BMTC’s old buses to go to NWKRTC

BMTC likely to charge ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh per bus 

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will send 50 to 100 old non-AC buses to North-Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC). The BMTC is likely to charge ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh for each bus.

Recently, the NWKRTC had approached the BMTC asking the corporation to provide “excessive buses”. Like other State-run transport corporations, due to the financial crisis induced by the pandemic, the NWKRTC could not expand its fleet size in the last two years.

Following a letter from the NWKRTC, the BMTC board deliberated on the issue in a recent meeting. BMTC chairman N.S. Nandiesha Reddy told The Hindu that the BMTC would charge a “nominal price” for providing the buses. “We will provide old buses that are in good condition. Instead of providing it for free, we would request the NWKRTC to pay ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. We will negotiate on the price in the coming days,” the chairman said. He added that when old buses are sent to scrapping, a bus usually fetches over ₹2 lakh.

He said the BMTC had already started phasing out aged buses in a phased manner. In the coming days, close to 200 buses will be sent for scrapping.

Usually, a non-AC bus is operated for 8.5 lakh to 9 lakh kilometres or put in service for 11 years. Thereafter, such buses are considered aged and usually sent for scrapping. An official of the BMTC said, “Some of the buses that have operated for 11 years could be in motorable condition. Those vehicles can be operated for a couples for more years.”

For close to two years, the BMTC could not induct new buses owing to financial difficulties. It was only in December last, that it started inducting new buses, including electric buses and BSVI buses. At present, the BMTC has a fleet size of 6,700-odd buses. The BMTC has been facing criticism for not inducting buses to expand its services. In 2011–12, the BMTC held a fleet size of 6,064 buses, even after a decade, there has been no significant expansion of its fleet. An official of the NWKRTC said, “Over a decade ago, the BMTC had provided buses to the corporation. As we are planning to introduce more city services with more buses in Hubballi-Dharwad , we approached the BMTC.” The NWKRTC has a fleet size of close to 5,000 buses.