JnNURM buses: KSRTC waits for RTO to fix timings

The KSRTC Mangaluru division is waiting for the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to fix timings to operate 17 more buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) scheme.

The Regional Transport Authoritty (RTA) had approved the applications of the KSRTC seeking route permission to operate buses under the scheme in its meeting on July 7.

Speaking to DH, KSRTC Mangaluru Division Controller Vivekanand Hegde said, “We are waiting for the RTO to convene a meeting to fix timings for the KSRTC buses. Once the timings are allotted by the RTO, the division will write to the KSRTC headquartthe old buses, that are operating on 18 routes, will be replaced with the new buses in a phased manner.”

It may be recalled that the Union Ministry of Urban Development had sanctioned 65 buses to Mangalore division of KSRTC under the JnNURM scheme. Out of 65 low-floor buses sanctioned, 35 are earmarked for Mangaluru and the rest are for Udupi. The KSRTC Mangaluru division had submitted 35 applications for route permits to run city buses under JnNURM scheme in December, 2013, and March 2014.

The proposals remained pending before the RTA due to a District Magistrate (DM) notification of 1992 that restricts the issue of permits for city buses from State Bank bus terminus. It was on August 21, 2015, the then Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim relaxed the DM notification to allow the KSRTC to operate buses to various destinations from State Bank bus terminus under JnNURM and the KSRTC started operating 18 buses under JnNURM from December 16, 2015.

Out of 17 JnNURM buses, which will be introduced on 17 routes, four buses will ply as city tour buses, which will connect pilgrimage centres in the city — Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Temple, Mangaladevi Temple and Kadri Temple.

New routes

The new routes are —State Bank to Ira, State Bank to Shediguri, State Bank to Krishna Nagar, State Bank to Akash Bhavan, State Bank to Neeru Marga,  State Bank to Porkodi, State Bank to Kavoor, State Bank to Adhyapadi, State Bank to Eliyarpadavu, State Bank to Boliyar, State Bank to Land Links, State Bank to Bajpe, State Bank to Kudroli- Mannagudda-Lady Hill-Lalbagh, KSRTC-Bejai Market-Kadri temple-St Agnes, Bendurwell-Kankanady-Nandigudde- Marnamikatte-Morgan’s Gate-Mangaladevi-Leewell-Marigudi, Emmekere and Pandeshwar, State Bank-Lady Goschen-Pandeshwara-Emmekere-Marigudi-Leewel-Mangaladevi-MorgansGate-Marnamikatte-Nandigudde-Kankanady-Bendurwell-Kadri Temple-Bejai Market- KSRTC-Lalbagh-Lady Hill-Mannagudde-Kudroli and Car Street, State Bank-Lady Goschen-Jyothi-Bunts Hostel- Mallikatte- Nantur- Maroli-Padee-Naguri-Pumpwell-Kankanady and Falnir, State Bank-Lady Goschen, Milagres-Falnir-Kankanady-Pumpwel-Nagori-Padil-Muroli-Nantur-Mallikatte and Bunts Hostel and State Bank to Kumpala.