Karnataka resumes bus services to Kasaragod

MANGALURU: For the first time in four months, state road transport corporations (SRTCs) in Karnataka and Kerala began interstate bus services between Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod on Friday.
Services were suspended in August following an increase in Covid cases in the two districts on either side of the border. KSRTC buses on the Mangaluru-Kasaragod route ended their trips at Talapady, while Kerala’s SRTC also ran truncated services.
However, on Friday, the Dakshina Kannada district administration allowed services to resume, but with riders.It said daily commuters, including students and those working in various sectors in Dakshina Kannada, will have to undergo an RT-PCR test once every seven days.
Those on round trips to Mangaluru will have to furnish a Covid-19 negative report which is not older than 72 hours. Passengers should also produce fully vaccinated certificates on demand, said KV Rajendra, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner.
“The weekly test positivity rate in Dakshina Kannada has fallen to 0.3%, so we decided to allow bus services to resume,” Rajendra said. “Hundreds of people commute every day between Kerala and Karnataka for various purposes, including education and employment and there was huge demand to resume bus services.”
However, he said, commuters must compulsorily wear masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Rajendra has directed SRTCs of Kerala and Karnataka to furnish details of the buses that ply across the border daily. “Conductors of buses on interstate routes must allow passengers to board only after verifying documents. Those who have Covid-19 symptoms should not be allowed to travel,” he said.
On Friday, 28 buses from KSRTC’s Mangaluru division and 24 buses from Kerala’s SRTC began services on the route. Both corporations are yet to decide on long-distance services, including the Mangaluru-Ernakulam and other routes.