KSRTC to run inter-state buses to Andhra starting June 17

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Monday decided to start its first inter-state operation in a phased manner with services to Andhra Pradesh from June 17.

Almost a month after resuming the inter-district services, the transport corporation said it would run the buses without air-conditioners in view of the COVID-19 spread.

In the first phase, the buses would ply from Bengaluru to Anantapur, Hindupur, Kadri, Puttaparthi, Kalyanadurga, Rayadurga, Kadapa, Produtur, Mantralaya, Tirupathi, Chittor, Madanapalli, Nellore and Vijayawada.

Another bus service would be from Ballari to Vijayawada, Anantapur, Kurnool and Mantralaya.

The third service would be from Raichur to Mantralaya and the fourth service from Shahpur to Mantralaya and Kurnool, the transport corporation said in a statement.

An official said the buses to Telangana may resume from next week while no decision has been taken on operating buses to Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Since Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are the COVID-19 hotspots, Karnataka is careful about operating buses to the two states, the official said.

The KSRTC had minimised the inter-state bus services from March 1 as the COVID-19 cases started increasing. The service was stopped from March 24 when the lockdown was effected.