Bengaluru : Citing poor performance and high operating costs, the State Cabinet on Friday decided to scrap 143 Tata Marcopolo air-conditioned buses which operate in Bengaluru and Mysuru cities.

It has been decided to conduct a departmental probe into the reasons and motives behind the purchase of these buses under the JNNURM in 2009 by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government. These buses have become a big burden on the BMTC, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting. Of the 143 Marcopolo buses, 98 were being operated by the BMTC and the rest in Mysuru city. Each bus cost Rs. 30.99 lakh.

Tata Marcopolo buses have been bogged down by technical problems such as low suspension, emission of high exhaust fumes, and high accident rate. The buses are said to have caused a loss of Rs.1.56 crore a month. In Bengaluru alone, the loss has been Rs. 19 crore a year. Continuing them in service would cause another Rs. 67crore loss in the next two years, Mr. Jayachandra said.

When asked why the government was not selling the buses instead of scrapping them, Mr. Jayachandra said: “Who will buy them.”