From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 2: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has decided to acquire 150electric buses on lease basis soon.

Karnataka’s transport minister H M Revanna said that the tender process for availing services of the electric buses would be completed soon and the buses would be inducted to BMTC fleet.

Though the centre was giving subsidy for plying electric buses, Revanna said the state government would not be purchasing them.

The selected companies would ply andmaintain the buses, while the BMTC would enter into rate contract with the operators, he explained.

The state government has also decided to induct more electric buses for inter-city services like Bengaluru-Mysuru, Bengaluru-Tumakuru and Bengaluru-Kolar.

As the electric buses can travel only up to 200 kms per charge, long distance buses would not be opted for. Even thosebuses would be leased out to respective transport corporations, he said.

The main aim was to reduce the pollution and the state government has already come out with plans to promote public transport days on every second Sundays in Bengaluru city.

During such public transport days, the minister said Namma Metro would increase the trips andthe BMTC would reduce its fares with a view to encourage the public to use public transport instead of relying on private vehicles.

Meanwhile, keeping in the view of the losses incurred in operating Volvo buses with lesser number of passengers, he said the state government has reduced fares in Volvo buses varying from 15% to 35%.

The aim is to attract more passengers to travel in Volvo buses, Revanna said.

Truck terminal at Nelamangala

He confessed that the ambitious Devaraj Truck Terminal was in shambles and the state government has decided to take measures to rectify the situation. The terminal was being used as dump yard for old trucks, while 80 truck-loads of garbage was dumped in the yard.

Apart from Devaraj Urs truck terminal, the state government was planning to build one more truck terminal at a cost of Rs 21 crore near Nelamangala.

The infrastructure for establishing the additional truck terminal was ready and there wasneed for road connectivity to the Highway, he said adding that the connectivitywould be completed shortly.

The State government would also build two more truck terminals at Mysuru and Hospete, Revanna said.

Statues of Kanakadasa, KC Reddy near Vidhana Soudha

Two more statues of 15th century poet-philosopher and musician Bhakta Kanakadasa and the State’s first Chief Minister K C Reddy would be installed around Vidhana Soudha soon.

The first one would be of Kanakadasa and it would be installed in front of Legislators' Home.

The State Government has released Rs 2 crore for installing a 12 feet bronze statue on a 10 feet platform. The statue would be installed by second week of February, Revanna said.

There was also proposal to install the statue of first Chief Minister of Karnataka K C Reddy and the state government has given in principle acceptance for the proposal and the place and timing of installing the statue would be finalised soon, the minister said.