Future mobility of tech hub: Is Bengaluru struggling due to bus shortage?

Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy and former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai sparred on social media platform X over the idea of allowing private bus operators to run services in Bengaluru.

Pai said 7,000 buses are inadequate to meet Bengaluru's requirements and accused the government of failing to address the demand due to its monopoly on bus services, adding that the city requires at least 15,000 buses today.

According to the minister, these buses cover more than 13 lakh km and run about 66,000 trips every day, which he described as “the highest in India.”

Karnataka transport minister said state operates 26,054 buses, with nearly 45 lakh commuters served in Bengaluru alone. The city currently has 7,108 buses, including 1,686 electric buses.

Mohandas Pai alleged that the state government has failed to increase Bengaluru’s bus fleet over the past three years and suggested permitting private players to operate services to meet growing demand.

Hitting out at the minister, Mohandas Pai posted, “As a minister, you thoroughly failed to ensure adequate public transport because of your dogmatic attitude, saying only PSU works. Why? People need public transport irrespective of who provides it.”

Questioning Pai, minister Reddy said, “Show me a single BJP-ruled city or state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, that matches this scale and efficiency.” (PTI Photo)

Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy said 5,800+ new buses were inducted in the last two years and that another 2,000+ buses would be added by March 2026.

The minister argued that state-owned road transport corporations operate with a public service mandate and do not cherry-pick profitable routes. He said 30% of routes run at a loss to ensure connectivity, another 30% operate at break-even, while the remaining 40% generate profits. (PTI Photo)

Mohandas Pai argued that commuters would be willing to pay separately for better bus services and cited Singapore’s multi-operator transport model. He also pointed out that nearly 85,000 vehicles are added in Bengaluru every month, stressing that mobility solutions are urgently needed.