JOIN USResidents of seven districts — including Mysore and Mandya — who depend on KSRTC bus services will be inconvenienced on Monday. Reason, AICC President Sonia Gandhi’s visit to the sugar bowl of Karnataka.
While the KSRTC will get richer by approximately Rs 2 crore, commuters will be affected as the Bangalore-Mysore traffic will almost be paralysed on September 30.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee is using the event as an opportunity to showcase its strength and has hired about 1,900 buses to transport Congress supporters from across the state. Three hundred buses from Mandya depot will be deployed for the purpose. Similarly, KSRTC buses from Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagar, Kolar, Tumkur, Bangalore Central division and Hassan district will ply to Mandya, according to officials.
Earnings
Mandya depot alone will earn Rs 30 lakh on a single day, with the buses being hired at Rs 32/km. Out of 460 buses in the district, 300 will be used for the purpose, leaving the passengers in a lurch.
However, officials opine that since most of the people are expected to attend the programme, lack of bus services will not affect them. But, those who travel between cities for work and students will face the trouble.
Apart from 1,900 KSRTC buses, about 5,000 private vehicles, including lorries, jeeps and cars, are expected to converge on Mandya on Monday. Nine places have been identified for parking.
Shops closed
All shops surrounding Sir M Visvesvaraya Stadium, the venue of the programme, have been issued notices instructing them to down their shutters on September 29 and 30 for security reasons.
Banners
Hundreds of banners dot the city. CMC Commissioner Dasegowda said, the Congress party had sought permission to display 100 banners. “If the banners are found to exceed the numbers, they would be cleared,” he added.