Expedite purchase of 5675 new buses: CM Siddaramaiah tells officials

Bengaluru: In response to the overwhelming success and widespread public support for the Shakti Yojana in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed officials to complete the acquisition of 5675 new buses.

A budget of Rs 500 crore has been allocated for this purpose in the current fiscal year, he said, and asked the officials to expedite the procurement process.

These suggestions were made during the review meeting of the transport department, chaired by the CM.

Since the implementation of the Shakti Yojana, there has been a 15 percent surge in passenger numbers. To accommodate this surge in demand, authorities have advised the addition of extra schedules and the expansion of the existing bus fleet to ensure an enhanced level of service for passengers.

Discussions during the meeting revolved around the revenue collection targets of the transport department and the prudent financial management of transport corporations. Officials reported the successful collection of fines totaling Rs 83 crore from vehicle inspections.

The meeting was also attended by Transport and Muzarai Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Govindaraju and Naseer Ahmed, Finance Department Secretary PC Jaffer, Transport Department Secretary NV Prasad, along with the Managing Directors of all Transport Corporations and other senior officials.