Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has announced that 300 new buses, of which 100 will be electric, will soon be deployed for public service in Belagavi. The announcement came during the inauguration of the newly built Regional Road Transport Office and the Joint Commissioner of Road Transport Office in the city on Friday. He was joined by Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi at the event.
The minister also mentioned that the newly constructed city bus stand under the Smart City project, funded equally by the central and state governments, will be inaugurated soon. A ‘Self-Propelled Driving Path’ in Bailhongal, built at a cost of ₹5 crore, was also inaugurated.
Reddy emphasized the need to identify and penalize vehicles using harsh horns and high-beam lights. He also called for strict restrictions on the entry of middlemen into transport department offices.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi highlighted the need for revitalizing the transport department and enforcing stricter rules for issuing driving licences, citing a rise in accidents. He also noted the misuse of tractors equipped with DJ sound systems to honk at the public and urged authorities to issue warnings. He stressed the need for constructing more bus stops across the district and said that the Public Works Department is ready to allocate spaces for this purpose, while the transport department can prepare corresponding plans.
Minister for Women and Child Development, Laxmi Hebbalkar, urged transport staff to speed up public services and curb the involvement of middlemen. MLA Asif (Raju) Sait called for the immediate recruitment of more staff to reduce workload and enhance departmental efficiency.
Among those present were MLA Mahantesh Kaujalagi, Transport and Road Safety Commissioner Yogish A.M., City Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde, Additional Transport Commissioner K.T. Halaswamy, Joint Transport Commissioner M.P. Omkareshwari, Belagavi RTO Nagesh Mundasa, Shivanand Magadum, Uday Kumar R. Shetty, Laxman Chingale, and Vinay Navalagatti.
