**Executive Summary**
This document pertains to Unstarred Question No. 3113 in the Lok Sabha, set to be answered on December 18, 2025. It addresses concerns regarding the quality of drivers for electric buses in the public transit sector, focusing on driver remuneration, training, and working conditions. The response from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs indicates that these matters fall under the administrative domain of respective State/UT Governments and STUs.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Awareness:** The question seeks to determine the Government's awareness of concerns about low driver remuneration and service disruptions in electric bus leasing arrangements within State Transport Undertakings (STUs).
* **National Guidelines:** It explores the possibility of the Government issuing national guidelines for STUs and concessionaires to ensure minimum qualifications, training, and safe driving standards for electric buses.
* **Mandatory Clauses:** It investigates whether the Government is considering mandatory tender clauses to guarantee minimum salaries, periodic wage rationalization, or uniform labor standards for electric bus drivers.
* **STU Driver Deployment:** It asks if measures have been taken to allow STUs to deploy their own drivers or standardize qualifications and remuneration for drivers hired by private operators.
* **Driver Working Conditions:** It examines steps taken to ensure driver working conditions do not adversely affect passenger safety, service quality, ridership, or public transit electrification.
* **Ministry's Response:** The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) clarified that matters related to driver engagement, remuneration, training, working conditions, and qualifications for bus drivers are within the purview of the respective State/UT Governments and STUs.
* **Data and Regulations:** The Ministry does not maintain central data on remuneration structures nor does it prescribe wage norms, labor standards, or tender conditions for driver engagement.
* **State/UT Authority:** Formulation of tender frameworks, inclusion of labor-related clauses, decisions on driver use, and safety measures are undertaken by States/STUs.
* **MoRTH Advisory Role:** MoRTH advises States/UTs on road and passenger safety within the existing statutory framework.
**Impact Analysis**
**State/UT Governments and STUs**
* **Impact:** Retain full administrative control over driver-related matters for electric buses, including remuneration, training, and working conditions. Responsible for ensuring service quality and passenger safety.
* **Action Required:** Continue to formulate tender frameworks, include relevant labor clauses, and implement measures to ensure driver well-being, service quality, and passenger safety within their regulatory powers.
**Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)**
* **Impact:** Limited to an advisory role on road and passenger safety aspects.
* **Action Required:** Provide guidance to States/UTs on road and passenger safety as needed, within the existing statutory framework.
Key Entities Referenced
State Transport Undertakings (STUs): Public transport operators at the state level, responsible for bus services.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: The central ministry answering questions related to e-buses in public transit.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH): A central ministry responsible for road transport policies and providing guidance to States/UTs on road safety.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3113
TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 18, 2025
ENSURING QUALITY DRIVERS FOR E-BUSES IN PUBLIC TRANSIT
SECTOR
NO. 3113. SHRI TATKARE SUNIL DATTATREY:
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of concerns regarding low
remuneration for electric bus drivers engaged through leasing
arrangements in State Transport Undertakings (STUs) across the country
including recent instances of service disruption and if so, the details
thereof;
(b) whether the Government proposes to issue national guidelines for STUs
and concessionaires to ensure minimum qualifications, mandatory
training and safe driving standards for electric buses and if so, the details
thereof;
(c) whether the Government is considering to include mandatory clauses
within tender frameworks that guarantee minimum salary thresholds,
periodic wage rationalisation or uniform labour standards for electric bus
drivers hired through private companies and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has taken any measures to allow STUs to deploy
their own drivers or to standardise qualifications and remuneration for
drivers hired by private operators under the leasing model and if so, the
details thereof; and
(e) the steps being taken to ensure that driver's working conditions do not
adversely affect passenger safety, service quality, ridership or the
national objective of accelerating public transit electrification?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)
(a) to (e): Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has
informed that matters relating to engagement, deployment, remuneration,
working conditions, training standards and qualification requirements for
bus drivers, whether directly employed by State Transport Undertakings
(STUs) or engaged through private concessionaires under leasing
arrangements, fall within the administrative domain of the respective
State/UT Governments and STUs. The Ministry does not centrally maintain
data on remuneration structures of such contractual arrangements, nor
…2/--2-
does it prescribe or mandate wage norms, labour standards, or tender
conditions for driver engagement in electric-bus operations. Formulation
of tender frameworks, inclusion of labour-related clauses, decisions on
use of STU-employed drivers, and measures to ensure service quality and
passenger safety are undertaken by States/STUs in accordance with their
procedures and regulatory powers.
Within the existing statutory framework, MoRTH advises States/UTs, as
and when required, on general road safety and passenger safety aspects.
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