Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
MANGALORE, Dec 26: The long-awaited demand of the people for a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus to Kasargod from is getting fulfilled.
The KSRTC bus service to Kasaragod has been inaugurated here on Friday by district in-charge Minister J. Krishna Palemar at 10.15 a.m. at the KSRTC bus-stand.
Initially, the KSRTC will be operating 10 buses between the two cities on either side of the Karnataka-Kerala border. This number is likely to be increased to 25 by January-end, according to KSRTC senior divisional controller P.B. Karumbaiah.
Stops
G.T. Prabhakar Reddy, divisional traffic officer, said that the journey might last one hour and 20 minutes. Although the bus service to Kasaragod would be formally inaugurated on Friday, regular plying of buses would commence from Saturday, Mr. Karumbaiah said. These buses would stop at Talapady, Manjeshwara, Hosangadi, Uppala and Kumble, he added. Welcoming the introduction of KSRTC buses on the Mangalore-Kasaragod route, Hanumanth Kamath of the Karnataka Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike, urged that KSRTC service within the city limits be introduced at the earliest.
“Apathy of the officials is delaying the KSRTC city service,” he said.
However, Kamath said the credit for starting the inter-State bus service should go to the Kerala Government. He refused to credit the State Government for this. This move would end the monopoly of private bus-owners, he said.