Hike in fuel prices and employee pay has resulted in a loss of Rs 19.64 crore till January in the ongoing fiscal for KSRTC Chikkamagaluru division.

Participating in a divisional-level meeting to receive grievances from the people organised at Ambedkar Bhavan here, KSRTC divisional officer Anil Kumar said, “The division has introduced city bus services in 2014 covering 10 routes with equal number of buses. In all, 92 trips are taken touching 1,146 km, benefiting 3,453 commuters, 2,069 students totalling 5,522 people in a day.”

The division accounts for a daily average revenue of Rs 53 lakh, with 580 buses covering 2.19 lakh km, with 1.73 lakh passengers. The staff strength is 2,506 personnel. Till January, 32,023 student passes have been issued, followed by 32,188 monthly passes, 3,055 passes for specially-abled and 199 for visually-challenged people, he added.

He also informed the meeting that similar meetings would be conducted with elected representatives once in every six months and division and depot-level once in every three months for the benefit of the people.

Addressing the meeting, chairman of Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited A N Mahesh sought the coordination of both people and officials in making the state-owned transport service people-friendly.

The service that dates back to erstwhile Mysore state in 1963, still needs to be developed further despite serving people better.

A proposal to allot a piece of land in the city for rural bus stand is pending before the government. If implemented, rural services can be separated from urban service. Other proposals to build bus terminals at Tarikere, Aldur, Singatagere, Antaragatte and Yagati is before the consideration of government, he added.

KSRTC officer Dasharath said that six depots come under Chikkamagaluru division, followed by two traffic control centres, 18 bus stands, one training centre and divisional workshop.