Karnataka Transport Minister flags safety, service issues in Bengaluru's e-bus network
Bengaluru, Oct 27 (PTI) Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has urged Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy to review the performance of operators running electric buses under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, citing "safety lapses" and "poor service standards" in Bengaluru’s e-mobility network.
In a letter dated October 25, Reddy raised concerns over the performance of GCC operators functioning under schemes such as FAME II (Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India), CESL (Convergence Energy Services Limited), Smart City Project and Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24.
CESL's model of aggregation-based procurement under a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) framework ensures both efficiency and affordability. Under this model, private operators will own, operate, and maintain the buses, while city authorities will pay a fixed per-kilometer fee.
While Reddy appreciated the environment friendly initiative of electric mobility in public transport across the nation and particularly in Bengaluru, the minister said that he was writing with a "sense of pressing concern and compelling urgency regarding the operational efficacy and service discipline of certain GCC operators" who have been entrusted with the deployment and operation of electric buses in Bengaluru.
“The performance of operators under GCC, predominantly Original Equipment Manufacturers such as NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Tata Motors Limited (TML), Switch Mobility, and their associated operating entity, OHM Global Mobility, has fallen significantly short of the standards expected from industry leaders of their stature,” the minister said in his letter.
He claimed that the operators have "failed" to address critical issues such as lack of structured driver training, poor maintenance, frequent cancellations, breakdowns, battery-related problems and insufficient driver preparedness, leading to rise in accidents and repeated flash strikes.
Reddy also pointed out that against the proposed minimum manpower deployment of 2.3 personnel per bus, operators have been deploying only 1.9 to 2.0 personnel per bus as a cost-cutting measure, which has “stained the reputation of BMTC and, by extension, the image of Bengaluru as a progressive metropolis.”
“This glaring gap has rendered frontline personnel ill-equipped to uphold even the most basic standards of service excellence,” he said.
The minister noted that BMTC currently operates about 65,000 trips every day with 7,067 buses — 5,423 diesel-powered and 1,644 electric. While diesel buses maintain a strong safety record with accidents at 0.05 per lakh kilometres, electric buses have recorded a higher accident rate of 0.07 per lakh kilometres, he said.
He urged the Union Minister to initiate a performance review of GCC operators under FAME II, CESL and other projects, with particular emphasis on breakdowns, safety compliance and driver training.
Reddy recommended to include binding clauses in future tender documents, mandating comprehensive and certified driver training protocols by GCC operators, prior to commencement of services.
He also urged the Union Minister to institute a compliance monitoring mechanism jointly undertaken by State Transport Utilities and the Ministry, to ensure adherence to safety and service benchmarks.
“I remain confident that you shall view this matter and take corrective steps at the earliest in the larger interest of commuter welfare and the credibility of e-mobility initiatives,” Reddy added.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
