The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will start operating air-conditioned (AC) buses from Thursday. The resumption of the AC buses comes even as lockdown restrictions imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are being gradually lifted. It also comes at a time when Bengaluru has been witnessing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. 

The government-run bus company said that these select services will be relaunched in a phased manner starting from Thursday. These include buses from Bengaluru to Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Shivamogga and Virajpet.

In a note KSRTC, said that the temperature inside the buses will be maintained at 24-25 Celsius per the norm and there won’t be any blankets given to the passengers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Passengers will need to carry their own blanket. 

In fact, KSRTC which runs both intra-state and inter-state buses had stopped giving blankets and bed spreads since mid-March when the Indian Railways had also stopped giving blankets and pillows to passengers.

KSRTC had made it mandatory for its staff to wear masks and had advocated the usage of sanitizers among its staff. The Corporation has supplied masks to its staff that were made at its own workshops.

Speaking recently to the staff on Mask Day, Shivayogi C Kalasad, IAS (Indian Administrative Service), Managing Director of KSRTC, said the safety of the staff and passengers is KSRTC’s priority and staff shall create awareness and bring confidence among the travelling public to travel in the buses amidst the rise of cases.

Since the start of the Unlock 1.0, KSRTC have been restarting its operations in a gradual manner. It began its services on May 9 by allowing buses to depart only post 9pm from its starting destination. From June 17, KSRTC had restarted its operations to Andhra Pradesh.  Buses are plying to Anantapur, Chittor, Tirupati, Kadri, Kalyandurga, Rayadurga, Manthralaya, Nellore, Vijayawada.