Raichur: All bus stands in the Hubli (north-west) and Gulbarga (north-east) divisions of the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation will be renovated and modernised in the next two years.

Transport Minister N. Cheluvaraya Swamy told presspersons here on Tuesday that his department has decided to give priority to providing better services to commuters in Hubli and Gulbarga divisions. The renovation and modernisation programme is estimated to cost Rs. 200 crores. In addition, bus services, especially in rural areas, will be improved and new bus stations opened wherever necessary.

The matter has been discussed with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who has been requested to provide funds in the coming budget for the programme, which is to begin from April, he said.

More buses will be provided to these divisions though they have been running up losses for five years. In the previous financial year, the Hubli division accounted for a loss of Rs. 60 crores and Gulbarga division Rs. 40 crores. The losses will be reduced by improving services and modernising bus stands.

The Minister said the department has not provided new buses or opened new routes in rural areas in the past two years. Now priority has been given to improving bus services and other facilities in North Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka.

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