Puttur KSRTC division gets 40 new buses

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, Sep 11, 2026: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Puttur division has received 40 new buses allotted by the State Transport Department. The buses have been distributed among various depots under the division and have already begun operating on different routes.

However, the arrival of the new buses is unlikely to significantly increase the number of services, as around 30 existing buses are scheduled to be withdrawn from operation by the end of March in accordance with transport regulations. The new buses will therefore primarily replace the vehicles being phased out.

The Puttur division currently has around 562 buses operating across its depots, serving 510 schedules. As per norms, the division is required to maintain buses equivalent to an additional eight per cent of the total number of schedules. With several older buses being withdrawn, the addition of new buses is expected to provide limited scope for introducing additional services.

Distribution of New Buses

Of the 40 new ordinary buses allotted to the Puttur division, 10 are front-door buses, 10 are rear-door buses, 16 are double-door buses and four are Pallakki buses.

The Puttur depot has received 10 buses, while six have been allotted to Dharmasthala, nine to BC Road and five to Sullia. The remaining buses have been allotted to the Madikeri depot. Some of the buses allotted to Madikeri will later be shifted to the newly opening Kushalnagar depot.

As new buses are added, vehicles that have completed more than 15 years of service will be sent for scrapping in accordance with Transport Department regulations. A specified number of buses will be withdrawn from service every month.

By the end of March, eight buses from Puttur, three from Dharmasthala, five from BC Road, 11 from Madikeri and two from Sullia are expected to be scrapped.

No Electric Buses Yet

The government has plans to maintain a 50:50 ratio of diesel and electric buses in its divisions. However, diesel buses continue to be required for long-distance routes, where electric buses cannot currently be operated.

Although there have been announcements for some time that electric buses would be allotted to the Puttur division, no electric buses have been received so far.

New Kushalnagar Depot

Preparations are under way to establish a new KSRTC depot at Kushalnagar under the Puttur division, with operations expected to begin shortly.

The new depot will require around 38 buses to operate approximately 35 schedules. According to department sources, the buses will be arranged by combining newly received vehicles, buses currently operating under the Puttur division and buses sourced from other divisions.

New Buses Already on Routes

“Around 40 new buses have arrived in the Puttur division and have been allotted to the depots under our jurisdiction. Most of the buses have already started operating on various routes,” said Haribabu, Divisional Controller of the KSRTC Puttur division.