BMTC to scrap 1,298 old buses this year

The BMTC will scrap 1,298 buses and auction 98 Marcopolo buses in 2018-19. However, its plans to buy 1,000 buses during the same time depends on the decision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) officials said 898 buses that had clocked more than 8.5 lakh km or completed more than 11 years were scrapped last year. The corporation has asked the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Politics to study the type of buses required by the corporation based on the passenger demand.

BMTC managing director V Ponnuraj said a process is underway to rationalise the routes based on the running time and occupancy rate of the buses. “The congestion on the roads has brought down the speed of BMTC buses and affected the trip timings. A bus which completed a trip in one hour is taking almost double the time,” he said.

He said with the help of the intelligent transport system, they will plan the routes in ways that will help improve the timings of the buses. “Changes will be effected in the running of about 3,000 schedules (buses),” he said.

Finances beyond control

About 81% of the corporation’s money goes towards staff and fuel expenditures while taxes and statutory dues take away about 8%. “We are able to control only 12% of the finances and saving every penny to reduce losses,” the official said.

He gave the example of reducing the number of breakdowns from over 100 per day to 15 and the efforts in reducing operational costs as part of the measures to cut losses.