More than 100 BMTC electric buses have been off the road at Kamakya Electrical Depot 13 in Kattriguppe, Bengaluru, after outsourced drivers stopped driving the buses, demanding more money on average for workers.
According to the information available, drivers did not take the electric buses out of the depot from Wednesday morning, affecting bus operations from the facility.
The drivers are said to be working under an outsourcing arrangement and have expressed concern about the disparity in the daily wages being paid to drivers at different depots.
The protesting drivers are demanding that their daily payment be increased to ₹950, which they claim is the amount being paid to drivers working at other depots.
At present, Kamakya electric depot's drivers are paid ₹850 per day. The drivers are demanding that their wages be brought on par with the ₹950 daily payment reportedly offered at other depots.
The difference of ₹100 per day has become the main reason behind the drivers' decision to stop operating the buses.
The stoppage has resulted in more than 100 electric buses remaining inside the depot instead of being deployed on their scheduled routes.
For commuters who rely on BMTC services, especially on electric buses from the Kattriguppe depot, disruption may cause longer waiting times and an increase in pressure on other public transport services.
The drivers have said they want to get parity in wages, not permanently work. Their demand is that the payment structure at their depot should be in line with the rates allegedly being offered at other BMTC depots.
The issue also touches upon the working conditions of outsourced drivers in Bengaluru for public transport buses. Unlike directly employed staff, outsourced workers are employed through contractual arrangements and their wages and service conditions can differ depending on the contract or depot.
The drivers at Kamakya Electrical Depot 13 are now seeking help from the authorities to remedy the wage disparity.
BMTC electric buses are now an important part of Bengaluru’s public transport network, and the city is bringing in electric vehicles to increase the fleet and reduce the dependency on diesel buses.
If a large number of electric buses were disrupted, thousands of daily commuters would be affected most significantly during peak travel hours.
So the government will need to rapidly resolve the wage issue and work toward restoring normal operations again.
The drivers' demand is centred on the reported ₹850-to-₹950 daily wage difference. They are seeking the same ₹950 payment that they say is being provided to drivers at other depots.
If the issue is resolved with drivers and the outsourcing agency, services could return to normal. But the dispute could lead to further delays on routes that rely on buses from the Kattriguppe depot.
The development has also raised questions about whether there is a uniform wage structure for outsourced BMTC electric bus drivers across different depots. A standardised payment structure could potentially help prevent similar disputes in the future.
For now, the main demand from the drivers is simple: they want their daily wage at Kamakya Electrical Depot 13 to be increased from ₹850 to ₹950, matching the rate they claim is being paid at other depots.
The suspension of services by more than 100 electric buses has put a focus on the issue, and commuters will be waiting for a solution that would return normal BMTC operations in the area.
