The Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on Thursday said it would take a decision in a week on the plea for providing halt at Haleyangadi for private express buses plying between Mangaluru and Udupi/Manipal.
Chairing the meeting of the RTA here, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim heard views of Haleyangadi residents as well as bus operators. The residents said though Helayangadi had grown bigger over the years, express services were not stopping at the place, thereby inconveniencing hundreds of employees and students. They had to go either to Mulki or Surathkal in shuttle buses to board express services, they said.
Explaining the operators’ predicament, Canara Bus Operators Association president Rajavarma Ballal said express services between Mangaluru and Udupi earlier had only one stop in between: Mulki. Now there were more than 25 halts. Also, the move would affect the revenue earnings of shuttle operators. Already, express services between Karkala and Mangaluru plying via Padubidri were halting at Haleyangadi, he said.
The residents said operators were only eyeing profit and ignoring public convenience.
