THE Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is giving around 700 buses on casual contract for the transportation of participants of a student awareness programme ‘Wipe Out Terrorism- Save Nation’ at Palace Grounds.
BMTC however, ensured that this will not disturb its normal services. “There will be no shortage of BMTC buses on any route and normal bus service in the city will not be affected,” said Director (Project s ) , BMTC , PK Garg. “Six to eight per cent buses out of the total fleet is kept as spare on any given day. We are giving buses out of the spare lot. A few buses on factories and MNCs chartered services will also be used for the purpose as it is a weekend holiday on Saturday,” he said.
However, he said that BMTC commuters and others travelling between the centre and the northern part of the city might be affected due to traffic jams.
The Karnataka State Road Transpor t Corporation (KSRTC) i s also giving over 200 buses for the programme, said Director (Operations), KSRTC, KA Rajkumar.
The BMTC has a fleet of 5,409 buses while KSRTC has 6,600.
Earlier, on November 17 last year, BMTC and KSRTC had given a large number of buses in their fleet on casual contract for a convention organised by JD(S), causing an acute shortage of buses on road and putting the public to hardship.