Fifteen major inter-state routes through Karwar closed down; 45 private buses on Margao-Canacona-Karwar route facing extinction. This is the state of affairs of the state transport system on major routes like Canacona and Karwar. The private and the Kadamba Transport Corporation buses in almost entire South Goa and parts of North Goa are dying a slow death due to the uncontrolled advent of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from Karnataka.
A total of 187 buses of KSRTC have been permitted to operate on Goa-Karnataka routes compared to 15 KTC and some private buses. The private bus owners of South Goa, especially the ones falling on the interstate route have warned of a major stir if the same continues further.
KTC bus stand is a major public bus transport hub from where several private as well as KTC buses operate. The KTC has local as well as interstate buses plying from here and an equal number of private buses travel to and fro from this bus stand. The KTC bus stand, which was blue and white of Kadamba and multicolored with private buses till some years back, has been completely turned green and red with a unprecedented surge in State Transport buses of Karnataka.
Goa has issued a permit of fixed number of buses to KSRTC to travel in and out of the state of Goa. However, in recent times the number of KSRTC buses have increased to such an extent that the KTC and private buses have been literally going empty to routes of Canacona and Karwar.
A bus operator from Canacona Siddesh Prabhudessai told Herald: “15 major routes like, Bijapur, Muddebal, Hospet and many more have almost been shut down by the Kadamba and are only letting KSRTC to ply here losing their own business. This is not a trouble for a Government corporation but is a death knell for Private buses on the Margao and Canacona Karwar routes.”
“50% of our daily trips are going on empty and we don’t even have money for Insurance and repairs now,” complained Siddesh.
Kautuk Dessai, another affected bus owner on Margao-Canacona-Karwar route, said “45 buses face extinction from this route due to the detrimental policies used by the Government and the transport department.”
Explaining how the ST buses are finishing the businesses of the Private and the KTC buses the operators said that these buses are not allowed to take stops other then major designated bus stands. However, they take all the local passengers who allegedly are charged but the money goes into the pockets of the drivers and conductors. The private buses and the KSRTC buses have been reportedly having fights daily due to the violations.
The Bus owners Association President Shailendra Faldessai told Herald, “The KTC and Goa Government had an agreement of buses coming in and going out of Goa. This was earlier, however the KTC operation has become minuscule and the KSRTC is like the State Transport company now.”
Shailendra has further demanded that the Transport ministry needs to be given to someone else instead of Sudin Dhavalikar as under his regime matters have got worse for the entire Transport industry of Goa.
The private bus owners have demanded that the Chief Minister intervenes into the matter and no further permits are issued to KSRTC buses. They have also warned a state wide agitation if the problems are not solved by the Government with immediate effect.
