BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which once owned brand-new buses, is now struggling with over-aged vehicles.The Economic Survey of Karnataka for 2018-19 released on Friday shows 19 per cent (1,267 buses) of the 6,631 vehicles operated by the state-run corporation are old. In 2017-18, the number of such buses was 5 per cent.But what comes as a shocker is the fact that the number of over-aged buses have gone up despite BMTC redefining guidelines pertaining to the operational life of buses. Currently, BMTC scraps a bus after it completes 11 years or clocks 8.5lakh km. Earlier, buses that have run 7.5km or completed 10 years were junked.The new scrapping policy allows BMTC to operate old buses, forcing citizens to travel in vehicles that are not roadworthy. While the lifespan of buses comes down due to road conditions and heavy traffic in Bengaluru, it also pushes up maintenance cost.The percentage of BMTC’s fleet utilisation has reduced from 87% in 2017-18 to 83% now. This means a majority of the schedules are being cancelled because of reasons like breakdowns, high maintenance cost, lack of spare parts and traffic congestion. Every month, an average of 350 breakdowns of buses are being reported, which translates to 11 a day. In 2018-19, BMTC inducted 279 new buses and scrapped 325 old ones.Officials attributed the delay in induction of new buses to a National Green Tribunal’s stay in adding new diesel buses and financial crunch. In 2018-19 (till November), it recorded a loss of Rs 221 crore, taking the cumulative loss to Rs 384 crore.Though BMTC could induct 80 electric buses under the Centre’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, the process was delayed after new transport minister DC Thammanna insisted on purchasing buses instead of leasing them. “We’re planning to induct 1,300 buses after receiving the NGT’s approval,” said an official.Vinay Sreenivasa of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, an NGO, said: “BMTC is resorting to these tactics (increasing operational life) of buses to cover up the government's failure in providing financial assistance, but commuters are at the receiving end.”

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