Bus services are likely to be hit on May 11 and 12 with State-run road transport corporations reserving a good number of buses for election duty. The Karnata ka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is to provide 3,900 to 4,000 buses for election duty (the KSRTC has a fleet of 8,700 buses) .
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is providing 1,500 buses for election duty.
A BMTC official said, “We are providing non-AC buses for election duty. There will be some disruptions in services, but the impact will not be huge. On the day of the election, it is a holiday, and the number of people travelling will be less.”
A KSRTC official added, “KSRTC services will be hit as we are providing a huge number of buses. However, available buses will be augmented on those two days.”
As per the charge fixed by the election wing of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the road transport corporations get ₹50 per km or a minimum of ₹10,000 per day irrespective of the seating capacity of the bus. The expenditure on fuel for the requisitioned vehicles and ‘bata’ to the crew have to be met by the respective corporations.