There will be a recruitment of 18,000 personnel in the four transport corporations in the State during the financial year 2008-2009 and 95% of them would be localites, Transport Minister R Ashok said.

Speaking at a function on Friday held to mark the 47th foundation day of the KSRTC. Even `Ambaari’, an air-conditioned vehicle from Bangalore to Mysore was also launched on the occasion.

“The recruitment will be made online and will be totally transparent in nature,”Ashok said. Drivers, conductors and mechanical staff will be among the categories recruited.

Most of the buses plying on the roads were in a poor condition and would be replaced by new ones in a span of six months. “The budget has announced the addition of 3,500 new buses to the existing fleet,” the minister said. The proportion of people opting for mass transportation is presently 42% and goal is to bring this to 80%, the minister added.

A training school would also be set up in each of the four corporations for drivers. KSRTC MD Gaurav Gupta, said that 900 buses, including 30 volvos, would be introduced in this financial year.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation MD Upendra Tripathy said that corporations should remain vigilant to maintain profits. “The corporations of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Assam were not performing well and a sum of Rs 15 crore was now being spent to shut down the corporation in MP.

On Friday, three `Ambaaris’ were launched and five more to be launched before the Dasara festival begins in Mysore. The cost of each Ambari is over Rs 36.81 lakh and each trip costs Rs 150. The bus fare would be announced after a meeting with the Chief Minister, he said. The corresponding rates are Rs 200 for Volvo, Rs 119 for Rajahamsa, Rs 106 for Sheetal and Rs 72 for the ordinary Express bus. The minister felicitated 20 employees who retired on Friday.

Source: DH