MLC urges transport min to upgrade KSRTC bus stand

MANGALURU

MLC Manjunath Bhandary urged transport minister Ramalinga Reddy to upgrade and develop the KSRTC bus station into a high-tech bus terminal and to initiate the operation of electric buses. The bus station, located in the heart of Mangaluru, was approved in 1980 and constructed with an estimated grant of Rs 60 lakh in 1986.In a letter to the Minister, Bhandary requested that the bus station be upgraded to a high-tech bus terminal with modern facilities, similar to those in other districts, with an estimated grant of Rs 120 crore, along with the initiation of electric bus operations in the city. Mangaluru is one of the major commercial cities in the country, serving as a port city and a significant trading hub in Karnataka, due to its conducive commercial activities. Thousands of people from across the country and abroad visit the city daily for tourism and educational purposes.Currently, the bus station spans 3.6 acres, with a terminal building covering 4,702sqm, a commercial area of 814sqm, a two-wheeler parking area of 305sqm, a car parking area of 608sqm, an autorickshaw stand of 171sqm, and restrooms of 1,564sqm. The letter details that over the past 39 years, the station was maintained with minimal funding, with no efforts made to upgrade it with modern facilities.

Approximately 585 buses from various sectors arrive and depart from the station daily, with around 25,000 passengers relying on it directly and indirectly. Mangaluru, being one of the cities with the highest tax-paying individuals and organisations through various industries, demands an upgrade to the station's capacity in line with the times, similar to high-tech bus terminals in other states, Bhandary urged.