buses will be operated under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, where the corporation will not incur any upfront cost for purchasing these buses. Instead, a private contractor will procure and operate the buses, and the TMC will pay them on a per-kilometer basis.

TMC officials said the double-decker buses are expected to reduce the number of private vehicles in Thane city, and especially on Ghodbunder Road, a stretch famous for traffic jams and potholes. However, these new buses, which are about 4.5 metres tall, can only be used on highways with structures above 5 meters since the internal city routes have flyovers and bridges where the buses will be too tall to pass under.

The plan to introduce these new buses comes at a time when Thane has been struggling with severe traffic congestion and several measures by TMC and the traffic police have failed to bring any significant relief.

According to civic officials, a key issue is that the affluent residents of the area refuse to use the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) buses, citing discomfort, frequent breakdowns, poor punctuality and unreliable services. The civic body hopes the new double-deckers will help change this trend and reduce the number of private cars on Thane roads.

Bhalchandra Behere, transport manager of TMC, told HT, “By introducing these double-decker buses, we expect to attract private vehicle users to shift to public transport. These buses have a seating capacity of over 60 passengers each. This will make public transport more commuter-friendly, contributing to reduced congestion and pollution to some extent.”

Alongside these new additions, TMT officials said Thane is also set to receive 303 electric buses by December 2026 under the central government’s PM E-Bus Seva Yojana. This initiative will be funded by the 15th finance commission and contributions from central and state governments. Of these, 123 e-buses are already part of the fleet and advertisements have been issued for 110 more, and 160 are on their way. At present, the TMC operates 424 buses that include 123 electric buses, 240 diesel buses, and 61 CNG buses.

Recently, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Pankaj Shirsat urged residents to opt for public transport to reduce congestion on Thane roads. Shirsat noted that Thane has a population of 1.8 million and the city has recorded 1.6 million registered vehicles, almost one per person. Civic officials hope that deploying the new double-decker buses on the city’s busiest stretch will encourage more people to leave their cars behind and use public transport.