Udupi Regional Transport Officer (RTO) J P Gangadhar warned of strict action if bus owners collected fare in excess from the passengers.
He was addressing a gathering during the ‘Janaspandana meeting’ organised at the RTO office in Manipal.
Ravindra Rao from Uppur said due to the 50% occupancy rule in buses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a few buses had increased the bus fare.
Now, few buses on the Brahmavar-Kota stretch were collecting fare in excess. The buses should display bus fares inside the buses, he said.
The RTO said that strict action will be taken against buses demanding more than the fixed bus fare. Already cases have been booked against such buses for violation.
In the last two months, a report was submitted against 13 buses and seven buses had been seized by police, he added.
Shekar Kulal from Bairampalli appealed to the RTO to operate buses to Kuntalakatte-Ellare during peak hours (8 am and 9 am during the day and 5 pm and 6 pm in the evening).
The RTO said that KSRTC will be asked to submit an application seeking a permit. Once the issue is discussed in the road transport authority meeting, suitable steps will be taken to operate the buses.
Many bus owners had surrendered their permits in order to get exemption from paying tax in the pandemic. There are 171 such buses in the district, he said.
The RTO had warned of seizing buses operating without renewing the surrendered bus permits.
After the lifting of the weekend curfew, more bus owners were renewing their surrendered permits, said Gangadhar.
KMC retired professor S S Karanth said people are not taking advantage of programmes like janaspandana.