The decades-old monopoly of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) over city bus services is facing unprecedented pressure, as a growing coalition of urban mobility experts, industry leaders, and politicians calls for the sector to be opened to private operators. This significant push is driven by the acute need to enhance public transport options and mitigate Bengaluru’s crippling traffic congestion crisis.
The move to allow private companies to operate bus services within the city limits is gaining noticeable traction in public forums and policy circles. Proponents of privatization argue that the BMTC, despite its massive fleet, has failed to expand its network rapidly enough to meet the demands of the city’s explosive growth. They contend that introducing private players would inject healthy competition, improve efficiency, and ensure better coverage, particularly in underserved peripheral areas. Some advocates, including former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, have called the BMTC a failed organization that must be forced to share the load.
However, the proposal faces stern resistance from the government. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy firmly dismissed the calls for privatization, asserting that the state administration’s priority remains public welfare, not private profit. These people are only in favour of private companies. They are thinking of profits. The Congress government does not align with these views, the Minister stated, implying that private operators would abandon non-profitable routes and jeopardize subsidized services like the state’s popular ‘Shakti Scheme’ for women.
Adding complexity to the debate, existing private bus operators are already warning of a statewide protest, citing severe financial losses due to the BMTC’s expansion and the implementation of the Shakti Scheme. They claim the state’s policy unfairly pushes them out of business. The fate of public transport in Bengaluru now hangs in the balance, caught between the demand for market-driven solutions to solve the traffic crisis and the government’s commitment to maintaining a subsidized, state-controlled transport lifeline.