KSRTC’s Mangalore - Manipal Volvo bus service in trouble

KSRTC’s Mangalore - Manipal Volvo bus service in trouble

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, March 23: The air-conditioned Volvo bus service of KSRTC between Mangalore and Manipal is yet to be launched because Transport Minister R Ashok has ordered the KSRTC not to commence its services till his arrival. Accordingly, the service has been indefinitely delayed.  

Reportedly, Ashok Kumar is busy campaigning for his party in the Brihat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) elections; he is managing his party’s financial affairs. He has inconvenienced thousands of passengers who are longing to travel from Mangalore to Manipal on the new Volvo buses. 

Six Volvo buses, each costing Rs 73 lakh, have arrived. This means that KSRTC is running into a daily loss of Rs 1.2 lakh since the buses are forced to remain unused in KSRTC’s Kuntikana depot. Already, KSRTC has run into a total loss of Rs 12 lakh owing to the minister’s lack of concern for the people’s welfare and his unnecessary delay.  

KSRTC’s financial experts say that the minister’s delay has already cost the KSRTC dearly. The KSTRC requires Rs 20,000 per day just to maintain these buses; and if the buses are not used, they will accumulate losses every hour. Moreover, the KSRTC does not know how many passengers will actually board these buses because they have not yet been introduced. The financial experts say that the Mangalore division of KSRTC will incur more losses if the minister delays.  

In the meanwhile, various consumer associations in the city are demanding to know if the minister has more value than tax payers and voters. An office bearer of the Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike said that the minister is purposely delaying the service because he is in league with the private bus operators of the city. He wants the KSRTC Volvo bus service to run into a loss and shut down, leaving the field open to private bus operators.