One in five buses in Bangalore, India, now electric as BMTC fleet surpasses 7,000 units

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has officially reported that its operating fleet now exceeds 7,000 buses. Among these, more than 1,500 units are electric, making up roughly one in every five buses deployed in the city network, as reported in an article by Times of India.

Looking ahead, BMTC plans to expand its electric fleet with the introduction of 120 new air-conditioned e-buses. These are expected to enhance passenger comfort and strengthen the connection between bus services and metro rail corridors. The planned expansion is particularly targeted at feeder services, improving multimodal integration across the city’s public transport network.

BMTC operating e-buses under gross-cost contracts

The e-bus segment currently consists of 1,568 vehicles, procured and operated through gross-cost contracts with private suppliers. These contracts allow BMTC to focus on service operations while outsourcing fleet ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Still according to Times of India, the arrangement has enabled faster adoption of electric vehicles without requiring BMTC to invest heavily in upfront procurement costs.

The report highlights that service frequency has now not only recovered from the pandemic downturn but, in several corridors, has surpassed earlier levels. Data indicates that the fleet collectively covers about 61,000 trips each day, amounting to approximately 1.19 million kilometres of operation daily. This level of service, combined with growing passenger demand, has positioned the organisation as one of the most active state transport undertakings in India.

In terms of workforce, BMTC has recruited additional drivers and support staff to sustain the higher frequency of operations. The article points out that staffing levels have been adjusted to align with both traditional bus operations and the specialised needs of electric bus deployment. A recent wave of training programmes has also been introduced to ensure safe handling of new technology fleets.