Mysore/Mysuru: V.  Anbukumar, Managing Director of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has declared the year 2024 as ‘Passenger-Friendly Year,’ effective from Jan. 1, 2024.

Under this initiative, compensation given for dependants of passengers who die in accident has been hiked from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh. A total of 2,000 new buses will be added to the fleet including 20 each under ‘Ambaari Utsava’ and ‘Airavata Club Class’, 100 under ‘Pallakki’ and 1,000 buses with ‘Point to Point’ design and 500 electric buses.

The fleet of newly introduced ‘Namma Cargo Trucks’ numbering over 20 will be increased to 500 by this year end. By further modernising the information technology, Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS) has been introduced for the benefit of passengers giving further impetus to cashless transaction. Besides, a target has been set to refurbish 1,000 vehicle (buses).

The staff on board have been imparted soft skills with the aid of experts on behaving gently with passengers. Regular workshops are conducted in abiding by traffic rules and ensure accident-free ride; cleanliness and maintenance of vehicles.

KSRTC has bagged over 50 national and international-level awards in 2023 for providing better transportation service and all the awards are dedicated to the staff and passengers. In the coming days, KSRTC will achieve more progress to provide better facilities, he added.

Earlier, the year 2023 was declared ‘Labour Welfare Year’ and introduced many labour friendly programmes. ‘On Road/ Off Road’ insurance scheme was introduced and so far Rs. 1 crore insurance amount has been given to next of kin of each of 12 staff killed in accidents on duty.

The scholarship amount given to children of employees under Sarige Vidya Chetana Scheme has been hiked by three to four times than the existing and even new courses have been included to be covered under the benefit. Online system has been introduced and Rs. 1.67 crore scholarship amount has been disbursed to 3,345 students. To give priority to health, KSRTC has signed a MoU with Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and Rs. 2.25 crore is being paid every year towards conducting more than 10 cardiac tests and 21,000 staff have benefited.

Compensation under Employees Family Welfare Scheme has been increased from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh and 10,364 disciplinary cases booked against staff has been disposed by levying lesser fine and 425 drivers who were reprimanded for abstaining from duty for a period not exceeding 10 months have been asked to return to duty. Additional pension facility is given to those staff with long time service record upon retirement and action has been taken to pay Rs. 1,650 crore to those eligible for the benefit, he added.