District Magistrate allows KSRTC buses to enter Mangaluru CBD

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate H.V. Darshan has issued a notification exempting all categories of buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) from the prohibition on entry into the Central Business District of Mangaluru.

Issued on January 30 and made public on Monday, the new notification modifies the earlier notifications issued on January 5, 1991, and April 6, 1993, by the then District Magistrates restricting the entry of new stage carriage buses into the CBD. Only those buses that were issued permits prior to the notifications were allowed to enter the CBD, which is Hampanakatte and State Bank.

Mr. Darshan said the exemption to KSRTC buses was being given to facilitate women to avail themselves of the the benefits of Shakti, the free travel scheme in RTC buses, being provided by the State government. Also, it was intended to benefit thousands of students travelling to educational institutions in the CBD to avail themselves of the concessional bus pass scheme of RTCs. Moreover, thousands of patients visiting district hospitals, Government Wenlock and Lady Goschen, would stand to gain from the enhanced operation of KSRTC buses into the CBD, the DC said in his notification.

In essence, the exemption should encourage people to make use of public transport facilities and shun use of private vehicles thereby reducing traffic congestion in the CBD, Mr. Darshan said.

Only 13% share

The DC noted that of the 321 city service buses plying in Mangaluru, only 43 were KSRTC buses, accounting for 13% of the total buses. Considering the lower operation, it was difficult for women and students particularly, to use the various government benefit schemes. As the DM Notification of 1993 was not modified from time to time depending upon the prevailing situation, KSRTC was unable to operate adequate number of services to and from the CBD.

Because of the said notifications, many writ petitions were being filed before the High Court seeking stay on new permits issued to KSRTC to operate out of the CBD. Also several people’s representatives, NGOs, women organisations and individuals have been representing to KSRTC and the government to introduce more KSERTC services across the city and the district, the DC said.

Responding to the notification, social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath, who had been fighting for the withdrawal of the earlier DM notifications, said it was a welcome move. Private operators did not even allow 14 of the 36 JnNURM buses sanctioned in 2014 for operation in the city, he said.