Prompt response by the top brass of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to social media posts by an engineering student on May 7 about the irregular service between State Bank terminal in Mangaluru and Puttur appears to have addressed the issue on May 8, at least for now.
On May 7, a student of an engineering college at Adyar posted on his X handle and Facebook account about passengers’ plight, particularly students, on Puttur-State Bank-Puttur KSRTC route. Many times, these buses do not stop at Adyar and Valachhil, where another engineering college is located, though there were designated stops.
Students were forced to travel for long distances, lamented B. Shreekara. While travelling from Puttur, they had to get down at Padil and travel back to Adyar or Valachhil by buying separate tickets.
Returning home from colleges, they were made to wait endlessly with Puttur-bound buses often skipping halts at Adyar and Valachhil. Eventually, they would have to go to the city to get a bus towards Puttur.
Long wait
On May 7 afternoon, Shreekara waited for 30 minutes at Adyar, but no Puttur-bound bus stopped for him. He travelled to the State Bank terminal and waited for another 90 minutes. With no Puttur-bound bus at sight, he travelled by the Mangaluru Central-Kabaka Puttur train, a routine that he had been following for the past few days.
The student remarked that irregular services by KSRTC often takes a toll on passengers and students who reach home very late. Their daily routine, including studies, gets affected. While Puttur is the second largest city in Dakshina Kannada district, KSRTC services to the region have been pathetic, he said.
Action promised by KSRTC MD
On May 8, KSRTC Managing Director V. Anbu Kumar told The Hindu that he would look into the issue on priority. “New buses would be introduced on this route by June,” he said.
Following the intervention of senior KSRTC officials, buses towards Puttur operated as per their normal schedule from the State Bank Bus Terminal in Mangaluru, on May 8, 2024. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
When The Hindu checked at the State Bank terminal on May 8 afternoon, Puttur-bound buses were operating almost as per their normal schedule.
Personnel deployed to enforce route plan and schedule
on May 8 afternoon, when Shreekara was waiting at Adyar for a Puttur-bound bus, he saw two KSRTC traffic controllers inspecting whether buses that had a scheduled halt stopped at the location. They took the crew of a Dharmasthala-bound bus to task for not halting and ensured that all Puttur-bound buses stopped at Adyar.
