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Buses coming from other places have to jostle for space as thepresent KSRTC bus-stand lacks platforms in Udupi.

Although Udupi is a district headquarters, a major pilgrim centre, a tourist destination and an educational hub, it still does not have a Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Stand.

The KSRTC Bus-Stand functions from a small complex built by the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), about 11 years ago, under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Project. The CMC has rented out the bus stand to the KSRTC. The former looks after the upkeep of the bus stand.

As many as 205 buses pass through this bus stand daily, while 26 buses originate from Udupi. However, the bus stand is congested. The buses coming from other places have to jostle for space. The bus stand also does not have platforms. The buses have to stand one behind the other in a row.

The density of buses is particularly high from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. at the bus stand. Most of these are long destination buses. Ramamurthy, Traffic Controller at the bus-stand, said, “We have to struggle as there is space for only five buses here.”

The Traffic Controller’s Office is located in a small congested room in a corner of this bus stand. The reservation for long-distance buses is also done in this office. Consequently the cash collected for tickets reserved is kept here without much security.

There is no rest room for drivers and conductors of long-distance buses at the bus stand. As the bus-stand belongs to the CMC, the KSRTC does not have control over it. “It will help us immensely to serve the passengers in a better manner, if we have our own bus-stand,” said K.S. Gundappa, Traffic Controller.

A proposal to construct the KSRTC Bus-Stand on three acres of land in Bannanje here has been pending for over 10 years. The proposal envisages handing over of the three acres of land, which belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD), to the KSRTC for the bus stand.

R. Vishal, Deputy Commissioner, said that the matter was pending with the PWD. “I have already written to the Principal Secretaries of both PWD and Transport Department to transfer the land to the KSRTC as soon as possible,” he said.