Bengaluru Commuters Face Nightmare as Karnataka Delays Approval for 4,500 PM e-Drive Buses

Bengaluru Commuters Face Nightmare as Karnataka Delays Approval for 4,500 PM e-Drive Buses​

The much-anticipated induction of 4,500 electric buses under the central government's Pradhan Mantri e-Drive (PM e-Drive) scheme is facing a severe hold-up in Bengaluru. Despite the completion of the tender process and sanction by the Centre, these critical public transport vehicles have remained stalled for six months, awaiting Cabinet approval from the Karnataka state government.

This bureaucratic delay has been fiercely criticized by political leaders, who warn that it is dramatically exacerbating hardship among lakhs of daily commuters across the city.

MPs Slam State Government Over Bureaucratic Delay​

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya sharply criticised the state machinery on June 26, highlighting the impact of the stalled project. He stated that commuters face immense struggles every morning at BMTC bus stops, often unsure if they will secure a seat.

Surya stressed that students are missing classes and workers are arriving exhausted due to the persistent shortage. This delay adds directly to people's hardship in Bengaluru, demanding immediate clearance of the proposal.

Echoing this sentiment, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan also condemned the situation. He noted that while the Union government had sanctioned the 4,500 electric buses, the Karnataka government has failed to secure Cabinet approval after a six-month period. Both MPs underscored that vital public transport reform remains stalled for commuters.

Commuters Struggle with Inadequate Transport Infrastructure​

The inability to induct the new fleet is compounding existing issues within the city's transit system. Surya pointed out that commuters are grappling with the absence of reliable last-mile connectivity and a lack of real-time digital bus tracking services.

He further asserted that BMTC is already operating with nearly 50 per cent fewer buses than required by the city. The continued delay in approvals means citizens must continue bearing the burden of an underdeveloped mobility network despite the government's commitment to e-mobility.

Timeline and Status of PM e-Drive Project​

The entire project has been stalled since the Centre finalized bids for the 4,500 electric buses. Sources confirmed that CESL formally communicated the outcome of the bidding process to BMTC on December 30, 2025. This signifies that the tender process was successfully completed months ago.

However, BMTC has yet to issue the Letters of Award (LoAs) to the selected operators due to the delay in obtaining necessary approval from the state government. The induction of this crucial fleet expansion is thus entirely reliant on the Karnataka Cabinet's decision.

Official Response and Past Incidents​

In response to the ongoing inconvenience, retired IAS officer LK Atheeq, who serves as a financial adviser to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, addressed the issue publicly. He confirmed that he had taken up the matter directly with the concerned officials in both the Transport and Finance departments. Atheeq assured stakeholders that the process would be expedited.

The current predicament recalls a previous incident where BMTC lost a central subsidy of ₹75 crore for 80 electric buses. This earlier loss occurred in 2019, when the then Congress-JD(S) coalition government failed to complete the necessary procurement processes within the stipulated timeline under the FAME scheme.