Private bus operators charged the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses with not maintaining their time schedule and competing with the former in the district at the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting here on Wednesday.
Hitherto, the bus services in the city and the district were a monopoly of the private sector. The KSRTC buses have been introduced in the city and other rural areas of the district in the last one year.
Radha Das, private bus operator, said that though she had permit from RTA to run buses from Honnali village to Udupi, the KSRTC bus drivers were disregarding the timing provided by the RTA and were operating services just a couple of minutes ahead of her buses resulting in loss for her.
Though she had complained to the KSRTC Depot Manager in Udupi, it had made no difference, she said.
Sudhakar Kalmady, private bus operator, said that none of the KSRTC city buses were following their schedule in the city. With the result, they were competing with the private buses, he said.
Sudhakar Shetty, private bus operators, said that KSRTC buses were not following the schedule given on Kundapur-Byndoor route. If KSRTC buses functioned in this manner, the private bus operators would lose revenue and would soon be out of business, he said.
K. Suresh Nayak, private bus operator, said that in some cases, the schedule given by the RTA to both private city buses and KSRTC buses in some areas were almost the same resulting in clashes between them.
Intervening, Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis directed the KSRTC officer to hold an orientation programme for KSRTC bus drivers and conductors as there were lot of complaints of these buses not following the timetable. The rules were the same for government buses and private buses, she said.
‘We follow rules’
KSRTC officer Jayashanth said that rare indiscretions might have taken place as the KSRTC bus drivers and conductors were new. He had directed all KSRTC bus drivers and conductors to follow the rules. They had been told not to fight with private bus drivers and conductors. The KSRTC buses were sticking to the routes given to them. “The public have no grievances against our staff or our services in the district,” he said.
Lakshminarayana Bhat from Sringeri urged the RTA to reduce the bus density on the Agumbe Ghat Road as the road could not bear such heavy traffic.
Additional Superintendent of Police N. Vishnuvaradhana was present.
