Mangaluru: AC bus services yet to resume

Mangaluru: Even though the demand for air-conditioned buses are rising due to the increasing summer heat, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is yet to start AC bus operations.

KSRTC had stopped its AC bus services a year ago in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns. The Corporation had decided to restart the service in a phased manner from June 2020. However, the services have not yet resumed.

Presently, out of the 100 AC buses with the Mangaluru Division of the Corporation, around 40 are operating for short distance travels.

Additionally, out of the 500 other buses with the Mangaluru Division, only 490 are presently operating on various routes.

“Full air-conditioned bus services have not started from the Mangaluru KSRTC division. Around 100 KSRTC AC buses were travelling from Mangaluru to various places in the past. About 40 buses are currently operating. We will resume AC bus operations based on demand from passengers,” said Kamal Kumar, DTO at Mangaluru Division.