Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Karimnagar E-Bus Breakdowns Strand Passengers, Prompt Technical Review
Several electric buses in Karimnagar have stopped working during trips.
This has made passengers wait and reach their destinations late.
One passenger said his bus stopped many times before reaching Hyderabad.
The bus arrived at the JBS station at 4:45 p.m., later than expected.
Other buses stopped at bus stands in the district.
Officials suspect technical problems, but they have not found one common cause.
Earlier, two buses had battery fires, so services were paused for safety checks.
The buses began running again after a technical team inspected them and issued fitness certificates.
Officials say the manufacturer is studying the problems and trying to fix them.
Electric buses repeatedly stalled on several Karimnagar district routes, causing passenger delays.
Breakdowns were reported at Haridasnagar, the Karimnagar district headquarters bus stand and Shankarapatnam bus stand.
Passenger P. Surya said his bus reached Hyderabad’s JBS bus station 45 minutes later than expected after stopping several times.
The incidents followed two e-bus battery fires in June and July, after which operations were temporarily suspended.
TGSRTC official B. Raju said the buses stalled for different reasons and that JBM was investigating and implementing corrective measures.
- Who
- Passengers, TGSRTC officials, JBM, and electric-bus operator staff are involved; passenger P. Surya and regional manager B. Raju provided comments.
- What
- Electric buses have repeatedly stalled on Karimnagar district routes, delaying passengers.
- When
- Breakdowns were reported on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; earlier battery fires occurred on June 21 and July 1.
- Where
- Incidents occurred in Karimnagar district, including Haridasnagar in Yellareddypet mandal, Karimnagar, and Shankarapatnam; one delayed journey ended at Hyderabad’s JBS bus station.
- Why
- Technical problems are suspected, but officials said the buses stalled for different reasons and no single common cause has been established.
Passenger Concerns
Transport Officials’ Response
Service reliability
Passenger Concerns
Passengers reported unexpected stops and delays, including repeated stalling during journeys.
Transport Officials’ Response
Regional manager B. Raju said the buses stalled for different reasons and that the technical team was working on corrective measures.
Cause of breakdowns
Passenger Concerns
The repeated incidents, together with the earlier battery fires, have raised concerns about the buses’ technical reliability.
Transport Officials’ Response
Officials said no common factor had been identified and that problems can arise with newer electric-bus technology.
Readiness after inspections
Passenger Concerns
Further breakdowns occurred after the buses had resumed service following inspections and fitness certification.
Transport Officials’ Response
Operations resumed only after the JBM team inspected every vehicle on various parameters and issued fitness certificates.
- Affected service
- Electric bus routes in Karimnagar district
- Reported breakdown locations
- Haridasnagar, Karimnagar district headquarters bus stand, and Shankarapatnam bus stand
- Passenger delay
- P. Surya said his bus reached JBS at 4:45 p.m., making him half an hour late to work
- Earlier safety incidents
- One e-bus caught fire at Alugunur on June 21 and another incident occurred at the Karimnagar-2 depot on July 1
- Temporary response
- TGSRTC suspended e-bus operations as a precaution after the battery-fire incidents
- Inspection outcome
- A JBM technical team inspected the vehicles and issued fitness certificates before operations resumed
- Current investigation
- JBM was analysing the breakdowns and taking corrective measures