Bengaluru: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has suspended a driver-cum-conductor who allegedly told transport minister Byrathi Suresh to get off a bus when the latter, who was travelling incognito, could not give the exact fare of Rs 6 to buy a ticket.The action follows the minister’s reality check Saturday night (July 11), during which he travelled on 10 BMTC buses over two hours to assess passenger services.According to a BMTC press release, the incident occurred around 9.30pm on bus KA-57-F-3640, operating on 279E route (Kempegowda bus station–Nagashettihalli). The minister boarded the bus at Hebbal and sought a ticket to Bhoopasandra. The driver-cum-conductor, identified as TG Ramakrishna, allegedly insisted the minister give the exact fare of Rs 6 and told him to either pay the amount or get off the bus. When the minister said he did not have change, the conductor allegedly behaved rudely.BMTC said the conductor failed to inform the passenger (minister) about the corporation’s UPI ticket payment facility, which has been available since 2024. The corporation said nearly 53% of its ticket revenue is now collected through UPI payments.However, BMTC’s decision triggered criticism on social media. Several users argued that instead of offering a Rs 100 note for a Rs 6 ticket, the minister could have voluntarily used the UPI payment facility, particularly since digital payments are widely used for everyday transactions. Others questioned why the minister did not assess how the UPI ticketing system functions in practice rather than insisting on paying with cash for a short-distance journey.
