The Karnataka Lokayukta has registered a suo motu complaint against the Assistant Traffic Manager of Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar bus stand after a passenger who suffered a seizure allegedly waited more than 30 minutes for medical assistance. The anti-corruption ombudsman has also directed the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) managing director to examine medical and emergency facilities at all BMTC bus stands.
According to a Lokayukta statement cited in the complaint, the passenger was travelling from Ramamurthy Nagar to Shivajinagar when he suffered a seizure after the bus reached the terminal. BMTC staff reportedly took more than 30 minutes to transport him to a healthcare facility.
The Lokayukta said Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Commercial Street police station were located near the bus stand. However, no Hoysala vehicle or ambulance was immediately available to respond to the incident, according to the statement.
A call was subsequently made to the emergency number 112. Police personnel reached the bus stand and took charge of the passenger, the Lokayukta said. The account has raised concerns about the arrangements available to respond to medical emergencies at busy BMTC terminals.
The complaint has been registered against the Assistant Traffic Manager of the Shivajinagar bus stand in connection with the alleged delay in providing medical aid. The Lokayukta’s intervention places the incident within a wider review of emergency preparedness at BMTC facilities rather than limiting it to the response at one terminal.
The direction to the BMTC managing director covers the availability of medical and emergency facilities across all BMTC bus stands. The transport corporation has been asked to examine the existing arrangements and take appropriate action, although the statement cited in the report does not specify a deadline, the number of facilities to be reviewed or the measures BMTC may introduce.
Shivajinagar bus stand is a major public transport terminal in Bengaluru, and the incident has focused attention on the assistance available to passengers who fall ill while travelling or waiting at a bus facility. The Lokayukta’s review is expected to establish whether similar gaps exist at other BMTC bus stands and what response systems are currently in place.
The immediate next step is the BMTC managing director’s examination of medical and emergency facilities at the corporation’s bus stands, as directed by the Karnataka Lokayukta.
