Alcohol, rash driving main reasons for accidents involving electric BMTC buses

BENGALURU: Many Bengaluru residents feel that electric BMTC buses are dangerous and have voiced their opinion on social media. In recent days, the number of accident involving electric buses the city has been increasing.

The transport corporation has been trying to control accidents by implementing many plans, but the accident count keeps rising. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had also written a letter to about this to Union minister HD Kumaraswamy as the electric buses are introduced under the FAME scheme.

However, a shocking report has emerged about the main cause of these accidents. In the past two years, many accidents caused by electric bus drivers driving recklessly under the influence alcohol.

Within two years, among the drivers hired by contract companies, more than 600 cases of rash driving and dunk driving have been detected. Within BMTC’s jurisdiction there are 1,500 EV buses, and four contract companies are managing the buses. The responsibility for bus drivers lies with the contract companies, and only the conductors are appointed by BMTC. Currently, the dangerous driving of EV buses is alarming in terms of statistics.

The contract companies involved are TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Ltd, which operates a total of 1,031 buses. There were five, 54 and 33 cases respectively with respect to mobile phone use while driving, amounting to 92 cases in total between 2023‑24, 2024‑25, and up to September 2025. During the same year, there were 30, 277 and 160 cases of drunk/rash driving, making a total of 467 cases.

HM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd runs 251 buses. From 2024‑25 to September 2025, there were three and 21 cases of mobile phone use while driving, totaling 24 cases, and six and 26 cases of drunk/drash driving, totaling 32 cases.

The NTPC’s fleet consists of 90 buses. Mobile phone use while driving accounted for five, nine and four cases between 2023‑24, 2024‑25 and up to September 2025, respectively, with 18 cases in total. Drunk/rash driving accounted for 13, 18 and 28 cases in the same periods, totaling 59 cases.

Switch Mobility Automotive Ltd. operates 300 buses. Mobile phone use while driving resulted in 19, 4 and 10 cases between 2023‑24, 2024‑25 and up to September 2025, respectively, summing to 33 cases. Drunk/rash driving resulted in 16, 28 and 24 cases in those periods, totaling 68 cases.

Overall, from 2023‑24 to September 2025 there were 167 cases of mobile phone use while driving and 626 cases of drink‑rash driving.