In the article, “India’s
SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric Bus Concept from TATA”, Tata’s
Global Head of Design, Pratap Bose (As cited in Stubbs, 2016) states that
India’s progression towards a SMART city requires a corresponding smart transport.
This has led to the birth of the Ultra Electric Bus, a necessity for the city
state’s advancement. The bus concept is developed based on an electric bus that
is a “symbol of modern, resurgent India” (Stubbs, 2016). A city’s
transformation is reflected in its visual contents, thus the bus design factor
anchored on this point. It is vital to create the bus as an icon which portrays
India as a connected city.
By appealing to the public commuters needs, Tata Motor’s Ultra Electric Bus focus on the aesthetic design and user-centric features to reflect a modern and connected India would be well received by the public. However, I feel that the integration of an electric bus into the existing public transport system should also be taken into consideration and not just centered on its appearance.
Stubbs
(2016) mentions the use of 3D printed elements to replicate the effects of
traditional screens, “symbolic of Indian architecture”. Such enhancements are crucial
as they are designed to prompt recollections of past experiences related to
India. I feel that this aspect is very suitable in creating an icon worthy of
India. It also serves to remind commuters the origins of the bus company in
such a fast paced world. A personal experience of riding on a ‘Tuk Tuk’, which
is an iconic mode of transportation from Thailand, would bring back memories of
weaving through the infamous jams at peak hour; a similar effect of what the
electric bus designers are trying to achieve.
Stubbs
(2016) also tells us that commuters will be able to stay connected through user-centric
features as the bus is Wi-Fi enabled. In addition, USB charging ports are
easily available within the bus thus allowing passengers to charge their modern
day gadgets while commuting. Taking reference from a survey done in Singapore,
statistics show that 72 percent out of 22,000 respondents are keen on having
USB ports on board public buses (Siong, 2016). This goes to show that commuters
would benefit from small amenities made available on the bus which in turn
would improve the overall satisfaction of public buses.
On
the other hand, I feel that a main concern of electric buses would be to
incorporate them into the public transport system of a city. MacKechnie (2016)
states that the main constrains of electric buses are the short distance range
and long recharge time. Charging infrastructure would be required to support
the new range of electric buses. Since electric buses are unable to refuel
immediately as compared to conventional diesel-fueled buses, bus schedules may
not be as efficient thus resulting in poor transport system reliability
(MacKechnie, 2016).
In
conclusion, I felt that the design factors mentioned in the interview play a
critical role in creating an iconic mode of transport to reflect ‘India’s SMART
city initiative’. To support the electric bus viability, factors such as
supporting infrastructure and bus scheduling should be taken into consideration
to create a more efficient and commuter-based public transport system.
References
Stubbs,
E. (2016, May 11). India’s
SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric
Bus
Concept from TATA. Retrieved from:
http://www.core77.com/posts/52949/Indias-SMART-City-Plans-Spawn-Innovative-Ultra-Electric-Bus-Concept-from-TATA
MacKechnie, C. (2016, August 6) Electric Buses - An Introduction: How They
Work, How
Much They Cost, and Where They Operate. Retrieved from: http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Vehicles/a/Electric-Buses-An-Introduction.htm
Siong, O. (2016, August 31) Buses with USB charging ports to hit the
road on Thursday.
Retrieved from:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/buses-with-usb-charging/3087788.html
