Driver shortage sees only 20 of 170 new electric buses hit the road in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: As many as 170 AC (air-conditioned) electric buses have joined BMTC's fleet but only 20 have hit the road. The reason: a severe shortage of drivers.
A total of 320 e-buses were to be deployed by BMTC under a lease-based gross cost contract, where a private operator supplies and maintains the vehicles and also provides drivers. Of them, 170 have arrived since Jan.
However, transport minister Ramalinga Reddy revealed that the private operator has outsourced driver recruitment to another agency, leading to the delay.
"As per the agreement with the private operator, they have to provide buses and deploy the required number of drivers. BMTC provides the conductors and issues tickets to the passengers. As previously agreed, we provide operational costs on a per-km basis to the private operator. I have directed BMTC to issue a notice to the private operator for the lapses. We will hold a meeting with them to resolve the issues," the minister said.
BMTC is providing e-bus services through three private players. Mobility experts tracking BMTC said the challenge wasn't just hiring drivers — it's retaining them. Unlike BMTC-employed drivers, those working under private operators receive lower pay and fewer benefits, making recruitment difficult.
Replacement for Volvo fleet
One of the key goals of this initiative is to replace the ageing Volvo AC fleet on routes to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Officials say charging facilities at the airport are almost ready, and within a month, electric buses will begin operating on airport routes.
For now, the new AC e-buses (Vajra services) are run within the city limits primarily from Kadugodi depot on routes to Majestic (Kempegowda bus station), Hoskote, and Banashankari. Passenger response has been positive for AC e-buses, with fares remaining in line with other AC bus services.
BMTC to have 1,800 EVs
BMTC started the induction of e-buses in Dec 2021. Initially, operations started utilizing funds from the Bengaluru Smart City Project for 90 e-buses, and later the fleet size expanded using a subsidy from the FAME-2 project by inducting 300 buses. Operations were further extended by leasing 921 buses under FAME-2. In Sept 2024, the corporation crossed the milestone of operating 1,000 electric buses.
A BMTC official said, "In the future, the city will see the operation of 1,800 electric buses. All these buses will be operated on a gross cost contract basis wherein BMTC provides operational costs on a per km basis to the private operator. For AC e-buses, we are paying Rs 65.8 per km to the private operator."
The official said that last year BMTC shelved the plans of operating double-decker buses as it was not financially feasible; instead, 148 non-AC electric buses will be operated. BMTC has a fleet of 6,500 buses.