New Delhi, Aug. 30 -- After more than three decades, double-decker buses may once again be plying on Delhi's roads. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is preparing a pilot run to test the feasibility of running double-decker buses in the Capital, said at least two senior officials aware of the government's plans on the matter. One such electric bus, manufactured and provided by Ashok Leyland under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, is already parked at the Okhla depot and may soon begin trial runs on select routes, one of the officials cited above said. Transport minister Pankaj Singh on Friday confirmed that the government is examining whether the buses can be operated safely and effectively in the city. "We have one bus and may get two more, but they are not operational yet. Officials are working on a route map to see if it is feasible to run these buses in Delhi. There are concerns regarding the height and weight of the bus and how easy or difficult it will be to manoeuvre them in Delhi traffic. Based on the results of the pilot survey, we will move forward," he said. Officials are studying maps, measuring tree canopies and checking the heights of overbridges to find a corridor that will not obstruct the top deck. The bus, which stands 4.75 metres tall and is 9.8 metres long, will have the seating capacity for over 63 passengers apart from the driver - nearly thrice the capacity of the city's nine-metre DEVI buses. While the capacity will be advantageous is transporting a large number of passengers, the height and weight of the bus are challenges, officials said. "The height of the buses needs to be kept in mind as they cannot be planned in areas with shorter trees, overhanging wires or flyovers where they could get stuck. Since these are relatively heavier, we need to initially test them on shorter routes to check the battery range. The experience with double-decker electric buses is still limited across the country, even with private operators," Singh added. Double-decker buses were once a familiar sight in Delhi - run by the DTC as "Suvidha buses" - until they were phased out in 1989 as vehicles aged and the city transitioned to CNG fleets. Attempts to bring them back for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and again in 2022 ahead of the G20 Summit did not materialise after feasibility studies raised concerns, said DTC officials....