BANGALORE: The Transport Department in the State has planned five initiatives, including a Rs. 130-crore project for providing better infrastructure.

Addressing presspersons after the annual review of the functioning of the Department here today, Minister for Transport and Water Resources M. Mallikarjun Kharge said the Rs. 130-crore project has been submitted to the Finance Department for approval.

It envisages the improvement of basic facilities in regional transport offices (RTOs), check posts and enable the Department to buy equipment. The required funds would be raised through a loan from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), he said.

Other initiatives taken up by the Department include pollution control, road safety management, modernisation of RTOs and better public relations.

Mr. Kharge said the Department has exceeded the revenue collection target by mobilising Rs. 1,036 crores as against the target of Rs. 845 crores in the last year. The current year's target has been placed at Rs 988 crores by the Finance Department. Is expected to reach Rs 1,378 crores. Revenue collection during the last four months of the current year was Rs. 350 crores against the target of Rs. 313 crores.

The Department has opened five new RTOs at Krishnarajapuram, Bannerghatta, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Nelamangala and Yelahanka and upgraded those at Puttur and Yadgir. There are 53 RTOs in the State. The Minister said the cadre and recruitment rules would be amended to provide for recruitment of women at the inspector level.

Ruling out further nationalisation of routes, Mr. Kharge said that services of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation would be extended to remote areas.

About 400 new buses would be added to North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with an investment of Rs. 45 crores. Each bus would cost about Rs. 12 lakhs, he said.

The Minister said that he has instructed the officials of the Department to maintain discipline and conduct regular inspections in order to achieve the revenue target.

To prevent accidents and ensure safety of passengers, the drivers should maintain speed discipline. Action would be taken against erring drivers and officials, he warned.

B.L. Sridhar, Principal Secretary, Om Prakash, Commissioner for Transport, and senior officials were present.

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