KSRTC rolls out Benz buses

“The Corporation a few months ago operated the Benz buses on a trial basis between Bangalore and Mysore and decided to acquire the vehicles based on the customer feedback and technical satisfaction,” Transport Minister R Ashok said. While two of the four buses will operate between Bangalore and Mysore, the rest will run on the Bangalore-Shimoga route, the corporation said. The fares of the Benz are on a par with that of the Volvo services.

Ashok said the Corporation would soon operate Benz buses on the Bangalore-Tirupati, Bangalore-Chennai and Bangalore-Hyderabad routes.

Without divulging the actual cost of a Benz bus, he said: “These are modern buses rated as one of the best in the world. So they will cost about Rs 3 lakh to 4 lakh more than the Volvo buses.”

Ashok had said sometime last month that KSRTC would buy about 10 Mercedes Benz buses of which four became functional on Wednesday and the remaining are expected to be flagged off soon.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has also been running Benz buses on a trial basis since August 28, this year. The Corporation will also set up a drivers’ training centre for KSRTC drivers in Hassan on the lines of a BMTC centre at Vaddarahalli. About 10 acres of land has been acquired for the purpose.

Besides, the Corporation will also construct modern bus terminals in various districts and enhance the quality of its bus crew, it revealed.