Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (JD)

Udupi, Jun 1: A few private buses began to operate on their designated routes from Monday June 1. The private buses have been off the roads since the last over two months. Even after some relaxations were extended for lockdown rules, they had not introduced bus services, as they insisted on some concessions.

As the government met with two of their important demands, road tax concession and hike in bus fare, the buses have begun their routine by remitting road tax for three months beginning June. Only a few buses are sighted and on some routes, there are no buses. In fact, the Bus Owners Association had decided to operate buses on all routes based on demand from commuters but no buses were run on some of the routes in the district.

Udupi City Bus Owners Association had decided to put into service 20 buses from today. But it is learnt that they could introduce only 17 buses as conductors and drivers did not report for duty. During the previous week, ten buses had been run on experimental basis free of cost. On the basis of experience obtained, buses were run today but the passenger attendance was very thin. In some routes, buses are run once in 30 minutes. Buses are being run between Udupi and Mangaluru every half an hour, but the density of passengers has been found to be very thin.