GULBARGA: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has given his approval for a grant of Rs. 100 crore each to the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) for introduction of new fleet and improving the infrastructure.

Pending proposal

Managing director of NEKRTC Abdul Rab told The Hindu on Friday that the proposal was pending before the Finance Department for release of funds.

He said for the NEKRTC to make profit and attain self-sufficiency at least 3,000 fleets should be operated, but at present only 2,582 buses were being operated. Of this only 1,952 were owned by the NEKRTC and the remaining 630 were hired from private operators.

With the grant of Rs. 100 crore, the NEKRTC would be in a position to operate 3,200 fleets of its own and phase out the hired vehicles.

New services

Unveiling the plans of the NEKRTC, Mr. Rab said next year 300 buses would be introduced enabling the corporation to launch 250 new schedules in districts coming under its jurisdiction.

A total of Rs. 21 crore would be spent on improvement of passenger amenities and renovation of the bus stands and depots in the corporation area. The NEKRTC has taken up the construction of new bus stands at Hospet and Koppal at a cost of Rs. 3 crore each, he added.

The corporation had decided construct bus stands and depots at Surpur, Afzalpur, Kaligi, Sandur, H.B. Halli and Maski.

Work on bus stands

Work on the construction of bus stands and improvement of existing ones at Aland, Chincholi Lingasugar were nearly complete. The NEKRTC proposes to take up construction of a new bus stand and depot at Humnaba and Gangavathi. There was also a proposal to take up the construction of a new bus stand at Shahapur at a cost of Rs. 3 crore. The NEKRTC besides improving the city bus services in Gulbarga city has for the first time introduced city bus services in Koppal, Hospet, Bellary and has increased the schedule of city bus services in Raichur and Bidar.

Monthly pass

Mr. Rab appealed to those travelling frequently in the NEKRTC buses to utilise the monthly pass facility which was more beneficial and would save them at least 50 per cent on travel expenses.

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