Bengaluru bus wars: Mohandas Pai sparks fresh row over private players as Transport Minister defends BMTC model

Bengaluru’s ongoing public transport crisis is back in the spotlight after former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai reignited a contentious debate on whether private players should be allowed to run city bus services. His sharp criticism of the Karnataka government’s handling of urban mobility has triggered an online firestorm and a direct challenge from the state’s transport minister.

Mohandas Pai accuses govt for transport problem, backs private players

In a strongly worded post on X, Pai accused the government of failing to address what he called a chronic shortage of buses in the city. 

Tagging Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Pai argued that Bengaluru’s dependence on the state-run Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has left commuters with poor connectivity, overcrowded buses and unreliable schedules.

“All we have today is a shortage of buses and insufficient public transport for the last three years, if not longer,” Pai wrote, questioning why the government remains opposed to private participation.

According to him, commuters care about efficiency and reliability, not whether services are run by a PSU or a private operator. He described the government’s insistence on a purely public-sector model as “dogmatic” and ill-suited to a rapidly growing city.

Pai’s remarks struck a nerve. Social media users echoed his frustration, noting that the issue goes beyond the number of buses.

Slow-moving services, erratic timings, poor route coverage and weak last-mile connectivity have made buses an unattractive option, even for residents keen to avoid traffic.

Others pointed to the lack of integration between buses and Namma Metro, arguing that poor interchange planning has caused the two systems to function in silos rather than as a seamless network.

The push for private players, however, drew a firm rebuttal from Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy. Rejecting Pai’s claims, Reddy challenged him to a public, face-to-face debate with the BMTC Managing Director, insisting that the facts would not support Pai’s narrative.

“Our BMTC MD is more than capable of debating you on any platform,” Reddy said, accusing Pai of viewing public transport primarily through a financial lens. The government, he argued, prioritises the mobility needs of nearly 1.5 crore Bengalureans.

Reddy also warned that private operators, driven by profit, could withdraw services when revenues fall, a move that would disproportionately impact daily-wage workers and low-income commuters.

“Public transport is a right, not a luxury,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to state-run transport.

Minister @RLR_BTM you are only supporting my point.

Let us have an open debate. We, citizens, elected you to power You are our representative , not our Master. You are responsible to citizens. The MD BMTC is not our representative. He reports to you. I hope you understand the… https://t.co/VL990cJaEj

— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) January 30, 2026

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