Synopsis: BMTC has suspended 9 officials at Depot-35 for allegedly accepting thousands in bribes to assign tipsy electric bus drivers to duty, breaching mandatory alcohol checks. An internal inquiry is underway. The scandal emerges amid Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s criticism of private operators’ poor performance under the GCC model, citing rising accidents, breakdowns, strikes, and passenger complaints.

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in Karnataka suspended nine officials after claims emerged that they took bribes from drivers who reported for duty while under the influence of alcohol, sources said on Thursday, 6 November.

Suspension orders have been issued pending inquiry, BMTC officials confirmed. According to a senior BMTC official, the matter came to

See Full Page