Don’t outsource, we can build buses: Workers’ union to BMTC

Road transport corporation workers have questioned the BMTC’s move to outsource building of bus bodies despite having a full-fledged workshop where its own employees are without work.

“The Bengaluru Division workshop is taking up repair works to restore buses from other divisions. No new chassis have been received till now,” said the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, which also has BMTC employees.

The BMTC recently floated tenders to buy 643 non-AC buses. Contrary to the old purchase model of buying chassis from the lowest bidders and later building the bodies internally, it has ordered for “fully built” buses this time. Federation chairman H V Anantha Subbarao said the state corporation’s in-house workshop is equipped to build bus bodies and officials should upgrade it rather than choosing to outsource the work during the pandemic.

Over the years, employee numbers at the workshop have dwindled from 2,000 to 300, Subbarao said. “The present tender should be cancelled and a new tender should be called to purchase only the chassis,” he said.

“The 300 highly skilled employees at the workshop are not getting work daily. The corporation should use this opportunity to provide work to its employees. This will also bring down the cost of the buses and save the GST amount,” Subbarao added.

BMTC managing director C Shikha could not be reached for comments.