State plans transport corp for Mysore city

The transport depart-ment is setting up a tra-nsport corporation for Mysore city. The new transport corporation will be modelled on the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and remains a division of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

“Mysore is the second largest city after Bangalore in the state. It is also the only city in the state to receive funds for modernisation of urban infrastructure from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). It is mandatory to set up an independent transport body for Mysore to get the funds under the JNNURM,” R Ashok, minister for transport and home, said.

Talking to reporters, here on Tuesday, he said presently 300 buses are operated in Mysore and in the days to come, the fleet size will be increased further. The government is also in the process of creating a similar transport corporation for Mangalore city, he said.

Under the JNNURM, the state government has received funds to the tune of Rs 450 crore for various projects in Bangalore and Mysore cities. Mysore has got Rs 90 crore to build a modern bus stand, he added.

Ashok said the transport department would soon start city bus services in cities like Tumkur and Mandya. The KSRTC has been directed to purchase 50 new buses for the purpose, he said.

In order to decongest the central bus stand in the Majestic area in Bangalore, the transport department would build a satellite bus terminus in Peenya. “The department is in possession of land required for the bus stand. The tenders will be floated soon for the purpose,” he said.

The state government took a decision in this regard at a meeting on Monday. Among other issues discussed at the meeting, the government has decided to rename the satellite bus stands at Kengeri and Shanti Nagar after Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the first chief minister of Karnataka, and Atal Behari Vajpayee, former prime minister.

The KSRTC, which had accumulated losses of Rs 500 crore, has wiped out its losses and returned to black during the present fiscal, he said.

Ashok said 7.20 acres of land at Majestic would be transferred to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) for building the underground station. The transport department owns 40 acres land at Majestic. Another 12.20 acres would be leased out to BMRCL temporarily.

He said the government would build new bus stands at Hassan, B C Road and Hunsur on a public private partnership basis. The BMTC is also mulling joint development of bus shelters in the city with the Greater Bangalore City Corporation or the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP). The advertising revenue generated from these bus shelters will be shared with BBMP on a mutual understanding, he added.