Karnataka to hike state bus fares from November 5
Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said the extent of the fare increase will be decided on November 4.
Bus fares in Karnataka's state-owned road transport corporations (RTCs) will increase from November 5, according to reports by The Hindu and Deccan Herald. Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced the decision on Sunday in Chikkaballapur.
The Minister stated that the four RTCs incur annual losses of Rs 2,000 crore and have cumulative losses of Rs 9,000 crore. He attributed these losses to five diesel price hikes by the Union government over the past year.
The Transport Department has been given the power by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to decide the quantum of the hike. A meeting with officials from the four corporations will be held on November 4 to determine the new rates.
Women and students will not be affected by the hike as they receive free travel under the Shakti scheme. Minister Suresh noted that 845.33 crore trips by women have been covered under the scheme, with the government spending Rs 22,281.94 crore so far.
The Public Transport Fare Regulatory Committee, led by retired IAS officer Atul Kumar Tiwari, previously recommended fare increases of 25 per cent for KSRTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC, and 40 per cent for BMTC.