Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Mar 10: Minister for youth services and sports Pramod Madhwaraj on Wednesday March 9 flagged off four new KSRTC buses at the KSRTC Bus stand here. The buses will ply on the Udupi-Karkala route.

After the inauguration, Pramod told reporters, "We have introduced four new buses from Udupi to Karkala on public demand. We are supporting the growth of both KSRTC and private buses simultaneously. When both private and government buses work together, the system will be stronger.

"Around 12 buses have already been given the timings from the RTO and 18 bus routes are yet to get clearance, after which services will be started. There's no need for all 30 buses to pass through Udupi. We have planned to let buses ply only in required routes here. There will be an RTA meeting where the DC will be consulted and timings for the buses fixed," he said.

Pramod further said, "A new JNNURM bus stand will be constructed at the cost of Rs 4 crore. The tender is still in process. A KSRTC bus stand will be constructed on the basis of PPP model in Udupi at a cost of Rs 30 crore. Till then the present KSRTC bus stand in Udupi will be used."

Meenakshi Madhava Bannaje, president CMC, Nalini Pradeep Rao president Taluk Panchayat, Sandhya Thilakraj vice president CMC, councillors Ramesh Kanchan, Celina Karkada, Janardhan Bhandarkar, Mangaluru divisional controller Vivekanand Hegde and others were present.