Karnataka eyes acquisition of 350 electric buses

Mangaluru: The Chairman of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), M Chandrappa stated that 350 new electric buses will soon be commissioned in the state.

In a press conference, Chandrappa mentioned that a request to acquire 350 electric buses was submitted to the Chief Minister of Karnataka. "About 50 e-buses will be received by the state in another month. 300 other e-buses will be inducted during the next phase. The acquired buses will start plying from October 15", Chandrappa said.

Speaking about KSRTC's offering for the coastal belt, Chandrappa said that tour packages for the weekends would be introduced on the Kundapura, Udupi and Mangaluru belt. The Deepavali season could also have package tours within cultural hubs of Karnataka.

Chandrappa also mentioned that Davanagere and Tumakuru districts could see improvement in bus infrastructure under newer plans. In the media briefing, Chandrappa spoke about a plan to merge four KSRTC divisions to reduce operational costs. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) however, will continue operating on its own.

He said that e-ticketing services are being considered in the state. According to Chandrappa, prices of tickets will remain unchanged despite the proposed developments in infrastructure.