Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told the Legislative Council that the Karnataka Government has issued a strict 45-day deadline to electric bus operators after BMTC reported over 13,000 breakdowns since December 2021. The surge in failures—largely due to battery issues, inadequate maintenance, manpower shortages and limited driver training—has raised concerns about the reliability of the State’s electric mobility push. This year alone, BMTC recorded 577 breakdowns, compared to just 16 last year.
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The State has written to the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries seeking a review of the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. Following this, the Ministry directed operators to strengthen maintenance systems, deploy more technical staff and improve driver training programmes within 45 days.
The Minister also clarified that no e-buses currently operate under NWKRTC or KKRTC, while 47 electric buses run across a few districts. BMTC has imposed penalties on operators for repeated failures and safety violations.
The government maintains that electric mobility remains a priority, but insists that reliability, safety and accountability must improve for the programme to succeed.
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