Mangalore, May 24: The district administration will think about resuming KSRTC bus service to Mangalore airport, Dr. N S Chennappa Gowda, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada district has said.
KSRTC Volvo buses had been introduced to the airport in the past but the services were withdrawn following a dearth of passengers, Mr. Gowda told Coastaldigest.com.
Two buses had been carrying passengers plying on the Railway station – Lalbagh bus stand - Mangalore Airport route to and fro. The first bus was flagged off on July 15, 2011 while the second was introduced a month later. Both these buses stopped services on November 14, 2011, a KSRTC Mangalore Depot official said.
The journey fare was priced at Rs. 75 but not many people utilized the service. Buses would be almost empty. Therefore the buses were taken off, the official added.
However, M R Vasudeva, Director, Mangalore Airport, is of the opinion that the bus service should not have been withdrawn.
“There is no need to have a Volvo bus as such. There are people who will benefit even if an ordinary KSRTC bus is introduced. The ones who belong to the elite class would not bother taking the bus service at all and use their own cars. But for ordinary people, a bus service is needed. Many people climb all the way up to the airport to avoid auto rickshaws and taxis which is very inconvenient for them. In the absence of buses, the taxi drivers reign supreme and there are chances of them exploiting the passengers by demanding high charges. Although the airport has developed greatly, it continues to be out of touch with the city and other areas because of lack of good bus services”, Mr. Vasudeva says.
When asked if the district administration has any plans of introducing an ordinary KSRTC bus to the airport, the Deputy Commissioner said that the idea would be given a thought.
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