Karnataka poll rallies on the horizon, commuters to miss the bus

With elections around the corner in Karnataka, lakhs of people dependent on bus services provided by the four road transport corporations (RTC) are bracing for trip cancellations, as political leaders hire buses in bulk on lease.

“During the poll season, anywhere between a few hundred and four thousand buses are used by political parties for days on end. Any corporation leasing buses for rallies will put its passengers to hardship. We can manage any inconvenience up to 10 per cent... But anything beyond that will disrupt operations,” said a corporation official.

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“In Bengaluru, people may have to spend more money to find an alternative mode. But in rural areas, the cancellation of a bus means the passenger loses that day’s work,” the official added.

The corporations are already at breaking point with the shortage of buses and crew to operate them pushing them into a crisis. The BMTC is supposed to have 10,000 buses but the fleet size has remained around 6,500. Of these, only 5,600 buses are operated as there are no personnel to run the remaining ones. Officials said the corporation requires 2,000 buses and 4,000 personnel.

The KSRTC serves 17 districts but no new buses have been inducted for the past three years, while the shortage of staff has crossed 2,000. The NWKRTC serves six districts, including 4,610 villages — many of which do not have an alternative mode. The KKRTC has a total of 4,400 buses of which 1,800 have run more than 9 lakh km and need to be replaced immediately.

Last month, over 4,000 buses were leased by the BMTC and the KSRTC to take supporters to the prime minister’s event near the airport. In October, hundreds of buses on rural routes were diverted to a Congress rally. The shortage was clear on the ground especially during the prime minister’s visit. While bus services at Majestic were hit till 12 pm, passengers elsewhere waited for hours. Prasad, a commuter, saw 300 passengers stranded at the Hope Farm bus stop.

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Yatish Kumar, a regular passenger, said the diversion of buses for an MLA’s event recently led to the cancellation of several services of two frequent buses (226M and 226N) connecting Bidadi. “After a 25-minute wait, a bus came but it was packed and couldn’t accommodate those who were waiting,” he said.

Six months after the One-Man Committee of Srinivasa Murty — appointed by the government — submitted its report raising major concerns about the future of the corporations, no steps have been taken to address them. “By now, the four corporations should have had 27,500 buses. But only half that number are good performing buses. Whether it is leasing of two buses for a wedding or bulk leasing by political parties, only buses that perform well are given. Right now, the corporations are not in a position to say no to anyone, let alone the ruling party,” an official
said.

To a question, KSRTC Managing Director V Anbu Kumar said the government was taking steps to address the concerns. “We are in the process of floating a tender for 600 buses. Other corporations are also getting the buses. The remaining issues will be addressed,” he added.

Shaheen Shasa of the Benglauru Bus Prayanikara Vedike said the misplaced priorities of the government have pushed the public transport into a crisis.