After years of legal battle, KSRTC — an acronym familiar to people of Karnataka and Kerala — will henceforth be used only by Kerala. The acronym is used in both the states for its public transport — Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and has emerged as a brand of its own.
“KSRTC can now be used only for Kerala and therefore, a notice will be sent to Karnataka soon,” said Biju Prabhakar, Kerala RTC MD and Transport Secretary.
Along with the acronym KSRTC, emblem and its nickname ‘Ana Vandi’ will also be Kerala’s.
“The history of KSRTC in Kerala is intertwined with the lives of the people. It is not just a vehicle service. KSRTC has left its mark in cinema, literature, our culture. It cannot be erased that easily. I am happy with the verdict and congratulate the officials who worked for this. This is an achievement for KSRTC,” said Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju.
While both the states have been using KSRTC for several years now, in 2014, Karnataka issued a notice to Kerala stating that it belonged to Karnataka and it should not be used by Kerala transport. The then CMD of Kerala RTC Anthony Chacko appealed against this to the Registrar of Trademarks for the acronym. While Kerala has been using the acronym since 1965, Karnataka first used it in 1973.
“We will comment after getting the certified copy of the order and taking legal advice,” said Shivayogi Kalasad, MD, Karnataka RTC.
(With inputs from News18 Kerala)
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