'Mysore to be model for others in Transport'

Transport and Home Minister R Ashoka said on Saturday that in next two years, he intends to develop the transport system in Mysore as a model for all the other States.

He was speaking after dedicating the newly constructed Inter Model Transit Cenre (IMTC) at Kuvempunagar here, and ‘Bus Day’.

The IMTC, situated next to bus depot, has been developed on an area of six acres and 20 guntas land, spending ` 18.36 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) project.

The minister said in Mysore alone, seven bus stands were planned under the central government funded project. Of them, five have been completed and two are nearing completion. All the bus stands have been built complying with the international standard, bringing metamorphosis in the system.

The minister said ‘a glimpse at the facade of these bus stands from outside, will bring a corporate picture into one’s mind’. The same plan will be replicated across the state, he announced.

Said Ashoka: “KSRTC is the only service provider in the nation to make sufficient use of funds to improve the existing facilities”.

“However, many taunt for the projects taken up under the central funds, but it’s not a cake walk to bring funds from the centre, with a party different than the State at the helm of affairs”, claimed Ashoka.

Continuing the minister said KSRTC has bagged a maximum number of 30 prizes for the best fleet, an indication of its feel good service with little over 23,000 buses operating on different routes across the state daily.

Adding feather in the cap, we (KSRTC) are receiving yet another prize in a ceremony organised at Dubai on Apirl 13, the minister informed.

Real time

Another ambitious project of the transport corporation, Real Time Passenger Information System (RTPIS) is inching towards reality, with tenders invited for the related works.

Tourist Information Centre, proposed at Chamundi Hills under JnNURM has got a green signal with the hurdles related to commencing the works cleared, said Ashoka, thanking MLA M Satyanarayan for brokering the truce.

Mayor Sandesh Swamy, Deputy Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, Medical Education and District In-charge Minister S A Ramdas, MLA M Satyanarayana, MLCs Siddaraju, Marithibbegowda and Chikkamadu, Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) Chairman G T Devegowda, KSRTC MD Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Transport, M K Shankarlinge Gowda, Divisional Controller (Urban) M N Srinivas, (Rural) Vasu and others were present on the occasion.

Connect to layouts

With the opening of IMTC at Kuvempungar, KSRTC has plans to connect the nearby localities in the coming days. KSRTC, Divisional Controller (Urban), M N Srinivas told Deccan Herald, as a prelude to this a new schedule was commissioned between Kuvempunagar and L and T via infosys. Gradually, the remaining localities like- Bogadi,  Vontikoppal, Sathagalli, Yelwal and other areas will be connected by buses. Presently, all areas are connected from City Bus Stand. Bangalore-bound buses that start from Vivekananda Nagar and BEML Nagar will start from IMTC kuvempunagar.