KSRTC to extend city bus service to towns: Chairman

KSRTC Chairman and MLA M Chandrappa said he has directed the officials concerned to operate bus service even to villages close to the towns and cities for the benefit of rural people.

Flagging-off KSRTC bus service between Davangere and Chikkamagaluru in the bus terminal, here on Friday, he said private bus operators have suspended services citing revenue loss. But for the convenience of rural people, KSRTC has decided to operate buses on all routes even if it suffers a loss.

In order to help farmers to bring vegetables, milk, and other essential commodities from their villages to urban areas for the sale, city bus service would be extended to small towns. Henceforth, city bus service would be available even to people of Avaragere, Beturu, Shiramagondanahalli villages on the outskirts of the city.

On inter-state service, he said KSRTC has obtained a permit to operate buses to Maharashtra, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh. Volvo bus service from Davangere to Shirdi, Tirupathi, Hyderabad, and Dharmasthala would be started again. "We are ready to operate bus service on new routes depending on people's demand."

He said the KSRTC bus terminal in Davangere city would be developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore under the smart city mission. New private bus terminal work would be launched soon.

He said digital signage boards (DSBs) would be installed in the KSRTC bus terminal to improve communication systems for passengers and they would display the timing of arrival of buses.

KSRTC Davangere Divisional Controller Siddeshwara Hebbal and officials of KSRTC were present on the occasion.