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Time of India
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Green push upstaged as e-bus crashes raise safety alarm, show training gaps
An increase in fatal accidents involving Bengaluru's electric buses is threatening to overshadow BMTC's push for greener mobility. In the last financial year alone, e-buses were involved in 11 fatal and 18 non-fatal accidents. This year, 18 accidents, including one on Sunday, have already been reported - six of them fatal, with three occurring in July alone. The bus transport corporation operates 1,500 e-buses under gross cost contracts (GCCs), leasing them from private operators for 10-12 years. While the initiative supports sustainable transport goals, safety concerns are growing, particularly over the preparedness of drivers employed by the private operators. Under the GCC model, BMTC doesn't hire drivers. Instead, private operators are tasked with recruiting and training the staff. Currently, operators have employed nearly 3,000 drivers. However, the adequacy of this training is now in question. BMTC's chief traffic manager (operations) GT Prabhakar Reddy told TOI the corporation has taken steps to mitigate risks, even though driver hiring isn't under its control. "We send drivers to the city traffic police's Traffic Management Centres for training. Conductors - who are BMTC staff - have been told to keep an eye on drivers and report any violations to depot managers," he said. BMTC also imposes a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the operator in case of a fatal accident. Inexperience & pay gaps On the ground, a BMTC conductor said many drivers lack experience in ferrying passengers. "Some come from goods transport backgrounds and find it hard to adjust to Bengaluru traffic. It requires patience and care," he said. He also pointed to a large wage disparity between BMTC drivers and those hired by private firms, leading to high attrition from the latter. Commuters have flagged rash driving by e-bus drivers - from sudden acceleration to abrupt turns. There have been incidents where passengers were thrown off their seats. Reddy acknowledged the issue and said retired BMTC drivers are now helping train e-bus drivers on safer driving practices. Breakdowns are another major concern. Bengaluru traffic police recorded 12 cases of e-buses breaking down during scheduled services in July alone. A senior officer said technical staff often come from far-off depots, causing long delays. Unlike diesel buses, e-buses cannot be pushed aside due to wheel-lock issues. "Drivers don't even attempt basic fixes as they fear damaging the vehicle," he said. Faster acceleration, lower reaction time Bikers, especially, are finding it hard to gauge the speed of e-buses. Shriharsha, a regular commuter, said, "They pick up speed much faster than diesel buses. If the driver is not used to that, it's risky." He recalled an accident near KR Circle where a bus rammed a subway wall, reportedly after sudden acceleration. "The windshield was shattered," he said.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Electric bus crashes in Bengaluru raise safety alarm, show training gaps
Bengaluru: An increase in fatal accidents involving Bengaluru's electric buses is threatening to overshadow BMTC's push for greener mobility. In the last financial year alone, e-buses were involved in 11 fatal and 18 non-fatal accidents. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This year, 18 accidents, including one on Sunday, have already been reported — six of them fatal, with three occurring in July alone. The bus transport corporation operates 1,500 e-buses under gross cost contracts (GCCs), leasing them from private operators for 10-12 years. While the initiative supports sustainable transport goals, safety concerns are growing, particularly over the preparedness of drivers employed by the private operators. Under the GCC model, BMTC doesn't hire drivers. Instead, private operators are tasked with recruiting and training the staff. Currently, operators have employed nearly 3,000 drivers. However, the adequacy of this training is now in question. BMTC's chief traffic manager (operations) GT Prabhakar Reddy told TOI the corporation has taken steps to mitigate risks, even though driver hiring isn't under its control. "We send drivers to the city traffic police's Traffic Management Centres for training. Conductors — who are BMTC staff — have been told to keep an eye on drivers and report any violations to depot managers," he said. BMTC also imposes a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the operator in case of a fatal accident. Inexperience & pay gaps On the ground, a BMTC conductor said many drivers lack experience in ferrying passengers. "Some come from goods transport backgrounds and find it hard to adjust to Bengaluru traffic. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It requires patience and care," he said. He also pointed to a large wage disparity between BMTC drivers and those hired by private firms, leading to high attrition from the latter. Commuters have flagged rash driving by e-bus drivers — from sudden acceleration to abrupt turns. There have been incidents where passengers were thrown off their seats. Reddy acknowledged the issue and said retired BMTC drivers are now helping train e-bus drivers on safer driving practices. Breakdowns are another major concern. Bengaluru traffic police recorded 12 cases of e-buses breaking down during scheduled services in July alone. A senior officer said technical staff often come from far-off depots, causing long delays. Unlike diesel buses, e-buses cannot be pushed aside due to wheel-lock issues. "Drivers don't even attempt basic fixes as they fear damaging the vehicle," he said. Faster acceleration, lower reaction time Bikers, especially, are finding it hard to gauge the speed of e-buses. Shriharsha, a regular commuter, said, "They pick up speed much faster than diesel buses. If the driver is not used to that, it's risky." He recalled an accident near KR Circle where a bus rammed a subway wall, reportedly after sudden acceleration. "The windshield was shattered," he said.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengaluru Metro's loss is BMTC' gain on NICE Road
