Transport Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy  announced that this year 700 new buses will be added to NEKRTC(North East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) fleet.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he said that running of 200 old buses in the corporation will be banned and transportation to 500 new routes will be started.
It has been decided to stop running of buses which have done more than 8 lakh kms. But in the NEKRTC there are buses still plying which have completed even 9 lakh Kms. There are 200 such buses running in the this area. After providing new buses running of these old buses will be stopped, he said.
Last year Rs 26 crore has been given for improvement of basic infrastructure, this year Rs 35 crore has been announced in the budget and additional Rs 15 crore will be provided. Renovation and modernisation of bus stands at district centres and at the taluk centres and construction of bust stands will be taken up, he said.
As assured by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy 100 buses has been provided to Raichur division. An additional 50 buses has been sanctioned,where already 11 buses are provided, remaining 39 will be provided in other two months. Steps will be also taken to run Volvo bus from  Raichur to Bangalore within two days, he said.
“Our government has given maximum preference to NEKRTC and NWKRTC,which has not been done by any other government. Our target is to run both BMTC and KSRTC on profit basis.At present we have hired 502 buses from private people at NEKRTC. After the contract period completes, agreement will be cancelled and own buses will be run,” he said.
Hike justified: As finance department has made it clear if 25 per cent of the bus fare is collected from students, 50 per cent aid will be provided by the government. Hence there is a hike in students bus pass fare, said Mr Cheluvarayaswamy. At present 15.5 percent amount is being collected from the students. He assured that the amount will not be a burden on students. However, he refused to bring down the bus pass fare hike. 
In the four transport corporations in the State 5,300 staff recruitment procedure is on. Even then all the corporations have been directed to give details of posts which are still vacant. As per the supreme court orders from July 1 speed breakers will be compulsory in the buses.
‘Avtaar’ scheme: Avtaar scheme where ticket reservation through interne and telephone  will be extended all over the State, said Cheluvarayaswamy. There is good response to the scheme, shortly counters will be opened all over the state, he informed.