The upcoming assembly election in Karnataka may disrupt public transport services for commuters ahead of the polling day. The Karnataka State Road Transit Corporation (KSRTC) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) have diverted over 5,000 buses for election duty, which is expected to cause disruptions in bus services across the state on May 9 and 10.

The KSRTC will be using more than 45 percent of its fleet size of 8,100 buses, while the BMTC will spare approximately 27 percent of its 6,850 buses for poll duty. In total, the four road transport corporations in the state will deploy around 42 percent of their total fleet size of 24,000 buses for election duties.

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The Karnataka Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. Many officials will be using the buses for poll duty, and therefore major disruptions in the operation of KSRTC and BMTC buses are expected.

The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) have also deployed 4,000 of their 9,100 buses for poll duty.

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Residents planning to travel on May 9 and 10 are advised to plan their travel accordingly, as the reduced availability of buses is likely to cause delays and cancellations. However, Volvo and other premium bus services will operate as usual in the city. The Chief Traffic Manager of KSRTC has also requested the travelling public to cooperate with the arrangements and adjust their travel plans as necessary.

On the other hand, due to the upcoming dry days, many Bengaluru restaurants have decided to temporarily close their businesses on the days of the polls, as they cannot serve alcohol. The sale of liquor will be prohibited from 5 pm on May 8 to 6 am on May 11, and from 6 am on May 13 to 6 am on May 14.

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(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:May 9, 2023 1:20 PM IST