Nine BMTC officials suspended for taking bribe to assign drunk drivers to duty

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has suspended nine officials following allegations that they accepted bribes from drivers who came to duty under the influence of alcohol.

BMTC officials confirmed that restraining orders have been issued pending investigation. According to a senior BMTC official, the incident came to light at BMTC Depot-35, where several electric bus drivers were allegedly operating drunk.

“An internal investigation is ongoing into the allegation that some officials took bribes of several thousand rupees from such drivers to allow them to be posted in violation of safety and operational rules,” an official said.

Under BMTC regulations, depot officials are required to conduct mandatory alcohol checks on drivers before assigning them to duty. According to the official, any driver found to be drunk should be immediately banned from driving buses.

The incident occurred amid an ongoing review of BMTC’s electric bus operations.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy recently expressed serious concern over the “poor performance and lack of accountability” of private operators operating electric buses under the gross cost contracting (GCC) model. In a letter to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy, Mr. Reddy highlighted increasing accidents, frequent breakdowns, driver strikes and rising passenger complaints associated with the electric bus fleet.