The Union Budget 2013-14 is set to further revolutionise the public transport sector in the State with the Finance Minister promising financial aid to purchase over 10,000 buses across the country, including Karnataka, under the Jawharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Though the exact numbers of buses to be procured by road transport corporations in Karnataka, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation for Mysore and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation for Bangalore, are not available, the corporations are hopeful of getting handsome assistance.
Under the scheme, the Central assistance would be 35 per cent of the project cost, State government’s would be 15 per cent and the rest has to be borne by the agency implementing the project. While KSRTC had procured over 150 city buses form Mysore under JNNURM, BMTC had procured over 1,200 buses under the scheme between 2010 and 2012. BMTC Managing Director Anjum Parvez told The Hindu that the corporation was preparing a detailed project report to procure about 2,000 buses under extended JNNURM. .
Meanwhile, KSRTC is preparing a DPR for JNNURM assistance to procure about 300 new buses and a few travel and transit management centres for Mysore. A senior KSRTC official said the proposal would be sent to the Centre shortly.
