BMTC staff assaults rise: Transport Minister writes to HM seeking strict action

Amid rising incidents of assaults and public humiliation of BMTC bus drivers and conductors, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has written to Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, urging stringent measures to ensure the safety and dignity of transport staff.

In his letter, Minister Reddy highlighted a series of disturbing incidents where BMTC personnel were assaulted by commuters over trivial or no reasons. He noted that despite earlier instructions to the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner to take action against such offenders, such incidents have continued unabated.

Referring to a recent incident in the Bellandur police limits, Reddy expressed shock over a case where a female techie allegedly assaulted BMTC driver Hussain with her slipper because the bus did not stop at her desired location. A police complaint has been lodged in the matter.

The minister said BMTC’s Managing Director was also instructed to meet with the Police Commissioner and brief him on the repeated attacks on staff. Yet, fresh cases keep surfacing, indicating a lack of deterrence and enforcement.

He further cited previous incidents where miscreants had endangered the lives of staff — including a knife attack — and called for strict action against those who resort to violence. “Such acts must not be tolerated,” he stressed.

Minister Reddy emphasized that safeguarding employees of KSRTC, BMTC, and all state-run transport corporations is a top priority. “If any staff member is at fault, we do not hesitate to initiate disciplinary action. But taking the law into one’s hands is unacceptable,” he said.

Reddy urged the Home Department to initiate firm legal action against attackers and called for a permanent mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents.