Protests in Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery water issue hit operations of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. Bus services from Bengaluru to Coimbatore were stopped while the KSRTC’s Mysuru division stopped services to various destinations in Tamil Nadu.
“On Monday afternoon, bus services in Coimbatore were disrupted. Day services to Coimbatore were stopped on Tuesday. Night services were operated as usual from both ends. Services to other points in Tamil Nadu were normal,” said K.S. Vishwanth, general manager of KSRTC (Traffic).
Officials said a decision on operations on April 5 would depend on feedback from the police.
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The KSRTC operates 250-odd services every day, including premium ones, to various destinations in Tamil Nadu from Bengaluru.
Services from Mysuru
The Mysuru division of KSRTC suspended all services to Tamil Nadu from Mysuru on Monday night, ahead of the Tamil Nadu bandh on Thursday. As many as 30 services to Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem and other key cities have been withdrawn. KSRTC divisional controller Vasu said services have been fully suspended and no buses are plying to the neighbouring State. “Services will continue to be affected until April 5, and a call on resuming them will be taken later,” he said.
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However, KSRTC services to Chamrajangar division of KSRTC were normal on Tuesday. “We operate 10 schedules to various destinations in Tamil Nadu. All the buses were operated based on the feedback we received from the police on the border,” said an official from the division.
Private buses
Private bus operations were, however, normal. Karnataka Private Bus Owners and Operators’ Association general secretary Sadananda Chatra said that over 1,000 private buses operate between the two States daily. “As on Tuesday, services were normal between the two States. On the day of the bandh, there are chances of some disruptions,” he said.
Train services too were normal on Tuesday. An official of South Western Railway said: “We are hoping train services will be normal even on Thursday.”
No trucks tomorrow
The truck owners’ association has asked owners not to ply to Tamil Nadu on April 5.
G.R. Shanmugappa, president, Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ Association, said, “All members have been asked to avoid operation of trucks on Thursday. Services will be stopped between morning and evening to avoid untoward incidents.”
Mr. Shanmugappa said, every day, around 12,000 trucks ply from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, and even Kerala-bound trucks travel via Tamil Nadu.