Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) members stage a protest amid ongoing tensions between pro-Kannada and pro-Marathi groups, in Belagavi, Karnataka, Tuesday. (PTI Photo)Bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka have resumed partially, five days after they were suspended following attacks on staff of buses run by both the states, officials said. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) restarted services from Kolhapur to Sankeshwar, while Karnataka’s North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) began running buses on around 50 routes to Maharashtra from depots in Belagavi and Chikkodi.The decision to restore bus operations follows a coordination meeting between senior officers from both states on Tuesday. The meeting focused on ensuring the safety of passengers, bus staff, and vehicles. Officials also exchanged details of cases filed against those involved in vandalising buses in both states.According to an MSRTC official, during the meeting, it was agreed that bus services should resume at the earliest with proper security measures in place. Guidelines were set for smooth operations, including continuous monitoring of bus routes and deployment of security personnel“Following the video conference between officials, Karnataka’s NWKRTC has resumed services to Kolhapur, Pune, Mumbai, Shirdi, Nashik, and Ichalkaranji,” said an official from NWKRTC. Meanwhile, MSRTC also restarted operations on a limited scale, with buses currently running from Kolhapur up to Sankeshwar.Don't Miss | As Maharashtra-Karnataka border row flares up again, a short history of the disputeOfficials from both states have assured that bus services will gradually return to normal while maintaining security measures to prevent further disruptions.Bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka were suspended following a series of violent incidents linked to long-standing linguistic and territorial disputes between the two states. On February 21, a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) conductor was allegedly assaulted in Belagavi for not responding in Marathi. The next day, an MSRTC driver was attacked in Chitradurga of Karnataka.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd