Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 17: A large number of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses are being drawn for election duty on Wednesday and Thursday April 18, on election duty. Therefore, the people who depend on buses for travel are advised to make alternative arrangements.

As per information, over 400 KSRTC buses from the district have been assigned for poll duty. Every day, over 389 KSRTC buses leave from Mangaluru division to various destinations. Over 138 buses from two KSRTC depots in the city, and 263 out of 560 buses operating from Puttur division (Puttur, B C Road, Dharmasthala, Madikeri and Sullia) have been drawn for election duty. These buses have been deployed for different centers and also to neighbouring districts.

KSRTC officials however feel that the passengers will not face too much of a problem as buses have been withdrawn from routes where already a large number of buses are operational. They will also be diverting buses to routes where there is shortfall. Therefore the officials are confident that villages as well as towns and cities will not suffer too much on account of shortage of buses.

KSRTC has also decided to introduce additional buses from the city to Mysuru, Bengaluru and other routes on April 21 on the basis of need, as people who come on long weekends by availing holiday on April 20 might want to return, resulting in added rush on available buses.

As no city buses from here have been drawn for election duty, all of them will be moving about normally on polling day. For the state as a whole, 3,314 KSRTC buses out of the total 8,705 buses owned by KSRTC would be placed on election duty.