Mohandas Pai floats private bus idea for Bengaluru, minister Ramalinga Reddy defends PSU service

Bengaluru: Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai sparred over the idea of allowing private bus operators in Bengaluru.Taking to social media platform X, Pai accused the state govt of failing to increase the city's bus fleet over the past three years and suggested permitting private players to operate services in the city.Hitting out at Reddy, 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."Responding to Pai, Reddy said Karnataka operates 26,054 buses, with nearly 45 lakh commuters served in Bengaluru alone. He said the city has a fleet of 7,108 buses, including 1,686 electric buses, which together cover over 13 lakh km and operate 66,000 trips every day —"the highest in India."Questioning Pai, the minister 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. In just the last 2 years, we inducted 5,800+ new buses. By March 2026, another 2,000+ buses will be on the roads. During the BJP tenure (2019-2023), when bus inductions were frozen and corporations left to rot, why didn't you raise a single question? Why does your ‘corporate concern' only wake up when a pro-people govt is performing? Private operators shut down the moment profits dip. How would that help a common man in Bengaluru who earns a daily wage? A private monopoly would be a crushing burden on the poor. Public transport is a right, not a luxury. Our PSUs are here to stay, to serve, and to lead Karnataka."Reddy said that unlike private operators, state-owned road transport corporations function with a public service mandate and do not cherry-pick routes. He noted that 30% of routes operate at a loss to ensure connectivity for students and residents of remote villages, while another 30% operate at break-even levels. The remaining 40% — largely long-distance routes — generate profits that sustain the system. He added that 98% of villages in the state have bus connectivity. "This is how you serve a society, not a board of directors," the minister said.Responding to the minister's remarks, Pai said 7,000 buses are inadequate to meet Bengaluru's requirements and accused the govt of failing to address the demand due to its monopoly on bus services. "We need a minimum of 15,000 buses, big and small, today. Even 10,000 buses two years from now is inadequate," he said.Pai argued that large sections of commuters are willing to pay separately for better bus services and pointed out that many companies already operate buses for their employees. "Why not for the public? In many cities, this is happening. Why not in Bengaluru to meet our needs? Why cannot private parties… run a bus service on a fully chargeable basis for citizens who want this? Why are you preventing this? As minister, your duty is to make sure there is adequate bus service for all citizens... If they make a loss, so be it. Why should govt bother? They will lose their money, not any taxpayers' money. They will charge, collect, and run it. Nobody is asking you to subsidise them."—-QuoteWhy no (private buses) for the public? In many cities, this is happening. Why not in Bengaluru to meet our needs? Why cannot private parties… run a bus service on a fully chargeable basis for citizens who want this? Why are you preventing this? As minister, your duty is to make sure there is adequate bus service for all citizens-Mohandas Pai, former Infosys CFO —--Private operators shut down the moment profits dip. How would that help a common man in Bengaluru who earns a daily wage? A private monopoly would be a crushing burden on the poor. Public transport is a right, not a luxury. Our PSUs are here to stay, to serve, and to lead Karnataka-Ramalinga Reddy, transport minister