Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation are likely to sign an inter-state agreement to allow both the state-run corporations to ply more buses, especially during the festival season.
Rajender Kumar Kataria, Managing Director of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, told Express: “There is a huge demand for buses operating between Karnataka and Kerala. But we are unable to operate more buses because of the absence of a ‘contract carriage’ agreement between the two states.”
He said private bus operators have been making the most because of the lack of an inter-state agreement between the two states. “We recently had a discussion in Kerala about the need to sign an inter-state agreement. I also informed them that most private bus operators between the two states are charging more than three times the normal fare, especially during the festival season.”
He said Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation is ready to operate nearly 500 additional buses to Kerala during festival time. “Kerala could also operate more buses to Karnataka under the proposed agreement. More state-run buses will ensure affordable fares and safe journey to passengers, especially during festivals like Onam when there is a huge demand for buses.”
For instance, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s maximum fare for A/C buses plying from Bengaluru to Kochi on December 23 is `1,300 per ticket. Whereas private bus operators are charging `3,500 per ticket.
Tickets for all the 13 Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses to Kochi are already sold off.
Kataria added that he has received representations from several Malayali associations in Bengaluru to operate more buses to Kerala. “We hope the Kerala government will take an initiative to sign the inter-state agreement for the benefit of passengers.”
Among the many Malayalis who welcomed the move was Edwin Thomas, a resident of Shanthi Nagar. He said, “We have been suffering because of inadequate government buses plying between the two neighbouring states. Most private bus operators fleece passengers in the name of extra fare. KSRTC services are good but tickets get sold off too quickly.”
