KSRTC, BMTC to purchase 2,000 buses to expand fleet size

Two major state-run bus corporations in Karnataka plan to purchase 2,000 buses for operations in the state.  

According to Karnataka transport minister K Ramalinga Reddy, the government will procure 1,200 buses for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and 810 buses for Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

These vehicles will be procured under the Union government-backed Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Under the scheme, he said the Centre would provide 80 percent of the cost while 20 percent would be borne by the state.

Providing more details about the proposed purchase, BMTC managing director Anjum Parvez said the corporation plans to buy 500 non air-conditioned buses out of the total allotted 810 vehicles. He said the corporation is awaiting funds from the Centre.

The funding pattern remains 35 percent from the Centre, 15 percent from Karnataka state and 50 percent from BMTC. According to Parvez, the 500 new buses will replace 600 to 700 old buses which will be scrapped this year.

According to sources, the new government is working to rename and re-launch the JNNURM scheme which was formulated by the UPA government. However, according to a top official in the transport department, the state government is confident of getting funds under the scheme at the earliest.

With the government transport corporations set to buy new buses, Indian commercial vehicle manufacturers are taking all measures to bag major orders in a bid to include their vehicles in the KSRTC and BMTC fleets. Volvo and Scania, which have manufacturing operations in Karnataka, are gearing up to win more orders for their AC buses.

The KSRTC and BMTC are two major government-owned bus corporations in the state. Currently KSRTC operates 8,243 buses, which cover 26.59 lakh kilometres a day with 7,675 schedules and collect revenue of Rs 25.73 lakh a day. Meanwhile, BMTC operates 6,808 buses under 6,269 schedules, covering 12.62 lakh kilometres a day while recording Rs 5.20 crore in revenue by offering service to 4.95 million passengers.