Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri (SP)

Madikeri, Aug 6: State transport minister, R Ashok, claimed that Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has grown into a fleet of 22,500 vehicles, the biggest in the country. “It is now fully equipped for a healthy competition with private transport operators,” he claimed.  He was speaking to media men during his visit to the town to participate in a meeting of BJP activists on Thursday August 5.

He said that the corporation is big not in numbers alone, but also in quality. “KSRTC has been giving top priority to maintaining high quality in service, operations etc. It has bagged eight awards including two international ones,” he disclosed.  He felt that improving the efficiency of mass communication system is the only way to wriggle out of the problems like traffic bottlenecks in cities, shortage of fuel, environmental pollution etc., which are likely to plague the country in a big way in the future.

He said that his department was the first in the country to introduce smart cards. He disclosed that the department is considering issuance of learning licences to college students at their respective colleges, to obviate the delay caused in getting them.