Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) has temporarily suspended its operations in Maharashtra after one of its buses was set ablaze on Monday by protesters amidst the ongoing reservation for Maratha reservation.
Officials at the KKRTC headquarters in Kalaburagi said the bus (KA38 F1201) that left Bhalki in Bidar district for Pune in Maharashtra was stopped at Turori village near Umarga town in Maharashtra and set on fire by the protesters after forcing the passengers to alight.
In a press release, M. Rachappa, Managing Director of KKRTC, said that all the 39 passengers on the bus were safe and alternative arrangements were made for them to continue their travel. He also directed the staff to park the buses safely either at the nearest Maharashtra State-owned bus depots or police stations.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Rachappa said the suspension of the inter-State operations would continue and the final call on resuming the operations would be taken after the celebration of Kannada Rajyotsava on November 1 and depending on the situation on the ground in Maharashtra.
“We have 300 inter-State schedules involving different destinations in neighbouring Maharashtra. All of them are suspended owing to the violent protests there. Of the 36 buses trapped there, 23 have returned to their bases in Karnataka. Maharashtra police provided protection to the KKRTC buses and helped them return to Karnataka,” Mr. Rachappa said.
KSRTC cancels service from Bengaluru
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also announced its decision to temporarily halt services to Maharashtra. As per the statement from KSRTC, bus services from Bengaluru to Shirdi, Mumbai, and Pune have been temporarily suspended.
