KSRTC launches 637 top-end buses for urban travel in 18 cities and towns

Commuters in as many as 18 towns and cities in the state can soon travel on the brand new high-end buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally launched these 637 urban buses in front of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Of the 637 buses, 487 were sanctioned under JNNURM-II scheme, which is now re-designated as AMRUT scheme with 60% funding from the Centre, 30% from the state government and 10% from KSRTC. A total of Rs 171.01 crore has been spent with a contribution of Rs 89.91 crore from the Centre, Rs 66.12 crore from the state government and Rs 14.98 crore from the KSRTC. The remaining 150 buses have been sanctioned by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport.

Out of the 487 buses, as many as 241 (63 midi and 178 standard urban buses) are ready for operation and the rest will be procured shortly. End rate of each of the midi bus is Rs 27.81 lakh and the standard bus is Rs 38.76 lakh.

As of now, buses have been allotted to Mysuru (32), Tumakuru (25), Hassan (25), Mandya (15), Ramanagaram (10), KGF and Kolar (26), Davangere (20), Bhadravathi (10), Shivamogga (20), Chitradurga (10) and Mangaluru and Udupi (48). As many as 150 buses would be provided to Chikkaballapur, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Puttur and Madikeri with a grant of Rs 23.22 crore from DULT under Urban Transport Fund.

Enabled with Intelligent Transport System, these buses are fitted with CCTV cameras, panic buttons near driver’s seat to pass on any urgent information to the control room, voice announcement system with LED display and passenger request stop buzzer on stanchion poles.

The buses have electro pneumatic doors to ensure that they do not open when the vehicle is moving and, ramps for the easy boarding and alighting of specially challenged persons.

‘Be passenger-friendly’

Siddaramaiah told the employees of the four state road transport corporations to adopt a passenger-friendly approach. “State transport sector is not a profit making venture like the private buses. We have social obligations towards different sections including students and senior citizens,” he said.

“We have revised the wages of transport corporation employees from the usual 10% hike every four year to an all time high of 12.5% this year. The state government will incur a burden of Rs 150 crore for every additional 1% hike. The increase in salaries should motivate you to work more efficiently and generate additional revenue to the corporations, which are facing revenue losses,” he mentioned.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the KSRTC had received 64 national and international awards in the last 38 months. “We would introduce 2,499 new buses in the rural areas in the current year.”