BENGALURU: Karnataka Transport Minister Bairathi Suresh faced an unusual moment during an incognito inspection when a bus conductor asked him to get off for not having exact change.
According to the report, the minister travelled in ordinary clothes and wearing a face mask to check whether passengers face difficulties and to assess how drivers and conductors behave. During a trip from Bhoopasandra to Hebbal, he asked for two tickets and paid with a ₹100 note.
When the conductor demanded ₹12 as change, the minister said he did not have smaller notes. Unaware of the passenger’s identity, the conductor reportedly told him to alight from the bus.
The minister then removed his mask, reprimanded the conductor and instructed staff to keep sufficient change before starting trips. He continued inspections on other routes, warned conductors accused of being harsh with passengers, heard commuter grievances, and suspended some officials and a driver for lapses, including skipping a stop without halting.
