Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy flags poor performance of e-bus operators in Bengaluru

Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy has written to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy raising serious concerns over the ‘poor performance and lack of accountability’ among private operators managing electric buses under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model in Bengaluru.

Sharing his letter to Union Minister at a press conference held on Monday, Mr. Reddy said several operators, including NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Tata Motors Limited (TML) Smart City Mobility Solutions, Switch Mobility, and OHM Global Mobility, have fallen significantly short of expected service standards which resulted in breakdowns, frequent strikes, and passenger inconvenience.

While lauding the Centre’s push for electric mobility under FAME-II and CESL initiatives, Mr. Reddy said the operational efficiency of these firms has stained the reputation of both Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and the city as a progressive metropolis.

The lack of structured driver training, poor vehicle maintenance, and reduced manpower deployment as low as 1.9 to 2.0 employees per bus against the required 2.3 have led to service disruptions and a spike in accidents.

E-bus cancellations triple BMTC diesel buses

Data furnished by Mr. Reddy shows that the percentage of cancellations in GCC-operated e-buses was nearly three times higher than that of BMTC’s conventional diesel fleet. For instance, electric buses operated by TML reported 3.86% cancellations, while those under OHM recorded 10.81%. Similarly, the number of breakdowns, particularly due to battery failures, was high with 2,120 incidents reported by TML alone between 2023 and 2025.

Mr. Reddy highlighted that the BMTC’s diesel buses, which run over 65,000 trips daily with 5,423 vehicles, maintain a low accident rate of 0.05 per lakh kilometre. In contrast, the electric buses record 0.07 accidents per lakh kilometres.

Meanwhile, the Transport Minister also drew attention to frequent flash strikes by electric bus drivers over salary delays and festival bonuses, resulting in large-scale service cancellations and heavy revenue losses. Between 2024 and 2025, the BMTC reportedly lost ₹92.90 lakh in revenue from three private operators due to these strikes, with thousands of kilometres of scheduled trips cancelled.

“Systemic negligence and absence of accountability have even resulted in fatalities. Twenty four fatal accidents were recorded in 2023 to 2025 (till September) under the purview of GCC operators,” Mr. Reddy said.

Need comprehensive performance review

Seeking the Centre’s immediate intervention, Mr. Reddy urged Mr. Kumaraswamy to conduct a comprehensive performance review of all GCC operators under FAME-II and CESL projects, with particular emphasis on safety compliance and driver training.

He also recommended incorporating binding clauses in future tenders mandating certified driver training programmes before deployment and called for a joint monitoring mechanism between the Ministry of Heavy Industries and State Transport Utilities to ensure adherence to safety and service benchmarks.

Mr. Reddy said, “Corrective steps must be taken in the larger interest of commuter welfare and the credibility of India’s e-mobility initiatives.”