KSRTC suspends bus services to Kerala over the Sabarimala issue

BENGALURU: On Thursday the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had suspended the services to Kerala due to the hartal which has been called by various organisations regarding the entry of women in Sabarimala temple.

The officials of the KSRTC had said that two buses from Mangalore division had been vandalized by the protesters in Kerala. “These buses were parked at Kasaragod bus stand were damaged due to stone pelting by the protesters on Thursday morning” an official said.

KSRTC officials said that, the operations from most divisions such as, Bengaluru Central division, Mysuru, Mangalore and Chikmagalur towards Kerala have been temporarily stopped and service will only be resumed after the clearance from the police. "We have suspended services in the wake of hartal in Kerala. Services are likely to resume by evening”, the official said.

Kerala- bound passengers who are also comprised of Sabarimala pilgrims are stranded in Bengaluru after most of the private bus and taxi operators had stopped their operations due to the protests that are occurring in the neighbouring state. Many tourist operators have also cancelled their trips from Bengaluru to other popular places in the state of Kerala.