Spotted: Ashok Leyland's Jan Bus continues testing in Chennai

29/11/2013 - 16:43 Ashok Leyland Jan Bus, Spy pictures, Ashok Leyland Karthik H

Ashok Leyland's Jan Bus has been spotted testing once again on the roads of Chennai. First displayed at the Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi, the Jan Bus has been spotted testing across the city numerous times over the last two years.

Ashok Leyland Jan Bus spotted testing in Chennai near Adyar signal — The Jan Bus spotted here is the non-AC variant.

Ever since it was showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo, the world's first single-step entry, front engined, fully flat floor bus, has been testing. Both the air conditioned bus and the standard variant have been spotted. Over the months, however, there really haven't been too many noticeable changes on the exterior of the vehicle.

The Jan Bus was displayed as a "revolutionary concept in urban mobility." The bus' floor lies 650 mm above the ground, making for easy ingress and egress. The flat floor right from the driver's feet to the edge of the bus' rear would definitely please a large section of the population. Ashok Leyland also offers the bus with a five-door option, making it an interesting proposition for airport tarmac services or the Bus Rapid Transit concept, something that is gaining traction across the country.

Ashok Leyland Jan Bus at the Bus & Utility Expo 2013 — The Ashok Leyland Jan Bus displayed at the Bus & Utility Expo 2013, held in early 2013.

The Jan Bus will be powered by a 235 bhp turbo-charged BSIV compliant CNG MPFI engine that develops 720 Nm of torque. It also houses "Leymatic," Ashok Leyland's in-house automated manual transmission box.

Given that the next phase of funding for the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) was just released and various state governments are undertaking their purchasing decisions, this might be the apt time to launch the Jan Bus.