Bengaluru to get 2,211 buses by March 2024, govt sets recruitment conditions

BMTC

Bengaluru is likely to get 2,211 new buses including 1,371 electric buses by March 2024.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on October 21 unveiled a plan to procure a total of 5,675 new buses for the four Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) in the state. Out of the 5,675 buses, 3,404 are diesel, and 2,271 are electric buses.

This comes in response to the increased demand for buses after the Shakti scheme, which offers free non-AC bus rides for women throughout the state.

Also, read: Free bus travel for women: Karnataka needs to quickly add buses to cater to spike in demand

Siddaramaiah said there has been a 15 percent increase in the number of passengers using RTC buses since the launch of the Shakti Scheme. "The government plans to introduce additional schedules and buses to enhance service quality for passengers," he said. Records show that 81 crore rides were availed by women passengers in Karnataka between June 11 and October 20 under the Shakti scheme.

Currently, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operates 6,381 buses, but mobility experts suggest that to provide optimal bus services, there should be a minimum of 120 buses per 100,000 population. Ideally, Bengaluru should have a fleet of around 14,000 buses to meet its growing transportation demands. BMTC had planned to scrap around 1,000 buses this financial year, and nearly 500 have already been phased out.

Also, read: Bus service hits bump, BMTC struggles with dwindling fleet

According to transport department officials, 5,675 buses will be inducted through both purchase and lease models during 2023-2024. The government has allocated Rs 500 crore for the purchase of 1,200 buses as part of the budget.

Of the 5,675 buses, BMTC will get 2,211 buses followed by Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (1,206), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation  (1,148), and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (1,110).

A senior transport department official told Moneycontrol: "In Bengaluru, each BMTC bus runs an average of 180 kilometers per day due to traffic and decreased demand during non-peak hours. Of the 2,211 new BMTC buses, 1,371 are electric buses. The operational cost of diesel buses for city services is high because of poor mileage. Electric buses have lower operational costs and are environmentally friendly."

Also, read: Bengaluru to get 320 AC electric buses; Koramangala flyover work set to resume 

Finance dept puts four conditions for staff recruitments

Transport department officials said there have been no recruitments in the four RTCs over the past few years, with the last recruitment taking place in 2016.

"There are  13,669 vacancies across four RTCs, and government's permission was sought to hire 13,000 employees. The government approved recruitment of 6,800 employees, including drivers, driver-cum-conductors, and mechanics in the first phase. KSRTC will hire 2,300 employees, BMTC 2,500, and remaining employees for the other two RTCs" said an official.

Finance dept sets recruitment conditions

While granting approval for the recruitment plan, the state finance department, in an October 9 notification, laid down four conditions to all RTCs including BMTC.

In a notification to BMTC, it mandates the phased deployment of the recruited employees over the next three years, contingent on actual requirements and the financial position of the corporation.

Second, it specifies that BMTC should procure buses in the future only following the Gross Cost Contract (lease model) as recommended by the MR Srinivas Murthy committee and should implement online/off-board ticketing. In 2021, state government had constituted a one-man committee headed by former IAS officer Murthy to recommend measures to restructure and revive ailing RTCs.

Third, finance department insists that salaries and other statutory payments should be funded by the corporation's own resources, without seeking support from the state government

Fourth, it calls for the administrative department to take immediate steps to rationalise fares. It suggests the establishment of an independent regulator, akin to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, to fix bus fares.

Similar conditions have been given to other RTCs as well. A senior transport department official told Moneycontrol, "All four RTCs, except BMTC, revised fares in 2020 when diesel prices were at Rs 61, which have since surged to around Rs 90. Periodic fare revisions based on diesel prices are essential to maintain service quality. However, the government has not permitted BMTC to revise fares since 2014 due to concerns that any increase in fares might push people toward private vehicles in Bengaluru. A regulatory commission will help to revise fares periodically as per the diesel prices. At present, non-AC bus rides for female passengers are free under Shakti scheme" he said.

Also, read: Reversing the trend: Bengaluru's BMTC regains ridership with free bus travel for women