Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the fare hike, stating the state would lower costs if petrol and diesel prices decrease.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Wednesday that the state government is prepared to proportionately lower bus fares if the Union government implements a downward revision in petrol and diesel prices.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar defended the decision to increase fares, noting that the four state-run transport corporations are currently facing financial losses, according to reports by The Hindu and Moneycontrol.
The Chief Minister stated that the transport corporations previously lacked sufficient funds to purchase diesel for periods ranging from 10 days to three weeks, requiring government intervention.
Shivakumar attributed the financial stress to the Shakti scheme, a Congress guarantee providing free travel for women on state-run non-AC buses, which he said resulted in fare increases of Rs 2 to Rs 3 on certain routes.
The government announced an average fare hike of 35 per cent for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and 23 per cent for the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and other state-run corporations, with the new rates effective from November 5.
Responding to a statewide protest called by Opposition parties for Thursday, Shivakumar questioned why the Opposition had not protested against the rising costs of essential commodities, such as cooking gas, fertilisers, and pesticides.
