After unveiling its fully electric bus Ecolife on February 4, JBM Auto launched the diesel version of its ultra-low-floor luxury CityLife bus at the ongoing Auto Expo 2016 in Greater Noida.

Autocar Professional has already reported on January 22 that JBM has secured an order to supply over 100 CityLife CNG buses to Noida Metro Rail Company (NMRC). The first delivery of the buses is to start from April 2016.

Speaking at the launch, Nishant Arya, executive director, JBM Group, said, “The CityLife CNG bus has received a very good response from the market and we are going to deliver the first order soon. However, we have witnessed numerous enquiries for a diesel bus with the same comfort of CityLife CNG as CNG is not available in all cities. The CityLife diesel is to meet this demand. This bus inherits all the safety and comfort specifications of CityLife.”

The CityLife diesel will be manufactured at the company’s hi-tech manufacturing facility in Kosi, Uttar Pradesh, which has a manufacturing capacity of 2,000 buses annually. The bus has been designed keeping in mind Indian traffic and weather conditions. Some features include a monocoque structure to ensure maximum strength and minimum weight, matching European standards for safety in case of front/side collision and rollover accidents. The fuel tank capacity is 265 litres. The CityLife has an independent front suspension that will ensure a stress-free ride for passengers. To boost passenger safety and comfort, the CityLife diesel bus will have cantilever seats and armrests, ensuring more room for standing passengers.

The CityLife is compliant with urban bus specification 2 (UBS 2) of the government of India and comes with a folding wheelchair ramp for physically challenged passengers. It has mobile charging points, a stop-request button, passenger information system, security cameras and a fully flat floor.