By Harshini Brahmavar

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 6: Private Bus Owners Association of the district has taken a defiant stand against operation of the government's ambitious scheme of running affordable and comfortable city buses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). As their efforts were heading nowhere, Canara Bus Owners Association members also approached the state High Court and succeeded in securing stay order against operation of 55 JNNURM buses to which permits had been issued. In the bargain, the association has also earned the ire of district in-charge minister, Pramod Madhwaraj.

Because of this tug-of-war between the government and private bus operators and lack of coordination between the two, the JNNURM buses which the people of rural areas were eagerly awaiting, will not be able to operate for the present.

Madhwaraj flagging off JNNURM bus service on September 7 in 2016

As per the demand of the people, Pramod Madhwaraj had taken an initiative to introduce government buses to rural places which were facing shortage of transport. It is said that private buses started suffering losses in these sectors as government buses did not adhere to time tables strictly. Canara Bus Owners Association president, Rajavarma Ballal, claims that government buses are being unnecessarily run on routes which already have excessive number of buses.

Although the High Court stayed operation of these 55 government buses on June 28, the buses were operated till July 2, as the officials said they had not received official communication. Regional transport office symbolically seized four buses for violating law on Tuesday before releasing them, by way of warning. Still these buses continue to be operated in rural and city routes, which has come as a problem for private bus operators.

Major objection of the private bus operators is about buses that are being run by the government on Karkala, Shivamogga, Hebri, Shirva and Kundapur routes from the city, although there are many private buses already on these routes. The association strongly feels that these routes do not need to be served by the government.

The people in general have however come to appreciate government buses rather than private buses because of comfort and space. Some however say that these buses are not maintaining their timing properly.