HUBBALLI: To overcome the shortage of buses to operate in Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities and Belagavi city, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) plans to get unused buses from other corporations to operate in this region.
The corporation is operating in six districts including Dharwad and Belagavi districts. More than 5,000 buses were operating before 2020-21. The corporation, like every year, scrapped 205 buses in 2020-21 and 75 buses in 2021-22 as they were old and not fit for reuse after repair.
According to an officer, the buses, which ran more than 9 lakh kilometres, will be checked for fitness. If they were fit for reuse after repair, the corporation makes use of its service, if they are not fit for safe service after repair, such buses will be scrapped as per the direction of the department.
"Every year the corporation used to get allotted 500 new buses by the government. But in the last two years following the Covid-19 pandemic, the government did not give buses and it led to a shortage of buses. For a healthy operation, 500 new buses should be inducted into the service," he added.
Recently, NWKRTC has written letters to Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) requesting to give unused buses for its operation. The KSRTC is also facing the same issue as NWKRTC, therefore they are not responding to the demand. Therefore the corporation is looking at BMTC.
As the Covid-19 restrictions have been completely lifted and the disease under control, people are commuting by public transport and there is good demand for buses too. We are managing the demand with the available buses. Once we get buses from other corporations, we will use them for Hubballi-Dharwad and Belagavi city bus services and for mofussil services. Our buses will be used for long route services, said an officer.
A senior BMTC official told TNIE, “It is under process. The NWKRTC has written a letter in the month of April requesting 100 unused BMTC buses. The matter will have to be discussed in a board meeting before a final decision is taken”.