Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Nov 30: The KSRTC non-AC sleeper bus operating between Udupi and Hyderabad for nearly 25 years has been suspended due to heavy losses.
The inter-state service, which connected coastal Karnataka with Hyderabad, stopped operations about 10–15 days ago. KSRTC decided to halt the service after it continued to incur losses for several months.
The bus would depart Udupi at 3.30 pm, reach Kundapur at 4 pm, Siddapur at 4.30 pm, and then proceed via Mastikatte, Thirthahalli, Shivamogga (8.30 pm), Harihar, Hosapete and Raichur, reaching Hyderabad the next morning at 9.30 am.
The sudden suspension has inconvenienced many regular passengers, including hotel workers and residents of coastal districts who depended on this service for long-distance travel. Passengers from Siddapur and Hosangady have written to transport minister Ramalinga Reddy urging that the service be restored, pointing out that the bus had continued even during monsoon but was halted now at the beginning of the season.
According to sources, the primary reason for the suspension is severe revenue loss. Operating an inter-state bus costs KSRTC around Rs 45–49 per km, but this service earned less than Rs 30 per km, resulting in a loss of Rs 20–25 per km. Officials say that at least Rs 55 per km is required for such services to remain profitable.
The route also suffered from low occupancy. There were almost no passengers from Udupi to Shivamogga, and only a few boarded from Shivamogga onwards. The months of July, August and September saw major losses, leading to the decision from the Bengaluru headquarters to discontinue the service. A proposal has been sent to shift the bus to Shivamogga and operate it on the Shivamogga–Hyderabad route, said Rajesh Shetty, divisional controller, KSRTC Mangaluru division.
Public demand for the service to resume has grown, with many expressing suspicion that a private transport lobby may be behind the sudden suspension of a long-running 25-year-old route. Passengers have appealed to the transport minister to restart the service at the earliest.