Buses under JNNURM to commence services in second week of August

In the initial stage, 20 buses would ply in Shivamogga city, while one will run in Bhadravati

The bus services sanctioned for Shivamogga city and Bhadravati, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), will commence in the second week of August.

It may be mentioned here that under JNNURM, an amount of Rs. 18.80 crore had been sanctioned to Shivamogga city and Rs 10.15 crore to Bhadravati to upgrade the intra-city public transportation system.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had planned to purchase 65 buses for Shivamogga and 35 buses for Bhadravati with this amount.

In addition to this, an amount of Rs. 4 crore was sanctioned to create necessary infrastructure in both the cities to operate these buses.

Shivamogga MLA K.B. Prasanna Kumar has said that, of the 65 buses sanctioned for Shivamogga city, 20 would be pressed for service in the initial phase. Similarly in Bhadravati, one bus will commute.

Bus facilities

Siddesh, traffic inspector of Shivamogga KSRTC, said that each bus purchased under JNNURM will have a 34-seat capacity.

The buses are fitted with automatic voice announcement systems and electronic display boards to provide information to passengers on routes and designated stops.

Training for drivers

As many as 25 drivers from Shivamogga depot of KSRTC were sent to Bengaluru for training on operating the new buses some time ago, Mr. Siddesh said.

Planned routes

The route map and schedule of the buses were prepared based on the findings of a detailed survey. In Shivamogga city, the buses would operate along Malavagoppa-Kashipura, Ashoka Circle-railway terminal, Ragigudda-Gopala Gowda Extension, Indira Nagar-Sominakoppa and Sakrebailu-Ashoka Circle routes. In Bhadravati, the bus would operate along Ashwath Nagar-Ujjainipura route.

The Regional Transport Authority has given KSRTC permission to operate along these routes, he said.

Bus depots

The work of construction of a depot to operate the JNNURM buses has been completed in Bhadravati.

In Shivamogga city, land has been identified near Urgadur on the outskirts of the city, for the construction of a depot and the work is yet to begin. Till the work of construction of the new depot is completed, KSRTC will operate JNNURM buses from its existing depot in Tunga Nagar locality. Currently, inter-city and inter-district buses are being operated from here.

KSRTC will operate JNNURM buses from its depot in Tunga Nagar locality till the new depot is ready

Set budget for JNNURM buses

Under JNNURM, Rs. 18.80 crore had been sanctioned to Shivamogga city and Rs 10.15 crore to Bhadravati to upgrade the intra-city public transportation system

KSRTC had planned to purchase 65 buses for Shivamogga and 35 buses for Bhadravati with these fixed amounts.

In addition, Rs. 4 crore had been sanctioned to create

necessary infrastructure in both the cities required to operate

the JNNURM buses.