Janata Dal (Secular) State Youth President Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Monday criticised the Karnataka Congress government, alleging neglect of the state’s public transport system. He said a KKRTC bus was reportedly driven at night using a mobile phone torch as a makeshift headlight, claiming it reflected poor maintenance due to lack of funds. He also accused the state government of delaying the issuance of the Letter of Award (LoA) for 4,500 electric buses allocated to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) under the PM E-DRIVE scheme.

In a post on X, Nikhil said the situation pointed to “serious administrative failure,” adding that while one bus was seen operating in unsafe conditions, the government had not acted on deploying newly sanctioned e-buses. He further claimed that the Ministry of Heavy Industries, led by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, had already allotted 4,500 electric buses to BMTC, but despite confirmation received in December 2025, the state government had not issued the LoA, delaying implementation.

Nikhil also alleged that ₹4,573 crore in Shakti scheme reimbursements were pending, which he said was affecting the upkeep of existing buses and forcing cuts in basic maintenance. JD(S) MLC Bhojegowda echoed similar concerns, saying poor bus maintenance was a widespread issue across KSRTC units, not limited to a single incident. He claimed that frequent reassignment of buses between drivers and conductors negatively impacted upkeep.

According to him, buses should remain with the same driver-conductor pair for at least six months to ensure better maintenance and accountability, while route changes could still be made. He added that mechanics typically handle only major repairs and criticised the practice of reallocating buses after servicing instead of keeping them under consistent crews.

Bhojegowda also alleged irregularities in tyre procurement and retreading practices within KSRTC, suggesting that such processes could involve financial mismanagement. He further questioned the role of officials and chairpersons overseeing transport divisions, saying they had failed to ensure proper maintenance systems and accountability within the corporation.