KSRTC chairman and MLA M. Chandrappa on Monday said the State corporation suffered a loss of ₹1,600 crore during the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and the Mysuru KSRTC division alone lost nearly ₹70 crore as the buses were off the roads for a long time.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the officials of KSRTC Mysuru urban and rural divisions here, he said the corporation was planning to provide free buses passes to labourers. Officials from the Department of Labour would be consulted on the plan as the step was expected to help them to overcome distress caused by the pandemic.
In view of the pandemic, the Mysuru Dasara festivities had been scaled down and therefore the KSRTC has decided to provide services as per the demand with the rural division running 70 buses and the urban division running 20 buses during the annual festivities, he added. He also spoke on extending relief to the KSRTC staff who died of COVID-19 after discussions with the government and said the merger of urban and rural KSRTC divisions in Mysuru would be explored.
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