KSRTC proposes to buy 650 buses, 50 of them electric

Chandrappa said the corporation had submitted a proposal to purchase 300 electric buses to the government

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Chairman M Chandrappa said there is a proposal to buy 650 new buses for the corporation. This includes 50 Volvo buses.

According to Chandrappa, 50 electric buses will arrive in 15 days and will be introduced on the long-distance routes in the state including Mangaluru-Bengaluru. He said the corporation had submitted a proposal to purchase 300 electric buses to the government, which was yet to be approved.

He also said that the government fulfilled eight of the demands made by KSRTC bus conductors and drivers. The chief minister will take a decision on hiking the salary, Chandrappa said.

In a bid to reduce operational costs, the KSRTC merged the Mysuru urban and rural divisions, which in turn helped increase the revenue. “I have not yet discussed on the merger of (the) four state road transport corporations with the chief minister and transport minister. No decision has been taken so far on it,” he said, adding, “KSRTC head office in Bengaluru had more than the required staff. Some of the unwanted posts were abolished and they were transferred to areas where the post was lying vacant.”

Drivers on contract

The Mangaluru and Puttur division will recruit 250 drivers-cum-conductors on a contract basis. While 50 each will be recruited for Ramnagara and Chamrajnagara, he said.

“I have directed the officials to get police verification done before recruiting,” he said.