BENGALURU: Passengers waiting at Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus terminus will soon get a litre of purified water at Rs 1.
KSRTC is planning to set up Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plants at major bus stations across the city. At present, packaged water costs a minimum of Rs 20 per litre. “Passengers will have to bring bottles and fill them from the vending machines” said a KSRTC official.
KSRTC’s proposed rate is cheaper than South Western Railways which charges Rs 1 for 300 ml of water and Rs 25 for five litres of water sold through water-vending machines at Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna railway station.
On Thursday, KSRTC launched a slew of schemes aimed at improving comfort of passengers - free water bottles, newspapers as well as a fast tag system that cuts delays at toll booths.
KSRTC has reintroduced the supply of 500 ml packaged drinking water to passengers travelling in its premium services. Officials said they will provide packaged water bottles to 29,000 passengers in 626 premium services for free.
KSRTC will provide free newspapers to passengers travelling in early morning (5 am to 11 am) on premium services from Kempegowda Bus Station, Mysore Road Bus Station, Shantinagar Bus Station, Kempegowda International Airport and Mysuru Bus Stations. The facility will cover 104 premium services and is expected to benefit 4,000 passengers every day.
KSRTC will install FASTags on windscreens of nearly 8,400 buses, which will allow swifter passage through a dedicated FASTag lane without stopping at toll booths.
“This facility will be initiated by May-end and will be completed in two months” said an official.