BENGALURU: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has written to Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy highlighting the poor performance of Gross Cost Contract (GCC) operators — Tata Motors, Switch Mobility, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, and OHM Global Mobility — managing Bengaluru’s 1,672 electric buses under the FAME-II and CESL Smart City projects.
In his letter, Reddy stated that GCC operators have “fallen significantly short” of the standards expected from leading industry players. He pointed out that Bengaluru, which has been a frontrunner in adoption of electric mobility at the national level, now faces service reliability and safety issues that are “tarnishing” its image.
The minister attributed these issues to cost-cutting and mismanagement by GCC operators. “As against the proposed deployment of 2.3 personnel per bus, many operators deploy only 1.9 to 2.0 staff per bus,” he said. The operators have failed in deputing the promised number of staff. Lack of training for drivers, poor maintenance, and frequent strikes by staff have further worsened the BMTC services.
Addressing reporters here on Monday, Reddy said e-buses recorded alarming rates of cancellations, breakdowns and accidents in the past two years. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam reported 842 battery-related breakdowns, while Switch Mobility buses logged over 10,000 instances of battery issues. Tata Motors’ e-buses reported 2,120 breakdowns. Similarly, OHM Global Mobility saw nearly 11% trip cancellations, despite forming only about 23% of the fleet.
In comparison, BMTC’s 5,423 diesel buses — operating nearly 65,000 trips daily — performed better, registering only 1.7% cancellations. Equally troubling were the fatalities linked to e-bus operations. Between 2023 and mid 2025, at least 35 deaths were reported due to accidents involving these buses, Reddy said.
Reddy urged Kumaraswamy to take immediate corrective measures such as initiating a comprehensive performance review of all GCC operators under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles Phase II (FAME II) scheme that encourages faster adoption of EVs and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) projects with a focus on breakdowns, safety compliance, and driver training; mandating certified driver training protocols in all future tenders before services commence; and establishing a joint monitoring mechanism between the Ministry of Heavy Industries and state transport utilities to ensure adherence to safety and service standards.
