3,000 new buses sought by State-run undertakings of Karnataka in budget

Karnataka Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the Transport Department has sought 3,000 new buses for the State transport fleet in the upcoming budget.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on February 26, he said, “We are yet to receive confirmation on how many buses we will get.”

He informed that tenders for smart cards, which recently received Cabinet clearance, will be floated soon. “Once the tenders are finalised, it will again go to the Cabinet. Initially, we expect about three crore citizens to avail of the smart card,” he said. He expects introduction of smart cards to help achieve accuracy in maintaining data, and provide precise information about commuters, communities, and students using bus transport.

5K Safe-A-Thon

Mr. Reddy unveiled the logo of ‘5K Safe-A-Thon’, which is an event that will be held in Bengaluru on March 7 by a coalition of various departments in a bid to raise awareness about road safety.

The Safe-A-Thon will be held under the motto ‘Namma Raste – Namma Surakshathe’, which means ‘Our Road – Our Safety’, and will include walking, cycling, and running. The event will have no entry fee. Interested citizens can register through www.saferoadskarnataka.com, Mr. Reddy announced at the KSRTC head office in Shanthinagar.

The Safe-A-Thon will be flagged off at Kanteerava Stadium. Participants will have to cover 5 km, passing through Kasturba Road, Queens Road, Ambedkar Veedhi, and Corporation Circle before concluding at Kanteerava Stadium.

According to Mr. Reddy, nearly 1.70 lakh people die in road accidents in India and 4.50 lakh citizens are injured. In Karnataka, 11,000 people die every year, and 25,000 are injured in accidents.

He pointed out that nearly 70% of accidents in Karnataka involve two-wheelers, and among fatal accidents, 70% involve two-wheeler riders.

Mr. Reddy said, “The numbers are concerning, and they are increasing every year. So, there is a need for a larger awareness campaign. We urge citizens to participate in large numbers and be part of the awareness campaign.”

He further added that there are 747 accident black spots in Karnataka. Various government departments have taken action to fix 684 spots, and work is ongoing on the remaining spots. “The departments are approaching the problem effectively, and addressing it scientifically. They have taken up junction improvement, road markings, and barricading exercises to fix the problems,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that they are also cracking down on traffic violators.

Breakdown in electric buses

He informed that there is an issue of breakdowns involving electric buses, with over 1,000 breakdowns reported in the last two-and-a-half years. He said they have written to the Central Government regarding the issue, and have asked the companies to resolve it.