1,200 KSRTC buses get 2-year life extension

01 Oct 2024 CW Team

The state government has granted a two-year extension to 1,200 KSRTC buses that were nearing the end of their 15-year service life. This decision was made following the lack of response to a request from Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, who had appealed to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, for permission to extend the buses’ operational lifespan.

Concerns had been raised about the potential disruption to public transport if these buses were decommissioned. KSRTC has been struggling with a shortage of vehicles, with its fleet shrinking to 4,000 buses, compared to 6,200 when the Left government came into power. As of 30th September, the 1,200 buses were due to be scrapped under central motor vehicle regulations, which require buses to be retired after 15 years of service.

Although ?0.92 billion had been allocated in the budget for the procurement of new buses, financial constraints led to cuts across various departments, leaving KSRTC without the necessary funds. The proposal to extend the lifespan of the buses was intended to avoid disruption to services and inconvenience to passengers.

Ganesh Kumar’s letter to the Union Minister highlighted the state’s financial difficulties, asserting that many of the buses, despite their age, remained in functional condition. However, in the absence of a response from the central government, the state transport department issued the extension order to keep the buses operational. There is, however, some uncertainty regarding the legality of the state’s decision, as the final authority to grant such an extension lies with the central government. This raises the possibility that the order could be challenged in court.

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..