Ramalinga Reddy slams e-bus operators for poor performance, seeks central review after 35 deaths

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy flags poor performance by GCC operators managing Bengaluru’s FAME-II and CESL e-bus fleet, urging a central review, mandatory driver training and joint monitoring to fix safety and service gaps.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has formally alerted Union Heavy Industries Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy about serious service and safety failures in Bengaluru’s electric bus operations. The concern centres on 1,672 electric buses deployed under the FAME-II and CESL Smart City projects and run by Gross Cost Contract (GCC) operators Tata Motors, Switch Mobility, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam and OHM Global Mobility.

Also Read:Bengaluru records 18 births and 9 deaths every hour: City tops Karnataka in both life and loss

The operators are reported to have “fallen significantly short” of expected standards. Causes identified include cost-cutting, mismanagement, inadequate driver training, poor maintenance, and frequent staff strikes. A key staffing shortfall exists: while contracts proposed 2.3 personnel per bus, many operators deploy only 1.9-2.0 staff per bus, reducing supervision and maintenance capacity.

Service reliability has deteriorated sharply over the last two years. Battery-related and mechanical failures are widespread: NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam recorded 842 battery breakdowns, Switch Mobility logged over 10,000 battery issues, and Tata Motors’ e-buses had 2,120 breakdowns. OHM Global Mobility, though about 23% of the e-bus fleet, reported nearly 11% trip cancellations. By contrast, BMTC’s 5,423 diesel buses, running nearly 65,000 trips daily, show only 1.7% cancellations, highlighting the gap in reliability.

Safety concerns are acute. Between 2023 and mid-2025, at least 35 deaths were linked to accidents involving these electric buses. The combination of frequent breakdowns, understaffing and inadequate training is cited as a factor in these tragic outcomes.

Also Read:Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Mohandas Pai join govt’s advisory panel on Bengaluru development

In response, the transport ministry seeks immediate corrective action at the central level. Requested measures include:

•    A comprehensive performance review of all GCC operators under FAME-II and CESL, focusing on breakdowns, battery failures and accident records.
•    Mandatory certified driver training protocols to be included in all future tenders before services commence.
•    Establishment of a joint monitoring mechanism between the Ministry of Heavy Industries and state transport utilities to enforce safety, staffing and service standards.