The pathetic condition of Bengaluru-Mangaluru National Highway 75 in Dakshina Kannada and Hassan districts because of the tardy progress in four-laning the highway is taking a toll on government-operated Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses too.
KSRTC’s Mangaluru Division that operates nearly 570 premium services among other services, was suffering nearly Rs. 1.5 crore loss every month — about ₹1 lakh towards spare parts and nearly ₹50 lakh towards tyres — because of potholes, craters and uneven road surface in the two districts. While it had earned about ₹30 crore revenue a month in October-December 2023, the expenditure was about ₹29 crore a month.
The expenditure could have been less by ₹1.5 crore had the roads been in good condition, officials said. About ₹12 crore spent on diesel a month could also have become less if the road was in a good condition, they said.
Officials said damage to bus body parts, tyres, chassis etc., was common for buses operating through NH 75. However, unusual incidents of damage to air bellows and anti-roll bars in multi-axle buses too were being often reported. While an air bellow costs about ₹18,000, an anti-roll bar costs nearly ₹1.5 lakh. These damages happen when the drivers drive into a pothole or a crater being unaware.
Premium buses suffering breakdowns because of damage to height down sensors getting damaged when drivers suddenly encounter potholes too were reported often. Normally, drivers switch on this sensor when they negotiate known obstructions, including road humps etc. They would have no time to respond upon suddenly encountering a pothole, they noted.
The problems get worsened during the rainy season when drivers would not know the existence of craters and potholes and drive through them. Rattling sounds from the body, caliper, suspension etc., irritate passengers leading to en-number of complaints about the quality of buses. The Corporation suffers ignominy because of the fault of others, the officials regretted.
While drivers have become highly demoralised to drive on NH 75, bad road conditions often lead to late arrivals and belated departures. At times, mechanics at depots would have no time to undertake routine maintenance of buses because of late arrival.
Private bus operators, who operate tourist permit buses on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru sector too suffer similar losses; however their losses could not be quantified because of the unorganised nature of operation.
