Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launched 15 new sleeper buses under the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Tuesday, February 21. The buses are expected to be operational from Friday, and will ply mostly on national highways. The vehicles are Volvo sleeper buses named Ambaari Utsav (celebration of journeys). The Indian Express reported that the buses will be operated on routes such as Kundapur to Bengaluru, Mangaluru to Pune, Bengaluru to Secunderabad, Bengaluru to Hyderabad, Bengaluru to Ernakulam, Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru to Thrissur and Bengaluru to Panaji.
The Indian Express reported that the KSRTC plans to launch 50 buses in the first phaseof launch. The buses offer 40 berths in each vehicle with headroom, a reading light, two air vents, double USB ports and a holder for mobile phones. These buses also include in-built safety features such as an anti-slip regulation system (ASR), knee protection for the driver, a fire and suspension system, fire extinguishers, and roof escape hatches among other features.
Besides introducing new buses, the KSRTC has also taken up renovation of its old body vehicles at the regional and divisional levels. About 250 old vehicles are being renovated and made operational for easier commutes across the state. Apart from that, the KSRTC also plans to induct 600 Karnataka Sarige buses over the next three months for facilitating easier travel to rural parts of Karnataka. The KSTRC reportedly plans to introduce 50 electric buses by March this year, and 350 electric buses in total in the near future, to provide environmentally sustainable transport facilities.