A day after long-route buses started originating from the Hosur Regional Bus Terminal, passengers are yet to patronise services from the new terminal which consequently has forced the authorities to focus more on creating awareness.
Although the services were formally commissioned from the new terminal on Sunday, the services were launched on Monday. The authorities of North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) have diverted the services of a total of 628 buses to the Hosur Terminal and the New Bus Station on Gokul Road.
As per the changes now, 309 buses would originate from the Hosur Bus Terminal and 319 buses would originate from New Bus Station on Gokul Road. While the passengers are used to the New Bus Station, the old Bus Station near the Kittur Chennamma Circle is the preferred boarding point for many.
Now, as per the changes, buses moving towards Raichur, Mantralayam in Andhra Pradesh, Gadag, Koppal, Badami, Ballari, Athani, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Jamkhandi, Solapur in Maharashtra and other destinations are scheduled to start from the Regional Bus Terminal and people are finding it cumbersome to go to Hosur despite NWKRTC offering feeder services to the new terminal from the old Bus Station.
Divisional Controller of Hubballi Division of NWKRTC H. Ramanagoudar said that people would take time to get adjusted to the changes and this was no different as passengers have been using the old Bus Station for several decades now.
“But change is necessary as Kittur Chennamma Cirlce is getting congested. We are taking every step to make people start availing themselves of bus services from Hosur Regional Bus Terminal and to facilitate this, regular announcements are being made at the old Bus Station. We have also installed information boards about the changes in bus services,” he told The Hindu.
He said that already volunteers have been pressed into service to guide passengers about the changes in bus services and the routes within the city. “We are installing more sign boards on the road leading to Hosur Regional Bus Terminal for the benefit of the passengers and also for bus drivers of long-route buses. As many as 10 more volunteers will be deployed to guide passengers,” he said. Admitting that any change would take time to be accepted, he said that the plan was to avoid Kittur Chennamma Circle as far as possible to escape from traffic congestion. “There are a few more technical problems, particularly because of ongoing road works. But we are confident of overcoming them with cooperation from the general public,” he said.