Karnataka hikes bus fares across four state-run transport corporations
Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh cited rising diesel costs and mounting losses for the fare increase effective from 5 November.
Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced on Wednesday that bus fares across Karnataka's four state-run transport corporations will increase by 23 per cent to 35 per cent starting 5 November. The hike applies to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC), and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
According to South First, the KSRTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC will see a 23 per cent increase, while BMTC fares will rise by 32 to 35 per cent. In BMTC, the minimum fare increases from ₹6 to ₹10 and the maximum from ₹35 to ₹45. For KSRTC Express, the fare to Kolar and Tumakuru will rise from ₹81 to ₹100.
Suresh stated the decision was made to reduce losses and save the corporations rather than to generate profit. He noted that the four corporations have incurred losses of approximately ₹9,000 crore, with annual losses of around ₹2,000 crore. He also attributed the revision to rising diesel prices and employee salary expenditures.
The Minister clarified that the Shakti scheme, which provides free travel for women, is not a cause of these losses. He said the state government reimburses the corporations for all expenses related to the scheme. Suresh noted that the government has paid approximately ₹16,595.75 crore to the corporations for Shakti since 2023, with ₹6,360 crore still pending.
The fare revision was calculated on a stage-wise basis. Fares for luxury and air-conditioned services like Rajahamsa, which operate on commercial terms, have not been revised, according to the Hindustan Times.