40 New Buses Added to KSRTC Puttur Division: Fleet Replacement to Offset Scrapping of Older Vehicles

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Puttur : The State Transport Department has allocated 40 new buses to the KSRTC Puttur Division, which have already been deployed across various depots and routes. The new fleet includes 10 single-door (front), 10 single-door (rear), 16 double-door, and 4 Pallaki sleeper buses. Among the depots, Puttur has received 10 buses, Dharmasthala 6, B.C. Road 9, Sullia 5, and the remaining vehicles were assigned to the Madikeri depot, with some slated for transfer to the upcoming Kushalnagar depot.

Despite the addition of new vehicles, the division faces operational constraints as nearly 30 old buses are scheduled to be scrapped by the end of March next year, following the mandatory 15-year age limit rule. Currently, the Puttur division operates 510 schedules with a fleet of 562 buses. By March, Puttur depot will scrap 8 buses, Dharmasthala 3, B.C. Road 5, Madikeri 11, and Sullia 2. Consequently, the newly introduced buses will primarily replace retiring vehicles rather than expanding new routes.

Furthermore, while the government aims for a 50-50 balance between diesel and electric buses for long-distance and local routes respectively, the promised electric buses are yet to arrive in the Puttur division. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the inauguration of a new depot at Kushalnagar, which will operate around 35 schedules with 38 buses drawn from internal allocations and other divisions. Divisional Controller Haribabu confirmed that most of the 40 newly assigned buses are already operational across various passenger routes.