MANGALURU: Following the closure of Shiradi Ghat for repairs on Friday, the KSRTC Mangaluru division began diverting about 176 buses, including its premium services like Volvo and multi-axel buses, via Charmadi and Sampaje Ghats.
KSRTC Mangaluru divisional controller T G Kempananjayya told Express that 88 buses travelling through Shiradi Ghat to Bengaluru were being diverted via either Charmadi Ghat or the Sullia-Madikeri route.
Thirty express buses and about five out of 18 Rajahamsa buses were diverted via Charmadi on an experimental basis. Over 13 Rajahamsa and 40 premium buses to Bengaluru were diverted via the Sampaje-Madikeri-Yelawal Road.
All-India Bus Operators Confederation chairman and Karnataka Bus Operators Federation president K Rajverma Ballal told Express that over 120 to 130 premium buses run by private operators have also been using the alternative routes to reach Bengaluru.
Kempananjayya said the existing trips on these routes would be left untouched. Though plying on alternative routes has increased the distance by 20 km (40 km via Mysuru) per trip, both KSRTC and private operators had decided to bear the additional costs for now.
Besides extra fuel consumption, operators fear additional wear and tear of their vehicles as there are 75 speed humps on the stretch connecting Mysuru and Bengaluru.
KSRTC Mangaluru has submitted a report on the re-routing of vehicles and the additional cost to be incurred to the government.
In 2007, when Shiradi Ghat was closed for concreting works, the KSRTC Mangaluru division incurred a loss of `7.10 crore between June and September.