Mangaluru (The Hindu): In continuation of the work to decongest city roads, the police, in association with the Transport Department, shifted the City Bus Stand operating on the road between Hamilton Circle and Rao and Rao Circle inside the State Bank Service Bus Terminal from Saturday.

While private as well as KSRTC buses were made to move out of the terminal from the first exit (near Rao and Rao Circle), private service buses and KSRTC buses bound to Udupi, Kateel, Shivamogga, Karkala, Uppinangady and Ballari were made to move out from the second exit of the service bus Terminal under the new arrangement.

Thus, no city buses stopped on the stretch between the Hamilton Circle and Rao and Rao Circle. Following decongestion of this stretch, the police earmarked space for parking of two-wheelers and cars, which visitors to the fish market made good use of.

Service buses bound to Udupi and other places have been using the State Bank Terminal for long, while the city buses plied from the stretch between Hamilton Circle and Rao and Rao Circle. Following the introduction of circular movement of vehicles on the Clock Tower – A.B. Shetty-Hamilton Circle – Rao and Rao Circle stretch, all the buses for a brief period plied from the State Bank Terminal. This terminal was recently redeveloped at the cost of ₹4.2 crore by Mangaluru Smart City Limited and Mangaluru City Corporation.

Police Commissioner Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain and Transport Department officials had a meeting with city bus and service bus operators on Friday where the bus operators were asked to operate from the service bus terminal. “We pointed to absence of adequate bus shelters and other basic facilities. Following an assurance by Mr. Jain on meeting the requirements, we agreed to ply from the terminal,” Jayasheela Adhyantaya, president, Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners’ Association, told The Hindu.

On Saturday morning, the city police placed boards and made only buses enter the road in front of the office of Police Commissioner that leads the service bus terminal. While service buses bound to Padubidri, Udupi, Kundapura, Shivamogga, Kateel, Nitte, Karkala, Moodbidiri were on Bays 1 to 4, the city buses were on Bays 5 to 8. The KSRTC buses and Contract Carriage Buses bound to Puttur, Uppinangady and other places have been provided space between the two exit gates.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) B.P. Dinesh Kumar said a total of 940 buses operate out of State Bank making as many as 3,680 trips per day. This includes 2,000 trips by 230 city buses, 1,200 trips by 480 private service buses and 300 trips by 183 KSRTC buses. “As not all buses can be accommodated in the service bus terminal, the available space has been divided to ensure specific number of buses of all categories are accommodated at a given time,” he said. Action will be taken to complete the bus shelter and meet other basic facilities for commuters at the service bus terminal, he said.

Buses, during the break in the trips, were seen parked on the stretch between Clock Tower Circle and A.B. Shetty Circle and on the Rosario School Road.

Where are the buses parked in the Service Bus Terminal
Bay 1: Kateel, Kinnigoli

Bay 2: Udupi, Kundapura

Bay 3: Moodbidri, Karkala

Bay 4: Padubidri, Nitte, Karkala

Bay 5: City buses to Maravoor, Bajpe, Kateel

Bay 6: Shuttle buses to Moodbidri, Edapadvu, Ganjimath, Karkala

Bay 7 and 8: Other city buses