Following the Shakti scheme’s statewide implementation on June 11, calls to expand Bengaluru’s bus fleet have got stronger. Simultaneously, the idea of wider EV integration is also gathering traction. Transportation experts, however, are seeking from the government a more environmentally viable approach that also makes economic sense.
At present, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operates around 6,700 buses; the number has been fluctuating around 6,000 for at least ten years now. Of these, only about 5,500 buses run in the city. Bus commuter forums and mobility experts have called for at least a doubling of the number to meet the demands of the city’s estimated 1.3-crore population. The BMTC, however, claims that there is no shortage of buses.
