30 KSRTC buses to hit Udupi roads soon

 

Udupi, 27 Oct 2013 (TOI): With Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) planning to introduce 30 buses on several routes, harried passengers in Udupi district can now heave a sigh of relief.

 

As part of the initiative under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a separate KSRTC depot will be constructed in the city for which the tender process is going on.

 

Sources in KSRTC told that a survey will be conducted to know the routes with traffic potential before seeking route permission from the Regional Transport Authority (RTA).

 

It is expected that buses will arrive by February in 2014 and by then the depot will be readied. By the end of March in 2014, KSRTC buses will start to operate, sources added.

 

However, those people in remote areas in Kundapur, Karkala, Hebri, Kollur and Brahmavara among others, who were demanding for KSRTC buses, are unlikely to get advantage of these services as KSRTC has plans to introduce these buses within the radius of 25 kilo metres from the city.

 

At present, private bus service dominates Udupi roads and there is also ’fear’ that like in the past years, private bus operators will not dither from moving to the court of law seeking stay order.

 

However, a KSRTC official, who did not want to be named, told that as these are the buses provided under a Central government’s scheme, it will be a permanent service this time.

 

Nithyananda Volakad, chief secretary, Udupi Zilla Nagarika Samiti, said there is need for a separate KSRTC bus stand in Udupi and the service should be permanent. In case the services are withdrawn, the samiti will hold a protest, he added.