KSRTC to provide free Wi-Fi on all its buses by may

To deploy 2,500 additional buses on suburban routes

 The KSRTC, which registered a profit of Rs 114.95 crore in 2015-16, has prepared a roadmap to increase passenger convenience despite an expected slump in revenue due to demonetisation and hike in diesel price.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told journalists here on Thursday that the annual revenue of the corporation will take a hit due to demonetisation and diesel price hike. He said the hike in salaries of the employees will further increase the expenditure.

However, the KSRTC has come up with a plan to increase passenger amenities ranging from free Wi-Fi in all its buses to deploying 2,500 additional buses on the suburban routes by May 2017. The corporation has already called a tender for providing Wi-Fi facility in all the 17,458 buses in the KSRTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC. An official said the facility would also be available in all bus stations by the end of March. About 35 lakh people have already used the free Wi-Fi in 24 bus stations.

To ensure safety measures, CCTV cameras are being installed in the corporation’s workshops, depots and 90 bus stations at the cost of Rs 14.95 crore.

Reddy said Rs 120 crore has been allocated by the state government infrastructure fund to the corporation and the KSRTC has sought an additional Rs 120 crore for infrastructure-related works.

To a question, the minister said the BMTC was yet to repay Rs 650 crore loan due to many reasons and steps need to be taken to address the problem.

He said the Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned 487 city buses to KSRTC under JnNURM scheme. While purchase order has been issued for 354 buses,133 will be deployed within one month. There are plans to operate buses to Tirupati, Coimbatore and Salem from Kempegowda International Airport.

The KSRTC will establish new bus stations at Nanjangud, Kanakapura, Chunchanakatte, Koppa, Hassan, Chikkaballapur, Arehalli, Hosadurga, Hanur, Keralapura and Chandrashekarapura, he said.

Limca record

The KSRTC has entered the Limca Book of Records for winning the most number of awards by a state transport corporation in the country. Between 2008 and 2016, the corporation won 107 international and national recognitions, the Limca authorities noted.