IntrCity rolls out buses with air purification amid rising pollution

IntrCity said it has begun rolling out a new fleet fitted with air-purification and real-time monitoring systems, aiming to reduce in-cabin pollution on long-distance routes across North India

Amid increasing air pollution, IntrCity SmartBus on Thursday announced that it has introduced a new fleet equipped with air-purification systems, becoming the first bus operator in the country to do so.

 

The fleet, named ‘IntrCity SmartBus.AQI’, will include buses that monitor and filter cabin air on long-distance routes, the company said. It is being rolled out in phases, starting with services in North India, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Katra and Pathankot, it added.

 

To address the air pollution issue within its buses, IntrCity said that it partnered with climate-tech firm Respirer Living Sciences to install filtration systems designed to reduce PM2.5, carbon dioxide, dust and smoke inside the bus. The buses display real-time air-quality data on board and through the IntrCity app, the company said. 

 

 

“As leaders in the intercity mobility category, we felt a responsibility to address this urgent health concern. SmartBus.AQI is our commitment to ensuring that clean, safe air becomes a standard part of bus travel in India,” said Manish Rathi, co-founder and chief executive officer of IntrCity SmartBus.

 

Adding to it, Ronak Sutaria, co-founder of Respirer Living Sciences, said, “In this collaboration with IntrCity, we have not only deployed our indigenously developed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Air Quality monitoring technology but are also providing our patent-pending demand-controlled energy-recovery-based air filtration and ventilation solutions.”

 

According to the companies, during the pilot runs, the fleet maintained PM2.5 levels at around 40 micrograms per cubic metre for most of the trip, below the national 24-hour standard.

 

The company’s latest upgrade also comes at a time when demand for long-distance road travel is rising. India’s expanding highway network is fueling a surge in the country’s intercity travel sector, particularly the outstation bus market. The segment is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 10 per cent to 13 per cent between the financial years 2020 (FY20) and 2025 (FY25), according to a report by IntrCity SmartBus and consulting firm 1Lattice.