Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim gave a green signal to operate 18 of the 35 buses sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) from the State Bank Circle as per the district magistrate notification.

He also directed the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) officials to submit a list of the prominent routes outside the City before Saturday, to decide on the routes for the remaining 17 buses.

The deputy commissioner chaired the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting at his office on Saturday.

Advocate Rajesh Shetty, who represented the KSRTC, said that the Corporation had received about 2,304 applications from the public requesting to start bus services from the State Bank and asked for a permission to operate all the 35 buses from the State Bank bus terminal. “According to the Supreme Court order, there is no need to ask private bus operators for permission to ply KSRTC buses sanctioned under the JnNURM,” he added.

There is no direct bus facility for places like Katipalla, Pilikula, Vamanjoor, Mudipu and Pachanady. Around 579 student bus passes have been issued for the Mudipu route. In addition, the JnNURM project can provide various facilities to the public.

The private transporters claim that there are 120 buses that run 900 trips till Mudipu. “There is enough service and no need to ply new buses. The KSRTC has failed to reach all corners of the City,” they said. The DC has said, “The new 35 buses will not affect the operation of the 329 private buses in Mangaluru. We cannot reject the government scheme, which has already been implemented in various places, including Udupi, Mysuru and Kasargod.”

The official added that the KSRTC buses should also follow the specific norms like low floor, automatic doors, LED display and voice announcing. The deputy commissioner also ordered the Transport Department officials to conduct a transport adalat to check the problems of the public regarding the transport facilities.

The deputy commissioner has also given his approval to ply KSRTC buses on 18 routes from State Bank terminal.

The routes are as follows: State Bank to Gurupura-Kaikamba via Mallikatte, to Moodushedde via Mallikatte, to Pilikula via Mallikatte, to Katipalla via Honnakatte, to Mangalapet via Kana, to Katipalla-Kaikamba via Janata Colony, to Shaktinagar via Nantoor, to Kunjathabail via Carstreet- Kuloor, to Kunjathabail via Kavoor, from Talapadi to Bondel via State Bank, from State Bank to Vamanjoor via Pacchanaadi, to Mudipu via Deralakatte, to Someshwar via Ullal, to Bajal via Padil, to Faizal Nagar/Jalligudde via Padil, to Ganeshpura via Rathabeedi-Krishnapura and to Kinya via K C Road.

Superintendent of Police Dr S D Sharanappa, Puttur Regional Transport Officer (RTO) and Surendrappa (Mangaluru in-charge) were among others those present at the meeting.