Karnataka Transport Minister Faces Passenger Woes During Secret BMTC Bus Inspection
Minister Byairati Suresh, travelling incognito, was reportedly asked to get off a bus due to a lack of change, exposing the everyday difficulties faced by commuters.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister Byairati Suresh experienced firsthand the challenges faced by ordinary commuters after undertaking a surprise inspection of public transport services in Bengaluru while disguised as a regular passenger.
On Saturday night, the minister reportedly wore a mask and boarded a BMTC bus travelling from Hebbal to Nagashettihalli to assess the quality of services without revealing his identity.
During the journey, he handed over a ₹100 note to purchase two tickets. However, the bus conductor reportedly demanded ₹12 in exact change, stating that he did not have sufficient money to return the balance amount. The conductor allegedly even suggested that the passengers get down at the next stop if they could not provide the exact fare.
Without disclosing his identity, the minister quietly got off the bus and continued observing the situation. Later, after the incident came to light, BMTC authorities initiated an inquiry into the matter.
Speaking after the inspection, Minister Suresh said that understanding the real problems faced by commuters requires direct interaction with ground realities rather than relying solely on official reports.
During his more than two hour surprise visit, the minister also inspected bus services in different parts of the city. In another instance, he noticed a bus driver failing to stop for waiting passengers at a designated bus stop. He subsequently directed officials to initiate disciplinary action against the concerned driver and conductor.
The minister also inspected auto rickshaw services. During one of his journeys from Nagashettihalli, he found that an auto driver attempted to charge ₹36 despite the meter displaying a fare of ₹30. When questioned, the driver claimed that the meter required recalibration.
Following the inspection, the Transport Minister instructed officials to take immediate corrective measures and improve the quality of public transport services, ensuring that commuters are not subjected to unnecessary inconvenience during their daily travel.