While the national average stands at 1.2 buses per 1,000 people, Karnataka provides 3.81 buses per 1,000 people, according to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
With a fleet of 7,067 buses, Bengaluru has the largest number of public sector buses among Indian cities, followed by Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi. Karnataka leads at the State-level, operating 26,054 buses, which translates to 3.81 buses per 1,000 people. This puts it ahead of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, according to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
As many as 18,987 buses operate in the State excluding 7,067 buses operating in Bengaluru.
The Minister made these remarks amid ongoing calls from Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, former Infosys CFO T.V. Mohandas Pai, and Yulu co-founder R.K. Misra, who have all suggested that the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) should be privatised.
Mr. Reddy firmly rejected these suggestions, describing them as “commercially motivated” and contrary to public interest. “Karnataka and Bengaluru lead the country in the number of buses, passenger ridership, and service quality. Those advocating privatisation have vested interests and are not thinking about the welfare of commuters,” he said.
3.81 buses per 1,000 people
According to Mr. Reddy, in Bengaluru, BMTC operates 7,067 buses, including 1,799 electric buses, catering to nearly 48 lakh passengers every day, the highest ridership for any city-run public transport system in India. “Chennai’s Metropolitan Transport Corporation follows with 3,651 buses (230 electric), ferrying around 34 lakh passengers daily. Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) operates 3,794 buses, including 1,121 electric and 2,340 leased vehicles, carrying about 25 lakh commuters daily. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) runs 3,222 buses (2,526 electric) serving 24 lakh passengers each day. In contrast, Kolkata has a fleet of only 750 buses catering to about six lakh passengers,” he said.
“This data itself shows how effectively BMTC serves the people of Bengaluru. Now some people want to privatise this system so that private organisations can make profits. The government’s focus is on service, not on profit,” Mr Reddy added.
The Minister also highlighted Karnataka’s dominance in public transport across India. “While the national average stands at 1.2 buses per 1,000 people, Karnataka provides 3.81 buses per 1,000 people. This clearly reflects our commitment to public mobility,” he said.
The State operates 26,054 buses through its four corporations, namely Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).
Comparing figures from other States, Mr. Reddy said Tamil Nadu has 20,912 buses (2.70 per 1,000 people), Maharashtra 16,900 (1.32), Uttar Pradesh 13,031 (0.54), and Andhra Pradesh 11,111 (2.07). “In every parameter, the number of buses, passengers carried, and service reliability Karnataka stands first,” he asserted.
Feasible options
Recalling past efforts to improve city roads, the Minister said that during the tenure of former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, road widening projects were taken up to reduce traffic congestion. “Those road widening projects helped ease traffic. Unfortunately, later governments did not continue them. Now, with limited funds and high land compensation costs, road widening has become difficult,” Mr. Reddy explained, adding, “Given the present situation, the only feasible options are tunnel roads and flyovers.”
Citing Andhra Pradesh as an example, he said that years ago when Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had implemented extensive road expansion projects which subsequent governments continued, traffic was managed effectively. “In Karnataka, lack of continuity in such projects by the next governments has worsened congestion,” he added.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)