Karnataka government proposes to purchase 800 ordinary buses and 30 Volvo buses during the current year, as part of its plans to replace the ageing bus fleet in Bangalore city. The government has already floated tenders for supply of buses and the process will be completed by end of this month, R Ashok, minister for transport said.
Addressing a press conference, here today, he said the government intends to decommission old and worn-out buses from the fleet of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), once the new buses are purchased.
The new Volvo buses will be used to introduce luxury bus services to Mysore and Mangalore with the aim of attracting tourists to these places, he said. Ashok said the transport department has completed the process for recruitment of 3,000 drivers and conductors for state transport undertaking. The department has also recruited 1,200 technical staff, he said adding that for the first time a major recruitment drive has been conducted in the state.
He said an integrated bus pass system is being introduced in the state from May 19 to enable the passengers coming from the rural areas to travel in both rural and BMTC buses using one common bus pass. With this facility, passengers coming from Channapattana, Ramanagara, Magadi, Doddaballapura, Tumkur and Chikkaballapura will be able to travel with single bus pass from their respective towns, he said.
The state government is also contemplating introduction of vehicle registration and driving license through smart card system, which will contain the complete details of vehicle owners and drivers that will help reduce misuse of vehicles, he added.