Bus services set to resume across Karnataka except in Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada

Except for Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada, city and inter-district buses will resume operations across the state on Monday. Inter-state buses will remain off the roads for some time.

While Mysuru continues to be under lockdown, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) added Dakshina Kannada to the list following an order by the deputy commissioner.

To a question over Chitradurga deputy commissioner banning bus operations, KSRTC chief traffic manager Prabhakar Reddy said the corporation officials have been able to get the permission.

"A decision on inter-state bus operations will be taken in the coming days based on the guidelines issued by the respective states," Reddy said a statement.

Read | BMTC to operate buses from 6 am to 7 pm starting Monday

The bus operations will begin at 6 am. The evening services are likely to be skeletal. Officials said while there was no restriction on public transport, the services will be provided based on demand.

KSRTC said both local and inter-district long route bus operations will resume. The four road transport corporations (RTCs) will start with limited services initially. The KSRTC will deploy 3,000 buses while the BMTC will ply 2000. Officials said they will scale up services based on traffic density and need.

Drivers and conductors of KSRTC have been advised not to pick up passengers from any bus stations and stops situated within the jurisdiction of Mysuru. Similar orders were expected for buses plying around Dakshina Kannada.

The RTCs have directed their employees to report to work after testing negative in the RT-PCR test within the last 72 hours. Besides making masks mandatory, some depot managers have also advised the staffers on long routes to bring food from home.