Karnataka bus fare hike: BMTC minimum fare goes from ₹6 to ₹10

Bus travel in Karnataka gets costlier from Wednesday (4 November) midnight. The state government has raised fares on buses run by all four state transport corporations, BMTC, KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced at a press conference in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The Karnataka bus fare hike covers ordinary, express, long-distance and airport services.

In Bengaluru, the minimum fare on BMTC city buses goes up from ₹6 to ₹10, and the maximum from ₹35 to ₹45. On BMTC’s AC Vajra buses, the minimum fare rises from ₹15 to ₹20 and the maximum from ₹75 to ₹90. The Hebbal–Kempegowda International Airport fare goes up from ₹175 to ₹200, and the maximum fare on Vayu Vajra airport buses rises from ₹405 to ₹425, according to PTI.

KSRTC ordinary fares go up by as much as ₹9, depending on the distance travelled. Nelamangala to Majestic will cost ₹44 instead of ₹35, and Doddaballapur to Majestic ₹47 instead of ₹38, The Hindu reported. Longer routes from Bengaluru rise more: Kolar or Tumakuru ₹100 (from ₹81), Mysuru ₹197 (from ₹160) and Hassan ₹270 (from ₹219), according to Deccan Herald.

Suresh at first announced only stage-wise increases. Pressed for figures, he said fares on KSRTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC services had gone up by 23% on average, and BMTC fares by 33% to 35%. He insisted the hike was “not much”.

Why the hike? The minister blamed rising diesel prices, higher spending on spare parts and maintenance, and the need to revise employees’ wages. The four corporations together lose around ₹2,000 crore a year, he said. “Profit is not our motive; we hiked bus fares to save institutions like the KSRTC, BMTC,” he said, according to PTI. “Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments too have increased bus fares, so we are also hiking bus fare,” he told reporters.

The increase is lower than what the state’s Public Transport Fare Regulatory Committee had recommended, and the corporations’ boards had sought a hike of up to 90%, Suresh said. He also said the Shakti scheme, under which women travel free on non-luxury government buses, was not behind the losses. “The State government reimburses for the Shakti scheme,” he said.

Commuters were already paying more for Nandini milk and curd, whose prices were raised from 1 November.