HUBBALLI: As the government is contemplating to ease the lockdown, the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) is all set to resume bus services, whenever the green signal is received from the authorities.
The NWKRTC buses are undergoing maintenance daily.
The drivers and other technical staff are not only working shift-wise, but they are also checking the conditions of buses daily, by repairing them, and replacing any parts, if required to do so.
After a week in April, the buses of the transport department were stationed in bus depots of the NWKRTC, as the state government clamped a lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, since then the staff of the transport department are keeping their vehicles in good condition, so that they can resume services in short order.
Krishna Bajpai, MD, NWKRTC, said that their buses are ready to hit the road, and on a day-to-day basis, technical staff are monitoring the vehicles in the depot, and carrying out repairs, if required to do so.
“In our divisions of Hubballi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag, Belagavi, Chikkodi, Sirasi and 52 depots of NWKRTC, maintenance of the buses is being done regularly,” he added.
The NWKRTC has more than 4,890 buses, most of which are in a good condition, he said.
“To ensure that buses run smoothly when services resume, once the lockdown is lifted, as per the instructions of the MD, the team of technical staff, including drivers and technicians, used to check the electrical apparatus, engines, coolant and other servicing related aspects of the buses,” said P R Kiranangi, PRO, NWKRTC.
Vivekanand Vishwagnya, DC, Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (HDBRTS), said that all 100 Chigari Volvo buses are ready to resume service.
“A total 80% of the drivers and other staff have been vaccinated.
Technical staff and others conducted tests, including of ACs, charge of batteries and for other technical issues, on the buses, which are now ready to ply on the HDBRTS corridor.
Bus stops, signals and other issues pertaining to the routes have also been checked,” he said.