Mangaluru : The Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority (RTA), on Thursday, granted permits to Karnataka State Road Transport (KSRTC) to run their buses sanctioned under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) on 17 routes in the city. KSRTC is already running buses on 18 routes. Services on these new 17 routes are likely to start by the end of August.

As many as 35 buses were sanctioned to the KSRTC under JNNURM. The KSRTC had filed an application before the RTA seeking permits for operating these 35 buses.

While granting permits for 18 routes in April, the RTA headed by Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim had directed the KSRTC to submit fresh application for 17 services and avoid saturated routes. Though fresh applications were filed several weeks ago, the RTA could not meet and take a decision.

Mr. Ibrahim decided to convene the meeting of the RTA on Thursday that was officially declared as holiday on account of Eid. Apart from Mr. Ibrahim, Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase and Senior Regional Transport Officer G.S. Hegde attended the meeting.

Among the routes that have been approved include the circular State Bank to State Bank route that connects the three important temples – Kudroli Gokarnateshwara Temple, Kadri Manjunatha and Mangaladevi Temple. “This is a unique route that connects the three important pilgrimage destinations in the city,” said KSRTC counsel.

The other circular route that was approved from State Bank passes on the Falnir-Highland-Kankanadi- Pumpwell- Naguri-Alape-Padil-Kembar-Maroli-Bikarnakatte-Bunts Hostel-State Bank route. Through the 17 new services, KSRTC will be reaching areas with minimal public transport services, namely Land Links, Boliyar, Ira, Eliarpadavu, Adyapadi, Porkodi, Akash Bhavan and Shediguri.

KSRTC’s Divisional Controller Vivekanand Hegde said while the services will be formally launched on August 1, the actual running of buses will commence from the last week of August. He said new buses will be deployed on the 17 routes. New buses will replace the existing ones plying on 18 routes where the KSRTC was getting good revenue, he added.