Udupi private bus operator stops services following owner’s death; hundreds put to hardship

Hundreds of general public, including PUC students in remote areas around Mandarthi and Hebri in Udupi district were put to great hardship as Sri Lakshmi Express, a private bus service, stopped operations following its owner’s death on Tuesday (March 17, 2026).

Nonagenarian M. Vittal Shetty founded Sri Lakshmi Express, and operated out of Mandarthi. Following his death on March 17, a few social media posts announced that the buses operated by him would be off the roads that day.