BMTC weighs 200 midi buses for feeder routes amid safety and cost concerns

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has started inspecting and evaluating different bus models as it considers adding 200 seven-metre midi or mini-buses to its fleet. The proposed vehicles are meant to improve connectivity on narrow roads and in interior parts of the city, where standard buses find it difficult to operate.

The exercise follows a recent direction from Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh to deploy 200 mini air-conditioned electric buses within a five-kilometre radius of Metro stations. These buses are intended to link residential layouts and neighbourhoods that larger vehicles cannot easily serve. The 200 mini-AC buses form part of the 4,500 electric buses being provided to BMTC under the Centre's PM E-DRIVE scheme.

Demand for smaller vehicles has grown, particularly for first- and last-mile connectivity to Namma Metro stations. BMTC is accordingly looking at models that can negotiate narrow roads while providing feeder services.

Past safety record

The corporation's earlier experience with midi buses was marked by safety concerns. In January and February 2022, two BMTC buses caught fire within about ten days, prompting the corporation to seek a safety assessment of its midi-bus fleet. BMTC had procured 186 midi buses in 2014; these were around nine metres long with about 33 seats, smaller than the standard 12-metre buses and suited to narrower, congested roads.

An initial investigation found that the fires originated in the engine area. A later assessment attributed the incidents to loose parts in the starter, which caused a short circuit. BMTC then subjected the buses to detailed inspections before allowing them back into service. The safety issues were among the factors that made the corporation cautious about expanding its smaller-bus fleet.

Revenue economics

Operational economics have posed another hurdle. Officials said BMTC assesses bus operations by comparing cost per kilometre (CPKM) with earnings per kilometre (EPKM). Smaller buses carry fewer passengers but require broadly the same crew arrangement as larger ones. A standard 12-metre BMTC bus can carry substantially more passengers than a mini or midi bus, while driver and conductor costs remain similar. As a result, smaller buses can struggle to generate enough revenue to cover operating costs, especially on routes with weak ridership.

The issue is more pronounced under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model used for several of BMTC's electric buses. Under this arrangement, a private operator owns and maintains the vehicle while BMTC pays an agreed per-kilometre rate for operating the bus. This means BMTC must pay the contracted amount regardless of whether a bus is full or carrying only a handful of passengers. For feeder services, where demand can vary considerably between peak and non-peak hours, this can increase the corporation's financial burden.

Officials added that despite these concerns, the expansion of Namma Metro has increased the need for reliable feeder services. With Metro stations extending to more parts of Bengaluru, BMTC expects to play a larger role in connecting neighbourhoods to the Metro network.