The delay in the commencement of a full-fledged operation of the buses sanctioned for Shivamogga and Bhadravati cities under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has invoked strong displeasure from civil society organisations.
It may be mentioned here that under JNNURM, a total of 65 buses were sanctioned for Shivamogga and 35 buses for Bhadravathi in 2013 to strengthen intra-city public transportation. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate these buses.
Buses introduced
In August 2016, 20 buses, including 10 buses of 12 m standard-length and 10 mini-buses of 8 m length, were introduced into service in Shivamogga, and 10, including 8 buses of standard length and 2 mini-buses were introduced into service in Bhadravati. The remaining 70, that include 45 buses for Shivamogga and 25 for Bhadravati, will arrive in the second phase.
However, of the 20 buses that arrived in Shivamogga city, 10 are deputed for intra-city transportation while the remaining are pressed into service along the Shivamogga-Bhadravati route. Similarly, of the 10 buses sanctioned for Bhadravati, only two are plying within the city limits while the remaining eight are pressed for service along the Bhadravati-Tarikere route.
Dinesh, controller, KSRTC Shivamogga division, said that as the roads in the limits of both the cities are narrow in many places, the KSRTC has deployed mini-buses for intra-city services while the standard length buses are deployed for inter-city services.
‘No proper survey’
Ashok Yadav, secretary, Anna Hazare Horata Samiti, told The Hindu that the route and schedule for operating the buses sanctioned under JNNURM were worked out without a proper survey being conducted and without taking the opinion of the people into account.
“Private buses ply in violation of the traffic rules putting the safety of the passengers at stake. Many of these buses lack proper seating facilities and are not clean. It is unfortunate that even after both cities have received buses under JNNURM for intra-city transportation, people here have to rely on private buses,” he said.
Economic viability
Nagaraj, a social activist from Jyothi Nagar in Shivamogga, said the private buses were not plying to residential layouts located on outskirts of the city on the grounds of economic viability. The residents of these localities travel in autorickshaws, paying exorbitant amounts as fare. The JNNURM buses are not plying even in localities like Jyothi Nagar, Kuvempu Badavane, Shanti Nagar, J.H. Patel Extension, Sominakoppa and Gopala Gowda Extension, that are connected by wide roads.
Concessional passes
Though the buses sanctioned under JNNURM had commenced service five months ago, the concessional passes for senior citizens, students and those with physical disabilities to travel in them are not yet issued. It is unfortunate that both KSRTC officials and elected representatives have failed to put in serious efforts to commence the bus service in a full-fledged manner, Mr. Nagaraj said.
Siddeshwar Hebbal, executive engineer, KSRTC, told The Hindu that 70 more vehicles that will arrive in both the cities under JNNURM, will be mini-buses that can easily ply on the narrow roads also. These buses will arrive by the end of March after which KSRTC will commence full-fledged intra-city transportation services in Shivamogga and Bhadravati, he added.
