Karnataka CM Launches Fleet of 100 Non-AC E-Buses for BMTC, Targets 1,400 Additional E-Buses by April 2024
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be receiving 1,400 additional electric buses by April of next year. At Vidhana Soudha, he officially opened the first 100 of the BMTC’s non-AC electric buses.
“So far, Karnataka women have undertaken 120 crore rides in state transport buses for free since the launch of the Shakti scheme. A total of 40 lakh people travel on BMTC every day. In this, women of all castes, all religions and all walks of life are travelling for free,” he said.
He said that the new electric buses have been introduced to encourage the usage of public transportation and to reduce the city’s growing automobile pollution.
In addition to detailing the successful outcomes of this welfare plan, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of criticizing its free bus transport service for women and questioned why it did not execute it when it was in power.
“Due to our guarantees, the purchasing power of people and the economic activity of the state is also increasing. These schemes save a lot of money for labourers, farmers and women. They use that money for other needs of their family. Thus, the economic power of millions of families is also increasing,”
the chief minister said.
“About 4.30 crore people of the state are directly benefiting from the government guarantee schemes. By that, the poor and working classes are being brought into the mainstream of economic progress,”
he said.
According to him, financial independence has been attained by working-class, middle-class, and impoverished women in the state through economic empowerment.
“The Congress government had come to power to achieve this. The previous BJP regime did nothing to empower people. Instead, they are criticising,”
he added.
In the meantime, the Advance Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is being installed in ten buses, according to a statement from the BMTC, to improve driver awareness and provide a safe transportation system for passengers.
“In order to effectively control traffic violation and accident cases caused by drivers, 3,000 drivers are being trained in traffic command and control centre from December with the cooperation of the police department for safe driving and strict adherence to traffic rules,”
it stated.