Karnataka to increase state-run bus fares from November 5
Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said the extent of the fare hike will be determined during a meeting on November 4.
Karnataka Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced on Sunday that bus fares for the state's four transport corporations will increase starting November 5. Speaking in Chikkaballapur, Suresh said the exact scale of the hike will be decided following a meeting with officials on November 4.
According to reports from The Times of India and Deccan Herald, the minister alleged that the BJP-led central government increased diesel prices five times over the past year. He stated that these increases resulted in an annual loss of Rs 2,000 crore for the four state-run corporations, which have already reached cumulative losses of Rs 9,000 crore.
The issue was discussed during a recent cabinet meeting. Suresh said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and the Transport Department have been tasked with deciding on the fare revision.
Responding to criticism from Chikkaballapur MP K Sudhakar regarding the proposal, Suresh said that bus fares in Karnataka are lower than in other states. He suggested that Sudhakar should compare fares in BJP-ruled states and questioned whether the loss-making corporations should be shut down instead of being allowed to recover financially.
The Public Transport Fare Regulatory Committee (PTFRC), led by retired IAS officer Atul Kumar Tiwari, previously recommended a 25 per cent hike for KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC, and a 40 per cent hike for BMTC.