Despite having a fleet size of 6,798 buses, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is only able to operate around 5,600. While there’s capacity to run an additional 900 buses daily in Bangalore, a significant driver shortage prevents this. This begs the question: are enough buses running in Bangalore to meet public transportation needs?
In 2013-14, BMTC had a similar fleet size of 6,775 buses and a staff of 36,079. Currently, the staff size has shrunk to 29,726, impacting the number of buses operating in Bangalore.
Following the pandemic, the government instructed BMTC to halt driver recruitment to cut costs. Instead, the corporation was advised to outsource drivers on contract, a temporary solution to a persistent problem affecting bus services in Bangalore.
BMTC faces a shortage of over 5,000 drivers. This lack of personnel directly results in fewer bus services and increased strain on existing drivers, who must work longer hours to cover peak demand. Consequently, the bus fleet remains underutilized. Before the pandemic, a bus covered 210 km daily; now, it’s only 150 km, directly affecting the availability of public transport. This staff shortage prevents BMTC from running over 500 scheduled services (around 5,000 trips) compared to pre-pandemic levels, impacting commuters relying on BMTC buses in Bangalore.
The last official driver recruitment was in 2018. Since then, hundreds of staff have retired, and over 1,000 employees, including drivers, conductors, and other personnel, have transferred to other corporations. This year’s provisional transfer list includes over 500 staff members, further depleting the workforce responsible for running buses in Bangalore.
For over two years, BMTC’s fleet of over 860 air-conditioned buses has been underutilized, with more than 400 remaining idle. The demand exists, but the driver shortage and high fuel prices make operating these buses financially challenging, further limiting bus availability in Bangalore.
BMTC Chairman N.S. Nandeesha Reddy acknowledges the staff shortage, citing inter-corporation transfers and retirements as contributing factors. To address the immediate need, the government has directed BMTC to hire 1,000 contract drivers. This measure aims to increase the number of operational buses in Bangalore. The management is also seeking government approval for a new round of permanent driver recruitment.
