Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 27: Coastal area is boiling as it has been gripped by summer heat. People want to utilise the services of air-conditioned buses to escape from dust and heat, but about half of the air-conditioned buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have not been operational.

The temperature in coastal Karnataka has been reaching 37 degree Celsius. Heat and humidity have been taking a toll on the people. Therefore people prefer air-conditioned buses for longer travels. But in the city, air-conditioned buses have not taken to the streets fully so far.

KSRTC AC buses had suspended operations last year because of coronavirus infection. It has been about a year since then. The corporation had, during June last year, decided to re-introduce these buses in phases. But even now these buses are not fully functional.

Most of the people from the Karnataka coast travel to Bengaluru, Mysuru and other places. KSRTC has its own divisions in Mangaluru and Puttur. Out of a hundred AC buses in the Mangaluru division of KSRTC, only about 40 are running now. As such, passengers willing to undertake long journeys are facing problems.

About 95 per cent of other bus services of the KSRTC Mangaluru division have resumed operations now. Of 500 buses, 490 in different routes have already been operated. AC Volvo bus services to Manipal from the city have not begun. It is said that the corporation suffered a loss of Rs 1.5 lac daily on average due to the running of AC buses.

KSRTC Mangaluru divisional traffic officer, Kamal Kumar, said that the corporation has not yet resumed AC bus services fully. He said as, against 100 AC buses operating from the region before the Covid period, only 40 are running now. He said that more buses would be pressed into service depending on the demand from passengers.