While buses in many cities are in uniform colours, in Mangalore, they are painted in a riot of colours, said G.G.Giridhar Prabhu, former president of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Other than solid colours, there are splashes of colours, stripes, various flora, fauna and undersea scenes (such as tiger fish and corals) on buses. Some buses going to Pilikula have pictures of a roaring tiger. The aim is to get the attention of passengers.
K Jayarama Sheka, president, Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners' Association (DKBOA), said, “In Mangalore, competition (for painting buses) is there, not for money, (but it is) a craze is there.” Painting on the buses attracts people. Bus owners get their buses painted in attractive designs in Chennai and Coimbatore but repairs are done in Mangalore.
He said the competition to get colourful buses was much like racing in ‘Kambla'. Dilraj Alva, owner of buses that ply on Route 27, said there is an undeclared competition among owners to get attractive buses. This has been so after the city got concrete roads. On Monday, he was launching a bus for Route 27 with the “go green” message. He saw the design and the message on the Net and got it done in a garage in Mulihithlu.