Karnataka HC gives 15 days’ deadline to BBMP for fixing potholes on roads
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High court has given 15 days’ time to BBMP to fix potholes in Bangalore Central (CBD) premises. The High court has also ordered to take immediate action in this regard, by use of advanced technology.
The Division bench headed by Chief Justice Rituraj Awasthi has ordered for a Public Interest Litigation in light of Vijayan Menon and others’ allegation over inconveniences caused due to road tolls here in Kormangal.
In the last hearing, the BBMP had submitted an action plan to the court on the use of Python machine to fix the roadblocks.
Pro-BBMP lawyers explained to the jury that in the report, BBMP, in particular the Central Business District combined Python with modern technology to cover roadblocks.
The court reviewed it again and resented the negligence of engineers in this regard. The court added that it will no longer tolerate delays and insisted on immediate action with the use of sophisticated technology. It also called for submission of a report detailing the works while adjourning the hearing.
Meanwhile, the bench also discussed the death of Ashwin, who died by falling into the roadblock on Monday.
The bench including the Chief Justice expressed the amount of distress and guilt they bear due to such incidents.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
