Mysuru: A meeting of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) chaired by Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, who is also chairman of RTA, was held at his office this morning.

The meeting discussed renewal of permits to private bus operators for a period of five years. Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) Prabhuswamy (Mysuru West) and Soundarya (Mysuru East), secretaries of RTA and its member Superintendent of Police Amit Singh were present.

Advocate representing Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Siddananjappa from Bengaluru urged the meeting not to renew permits of private bus operators who had flouted the rules of Department of Motor Vehicles. He said that KSRTC was suffering losses due to private bus operators.

He argued that certain policies of the government are only benefitting private bus operators rather than benefitting government-run transport corporations. Siddananjappa said that many private bus operators were violating rules after obtaining permission to operate stage carrier services in rural, city, town and urban transport services.

Rebutting his claims, lawyers A. Srikanth, Nagesh and Paraskumar who represented the Private Bus Owners Association denied such allegations and they said that the government was encouraging private parties to operate bus services as KSRTC failed to ensure the best service.

The government-run corporation lacks competency and this is the reason for them to incur losses. Private bus operators take all measures regarding safety, comfort, price and other aspects. The RTA must renew the licences, they argued.     

As many as 150 private buses are operating in Mysuru district and 25 per cent of them attended today’s meeting. District Bus Owners Association office-bearers Vajregowda, K. Shivalingaiah, Thayur Vittalamurthy, others were present.