Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation (MSRTC) plans to opt for new busses made of mild steel over those with aluminium body. The decision by MSRTC comes in the wake of the increased frequency of accidents due to the aging fleet.
To offer passengers better protection in case of accidents and collisions, MSRTC mulls to opt for bus bodies made out of mild steel over aluminium. It states while aluminium crumbles, mild steel is stronger and does not disintegrate. MSRTC has a bus building workshop at Pune, Maharashtra, which started manufacturing buses in 2006.
The move could result in a generation of aluminium scrap and drive consumption of steel in the coming days. Though, there is no clarity on the tonnage. In terms of the price advantage, it is believed steel sheets, particularly HRC, could be economically viable than aluminium.
Bus sales decline
In November, Ashok Leyland reported that bus sales dropped by 90pc to 184 units from 1,874 units, which led to a drop of 17pc in total Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles sales to 4,422 units from 5,321 units in the same period from the prior year.
In the April-Nov period, truck sales in the segment dropped by 60pc to 15,419 units from 39,015 units in the prior-year period. Bus sales dropped by 94pc to 597 units, from 10,845 units last year. With a recovery in auto demand in India, sales figures are expected to show an uptick in the coming days.