• First-of-its-kind celebration planned at City Bus Stand tomorrow
• Distribution of ‘Mysore Pak’ for 1,000 passengers
• Traffic Controller T.M. Doddegowda recalls journey from MSRTC to KSRTC that began on Aug. 1, 1961

Mysore/Mysuru: At a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the in-thing, a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employee in the city has taken pains to flip through the old records to disseminate the history of the Government- owned Transport Corporation to celebrate the 62nd Foundation Day on Aug. 1.

Traffic Controller T.M. Doddegowda, deputed at KSRTC’s City Bus Stand (CBS), has gleaned through the records at labour section in KSRTC City Bus Depot in Bannimantap here to prepare a hand note that gives an insight of the journey of KSRTC that remains an integral part of common man’s life. It’s a labour of three years of hard work and the result is rewarding as the seven-point hand note helps the old timers to recall reclining on an easy chair, while for the younger generation it gives a plethora of information, that is otherwise available on the net, if one has time and passion to go through the history of KSRTC. 

Come August 1, KSRTC will be turning a new wheel as it celebrates 62nd Foundation Day. To make the occasion memorable, Doddegowda and his like-minded employees at the CBS have planned a celebration at 9 am. It includes distribution of Mysore Pak, the eponymous sweet delicacy of Mysuru, to about 1,000 passengers.

It is also for the first time such a celebration is planned, that is otherwise seen during Ayudha Puja festival day every year, when the vehicles will be washed and offered puja.

Doddegowda has recalled the history starting from Aug. 1, 1961 when Mysore State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) was re-christened as KSRTC. Prior to that, Mysore Government Road Transport Department (MGRTD) was started by the then Mysore Government headquartered in Bangalore (now Bengaluru) on Sept. 12, 1948 to provide transportation service to the people, with a fleet of 120 buses. Later in the year, 1961, MGRTD became MSRTC as per CIRT Act 1951.

Again in the year 1973, MSRTC was re-christened as KSRTC, followed by the birth of new divisions — Bangalore Metropolitan Road Transport Corporation (BMRTC) on Aug. 15, 1997 and North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) on Nov. 1, 1997 — after separating them from KSRTC. North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) was established on Oct. 1, 2000, totalling four separate Corporations functioning in the State.

After carving out three new Corporations from KSRTC, remains the 15 divisions and Mysuru Division is the biggest among them.

 KSRTC, which has grown into a behemoth in the country, has emerged as one of the best Government-owned Transport Corporations, which is a result of the hard work of 1.25 lakh employees spread across the State, working in connecting every nook and corners of the State, winning national and international awards for the Corporation.

Since 2006, Preventive Health Lifestyle Clinic has been introduced for the benefit of the employees while it is already known that monthly passes are being issued for the benefit of daily commuters and  passes at discount rate for school and  college students, specially-abled and visually challenged persons.

Beginning from the bus with Chevrolet Engine in the initial days to Electrical Bus now, the service includes 13 categories of buses like general, semi-luxury, super deluxe, Rajahamsa, non-AC Sleeper, Vajra, Airavat, Airavat Gold Class, Ambari, Ambari Dream Class, Ambari Utsav, Fly Bus and EV Power Plus (Electric Bus).

Managing Director of KSRTC V. Anbukumar, has been making all efforts for the implementation of several welfare programmes. The facilities like Rs. 1 crore accident insurance cover, salary on first of every month, implementation of Human Resource Management Software (HRMS) are to be written in golden words in the Transport Corporation.