BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which employs around 33,000 staff members, provides transport services to more than 45 lakh passengers every day. However, employees say they continue to face several challenges, including overtime work, lack of breaks during shifts and safety risks due to rash driving by contract drivers.
Speaking to the TNIE, 55-year-old Karibasappa (name changed), who has been with BMTC for 27 years, alleged that due to staff shortage he is often made to perform the duties of both driver and conductor across multiple trips. According to him, this increases the risk of accidents as it divides attention while on duty. He also claimed that the Form 4 schedule, which governs bus operations, has not been revised to match present-day traffic conditions.
He cited the example of a 66.8-km route between Electronic City and Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic), which ideally should take a little over two hours, but now stretches to nearly four hours because of traffic congestion. During festivals, the travel time increases further, leading to delays in subsequent trips. Karibasappa said employees receive salaries based on meeting trip targets and demanded that wages instead be linked to working hours.
Uma, a BMTC conductor, said she wakes up at 3.30 am to complete household chores before reporting to the depot by 5.30 am. “There is no time for breakfast or lunch till my shift ends at 2 pm. It is affecting my health. We also do not have access to toilets between trips,” she said, adding that toilet facilities at bus stops would help address the issue.
Nagaraj (name changed) has been working as a BMTC mechanic for 29 years. He said salaries are not in line with the cost of living in a city like Bengaluru.
Employees also raised concerns over rash driving by contract drivers. Radha (33) (name changed), a conductor with BMTC since 2013, recalled an incident in October 2024 in which an electric bus driver allegedly applied sudden brakes, causing passengers to lose balance and fall on her, resulting in a serious knee injury. She underwent two surgeries and was on leave for 16 months.
“BMTC provided Injury On Duty (IOD) benefits for only one year, during which I could not recover fully. The remaining four months of IOD are still on hold,” she said.
Radha added that she resumed work before fully recovering because of pressure from senior officials and financial difficulties.
Jyothi Anantha Subbrao, president of the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, said these issues had been brought to the notice of officials and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, but no corrective measures had been taken so far. BMTC officials were unavailable for comment.
