Bengaluru: It was the turn of buses operated by the BMTC and KSRTC to go under the scanner of the Transport Department, and the results were not too good. Officials cancelled the fitness certificates of five BMTC buses and one KSRTC bus for flouting pollution limits and other rules.
“We checked 15 buses near Majestic bus stand on Monday afternoon. The drive was taken up after we noticed several BMTC buses emitting black smoke. A machine to measure the amount of suspended particulate matter in the emissions was used. Cases were booked on the basis of the readings,” a senior official said.
BMTC, which operates over 6,000 buses in the city, has put into place several measures to identify polluting buses. This includes a dedicated complaint portal as well as a cash reward of Rs. 1,000 for correctly identifying polluting buses. However, these measures have not been able to address the problem completely, as there have been several complaints of buses belching black smoke, including the premium Vajra services.
“BMTC enjoys a monopoly within the city, which should mean that the corporation must set an example by ensuring that it is not operating any polluting vehicle. With five buses out of 15 found to be polluting above the permissible limit, it remains to be seen how the entire fleet fares,” the official said.
