KSRTC unlikely to resume airport service

RTA regularises six of the corporation’s temporary permits

November 21, 2014 10:29 am | Updated 10:29 am IST - MANGALURU:

Afzal Ahamed Khan, RTO, Deputy Commissiner, A.B.Ibrahim, and Sharanappa, Suprintendent of Police, at the RTA meeting in Mangaluru. Photo: HS. Manjunath

Afzal Ahamed Khan, RTO, Deputy Commissiner, A.B.Ibrahim, and Sharanappa, Suprintendent of Police, at the RTA meeting in Mangaluru. Photo: HS. Manjunath

Though the Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on Thursday directed the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to operate air-conditioned services between the city and the international airport, the corporation is unlikely to commence the operations.

Chairing a meeting of the RTA here, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim asked the KSRTC, which had sought regularisation of temporary permits between Mangaluru Central Railway Station and Bajpe, to operate a set of services to the city airport. He said such services would benefit hundreds of air passengers who now have to shell out exorbitant amount of money for taxis. The RTA also granted permits to KSRTC to operate services to Bajpe.

However, senior KSRTC officials said they were not inclined towards operating the services. “We had operated the services for more than a year in 2012-13 and suffered heavy loss due to low patronage. We even tried air-conditioned buses and operations towards Kasaragod, but in vain. Hence we will not make a fresh start,” said an official. However, two regular buses would be operated to Bajpe via A.B. Shetty Circle, Bavutagudde, KSRTC and Kavoor, he said.

Meanwhile, the Authority regularised four temporary permits for KSRTC for services between Bejai and Mudipu via Thokkottu and Konaje, even as applications for seven new permits on the same route were deferred. It also regularised one temporary permit each for Someshwara and Adyarapadavu. With regular permits, the KSRTC can issue concessional bus passes to students on the route, said an official.

The RTA also granted temporary permits to KSRTC to operate one service each between Puttur and Sampigekatte, and Puttur and Sringeri, via Dharmasthala, Charmadi, Mudigere and Horanadu.

When private operators raised several objections on KSRTC’s applications, social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath asked the RTA to give preferential treatment to the corporation since it it would discharge various social responsibilities too. “You also give permits to private operators and let there be healthy competition. People would choose the right operator,” he said. Superintendent of Police Sharanappa and Regional Transport Officer Afzal Ahmed Khan were present.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.