BMTC will ply more buses to help public

BMTC will ply more buses to help public
Bangalore: Aug 18, DHNS

The fleet of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be augmented with 1,000 buses at a cost of Rs 283 crore utilising the grants under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).


Transport Minister R Ashok, speaking to reporters here on Tuesday disclosed that 165 buses will be inducted by August 31 and the rest will be provided in a phased manner in the coming months. While JNNRUM will fund 30 pc of the cost, government will chip in 15 pc and the Corporation will bear the balance. As many as 25 buses will be added to the Atal Sarige fleet, the low-fare service for the benefit of economically disadvantaged sections. Out of 1,000 buses proposed to be purchased, 150 will be Volvo vehicles.

Truck terminals
Truck terminals will be constructed at three places Bangalore outskirts to keep truck traffic away from the City. The process of identifying lands on Bellary Road, Old Madras Road and Hosur Road has already begun. A truck terminal will also come up at Hospet in Bellary district. Each terminal will be spread over 25 acres and will have offices, dormitories for drivers, canteen and petrol and diesel bunks.

The government will soon hold a meeting with the four bidders for the proposed inter-nodal transit centre at Kempe Gowda Bus station in the City. The 350-crore project envisages construction of a 40-storey building housing the KSRTC, BMTC and Metro headquarters besides commercial centres. The meeting, convened in the wake of the economic slowdown will gather information on the readiness of the bidders in proceeding with the process.

Metro work
The existing Kempe Gowda bus station will be temporarily shifted to four places when the BMRCL takes up construction of the Metro station. The buses to various destinations will ply from Shantinagar, Mysore Lamp campus, Balekaimandi near Binny Mill and Bellary Road. The Metro station will come up in an area spanning seven acres in the 20-acre plot. The remaining 13 acre will be returned following which KSRTC and BMTC bus stations will be relocated.

Ashok said that 1,000 buses will be added to the KSRTC fleet, and 1,600 each to NWKSRTC and NEKSRTC in a phased manner. For the first time after 12 years, the government had appointed 100 brake inspectors. The process of recruiting additional 100 brake inspectors is underway. The new appointees will help in breaking the domination of the incumbent inspectors, the minister felt.

The foundation stone laying ceremony for construction of a bus station near Adichunchanagiri Math at Bellur in Nagamangala taluk will be held on August 20. The bus station will come up at a cost of Rs three crore on one-and-a-half acre of land provided by the Math, Ashok said.

* Buses to be inducted into BMTC in phased manner; 165 by August end.
* Proposal includes purchase of 150 Volvo buses.
*1,000 buses for KSRTC, 1,600 each for NWKSRTC and NEKSRTC respectively.
* Truck terminals at three places on City outskirts; one at Hospet.
* Kempe Gowda bus station to be shifted to four places.