Bengaluru: With the long-delayed Yellow Line of Namma Metro to Electronics City still not open to public, thousands of commuters are turning to BMTC's NICE Road express bus services, which have seen a sharp rise in ridership and earnings in recent months. Launched in Dec 2023, BMTC services along NICE Road corridor began with 62,000 passengers. Today, they attract more than 4 lakh commuters each month. The corporation is now operating 53 buses across 17 routes on NICE Road, with daily ridership exceeding 13,000 passengers. Revenue has also seen a notable jump, with earnings per kilometre doubling in just over a year to Rs 58.8 from Rs 26.1. Among the services gaining traction is the recently introduced non-stop express route covering 48km between Madavara and Electronics City. BMTC chief traffic manager (operations) GT Prabhakar Reddy said the services have outpaced other major corridors within city limits in terms of popularity. "...Responding to this demand, we've added more routes and buses. We've also introduced a direct link from Tavarekere to Electronics City and are planning to roll out 10 AC buses on this route," he said. NICE Road buses now connect key IT hubs via routes originating in Madavara, Vijayanagar TTMC, Bidadi, Kengeri, Banashankari, Basaveshwara Nagar, and other residential areas. Commuters cite reduced travel time and avoidance of city-centre congestion as key reasons for choosing NICE corridor. A one-way ticket from Madavara to Electronics City costs Rs 76, including a Rs 30 toll charge levied by NICE. Although BMTC had earlier requested the toll be reduced or waived for public transport buses, the proposal did not receive any favourable response from NICE authorities. Several passengers also use Metro to reach Madavara before switching to buses to complete their journey to Electronics City. This seamless multimodal shift has become increasingly necessary, as BMRCL continues to miss deadlines for the Yellow Line, connecting RV Road and Bommasandra. Despite spending nearly Rs 7,000 crore on the 19-km elevated stretch, the Metro line — initially expected to launch in June with three trains — is yet to receive third-party safety clearance for its signalling system. With no official launch date in sight and repeated delays, public confidence in BMRCL's timeline continues to erode. Meanwhile, BMTC's efficient operations along NICE Road are proving to be a lifeline for daily commuters to the city's IT corridor. Box Rising demand NICE Road bus service launches in Dec 2023 Starts with 62,000 passengers Currently, route caters to 4 lakh commuters a month BMTC now operates 53 buses across 17 routes on NICE Road Daily ridership exceeds 13,000 passengers Earnings per km doubles in over a year from Rs 26.1 to Rs 58.8 Recently introduced non-stop express route, covering 48km between Madavara and Electronics City, gains traction
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
BMTC's UPI revenues beat expectations, nearing 50%
BENGALURU: BMTC's QR-code-based UPI revenue has crossed the bus corporation's expectations and is almost nearing 50 per cent of the total revenue. 'The bus corporation, when it launched the UPI service only aimed to touch 30 per cent of the revenue through the UPI. However, now the revenue through UPI is nearing 50 per cent,' BMTC chief traffic manager G T Prabhakar Reddy said. In the initial weeks after BMTC rolled out the QR-based ticketing, it faced a lot of resistance from the conductors. Even though people were willing to make payments for the tickets through the QR codes, conductors refused to accept them and insisted on only cash payments. Reddy said that they had to conduct training programmes for their conductors about UPI, how to accept it and how to confirm if the payment is made or not and then issue the tickets. He attributed the increase in revenue to conductor training and the embracement of UPI by BMTC passengers, as they need to worry about providing the exact ticket amount. Reddy shared the revenue through UPI and said, 'BMTC's daily ticket revenue is around Rs 3 crore. In January, the monthly UPI payments stood at Rs 10 crore, jumped to Rs 19 crore in February, Rs 21 crore in March and Rs 24 crore in April. In May, the payment set a new record with Rs 29.5 crore.' In May, the revenue through UPI was 42 per cent. He also informed that in June the revenue will cross 45 per cent.
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
AC e-buses to Kempegowda International Airport await May-end launch
BENGALURU: The delay in setting up charging infrastructure at Kempegowda International Airport and the delay in supply of drivers by the private contract bagger have been postponing the launch of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation's (BMTC) air-conditioned electric buses to the airport. The AC e-buses on the airport route, which should have been operational by now, is likely to be pushed to May-end. BMTC's Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) GT Prabhakar Reddy told TNIE , 'BMTC will be replacing the ageing Volvo fleet with AC e-buses. There is a delay in setting up charging infrastructure at the Bangalore airport premises. We were told it will take another 15 days. So we are hopeful of commencing operations of AC e-buses by May-end.' Attributing another reason for the delay in the launch, Reddy said the contractors are supplying drivers at a slower pace. 'As per the wet-lease agreement, drivers have to be provided by the private firm only,' he said. BMTC, which has many electric buses in its fleet, did not have any air-conditioned ones. With an intention to add AC e-buses, the bus corporation signed an agreement with a private firm to provide buses on the GCC (Gross Cost Contract) model. As per the agreement, 320 e-buses will be handed over to BMTC for operations in a phased manner, and this will gradually replace the ageing Vayu Vajra (Volvo buses on the airport route) fleet. Under the GCC model, BMTC will lease the bus from the private firm Ohm Global Mobility. Ohm will provide buses along with charging infrastructure and drivers. 'We have operationalised 58 e-buses on other routes within the city, and they are performing well. We have set up charging infrastructure for this at two locations in the city,' Reddy said. BMTC will provide conductors and will be paying Rs 65.8 per kilometre to the firm.
