Raviprasad Kamila/The Hindu

• High Court order bars long-chassis buses being run by KSRTC on this route
• Government can get the decks cleared for the State-owned bus operator
• Authorities are averse to mini-buses as they are ‘not feasible’

Mangalore, Jan 23: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation may not be able to introduce long-chassis buses from the State Bank of India bus-station here and Udupi immediately as per the Karnataka High Court order. In addition, the order of Dakshina Kannada District Magistrate on April 6, 1993 banning the issuance of new permits to run buses on this route may also come in the way of implementing the KSRTC’s plan, according to official sources.

However, if the State Government intervenes to apprise the court of the need to introduce long-chassis buses between the two cities, and if the District Magistrate withdraws the 1993 order, the KSRTC’s proposal would not face any problem, sources told The Hindu.

The Mangalore division of KSRTC had introduced six mini-buses between the SBI bus-station here and Udupi in 2004 after obtaining permission from the then Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority. But it was short-lived because the Karnataka High Court ordered a stay on it following a writ petition by Canara Bus Owners’ Association and three other private operators. The petitioners had sought the stay on the basis of District Magistrate’s 1993 order, sources said.

Petitions dismissed

Subsequently, the court dismissed the writ petitions through its September 8, 2008 order and allowed the mini-buses to stay. Sources said that the KSRTC could now re-introduce only six mini-buses to Udupi and not the long-chassis buses. It has to obtain High Court’s permission to start operating long-chassis buses. Now, the onus was on the Government to clear the way for KSRTC, sources said.

On the other hand, if the District Magistrate withdraws the 1993 order, it will pave way for the KSRTC to apply for permits to operate long-chassis buses between SBI bus-station and Udupi.

No mini-buses

An officer at Mangalore division of KSRTC told The Hindu that the KSRTC might not introduce mini-buses now as it was not a viable proposition. The division had done away with the mini buses, he said and added that mini-buses could not compete with the long-chassis buses being run by private operators.