BMTC downsizes fleet while commuters are demanding more.

At a time when demand for buses has been growing, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) seems to be downsizing. The corporation has reduced as many as 272 schedules between March 2014 and June this year.

As the cash starved corporation implements more passenger friendly measures, like surveys and requests for new routes, it is also on a mission to reduce spending on new buses as this is viewed as an unnecessary expense.

What this means for commuters is that there will be fewer buses on the roads with fleet augmentation reaching a low of 197 buses in 2014-15 after 838 buses were added in 2013-14.

“Bengalureans are already suffering due to overcrowded and untimely buses. Either there are not enough buses or the fleet is being mismanaged. BMTC has to explain. If there are enough buses, why are they overcrowded? And why are there not enough buses at night,” questioned Vinay Srinivasa of Bangalore Bus Prayanikara Vedike.

Officials say BMTC has an excess of buses. According to them, there are enough Volvo buses to last another two years without having to add more vehicles. “We have excess buses and, hence, have not purchased any in the past year. The corporation has a massive loan to repay because of buses purchased in the past,” said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. “We have plans of deploying a few JNNURM buses this year, but there have been some technical issues with regard to the bus weight, which are being looked into.”

He also said that the budget for the coming year has a provision for purchase of buses, but the State will now have to shell out up to 50 per cent of the cost with the rest coming from the Centre. Up to now, the State’s share was 20 per cent.