BMTC's e-bus woes: Green on paper, but grounded on roads

Time of India

2 days ago

Bengaluru: When Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) set out to electrify its fleet, the move was hailed as a leap towards cleaner, greener mobility. But a few years into this transition, the shine has dulled.
Frequent breakdowns have left the city's electric buses struggling to stay on the road, raising questions over the viability of Karnataka's ambitious green mobility push.
Fresh BMTC data reveals a steep rise in e-bus failures. Of 645 breakdowns reported in 2024-25, 577 involved electric buses — a 36-fold spike from just 16 cases the previous year. Diesel buses, once notorious for leaving passengers stranded, accounted for only 68 cases.
The contrast could not be sharper.
For years, BMTC had managed to keep breakdowns low, recording 36 cases in 2022-23 and 53 in 2023-24. But with the expansion of its electric fleet, troubles mounted. The breakdown rate, which stood at zero per 10,000km for three straight years, has now climbed to 0.02%. Nearly nine of every 10 buses failing on city roads this year have been electric.
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Bad weather, poor roads
BMTC officials argue that the sudden surge in failures is largely because of the weather.
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"The increase in cases is due to rain and related conditions that caused electric and battery problems," a BMTC spokesperson said. "Most e-buses are under contract, so their maintenance is not directly under BMTC."
The corporation has deployed "mobile vans" with 2-3 mechanics each across its seven zones to tackle on-road failures. These rapid-response units rush to stranded buses to restore service.
Despite such measures, the numbers remain stark: BMTC logged more breakdowns in 2024-25 than in the previous five years combined.
A fleet built on speed
BMTC's journey with electric mobility began cautiously in late 2021 but gathered pace in 2023, aided by Centre's support under FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) II and Smart City schemes. After Aug 2022, the corporation introduced 300 buses under FAME II. By Sept 2024, the fleet crossed the 1,000 mark, and just a month later, it reached 1,027, with hundreds more lined up.
In July this year, BMTC rolled out 148 non-AC buses, pushing its electric fleet close to 1,500 vehicles.
But rapid expansion has brought mounting stress. BMTC operates most of these buses under gross cost contracts (GCCs), with maintenance largely outsourced. Still, when buses stall mid-route, it is BMTC staff and city commuters who bear the brunt.
Traffic police, too, are worried. Stalled buses, they say, often choke traffic and create hazards.
"When an e-bus breaks down in the middle of a junction, it creates chaos and sometimes accidents," said a traffic cop.
Inside depots, frustration builds
A senior driver with more than 20 years of service said: "Earlier, it was mostly diesel buses that troubled us. But now, almost every week an e-bus on my route breaks down. After the launch of the Shakti scheme, funds have been tighter. We wait weeks for genuine parts. Driving buses with faulty suspension or batteries also hurts our health — many of us suffer back and shoulder pain."
Mechanics, conductors, and drivers say maintenance woes lie at the heart of the crisis when it comes to diesel buses. Spare parts are hard to come by, they claim, and shrinking budgets force depots to improvise with substandard replacements.
"Whenever buses fail, the depot requests spares from the central office, but the standard reply is that parts are unavailable," said a conductor who has been with BMTC since 2012. "So, mechanics are forced to use cheaper substitutes. These don't last, and within days the same bus breaks down again. Passengers get stranded, tempers flare, and sometimes we even face safety risks on the road."
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