Bus fares across Karnataka's four state-run transport corporations have been increased, with revised rates coming into effect from Wednesday midnight, November 4. The hike will see passengers paying up to Rs 9 more on Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) services and up to Rs 10 more on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) city buses.Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced the fare revision on Wednesday, saying the decision was necessitated by rising diesel prices and the financial difficulties faced by the state-run transport corporations.The revised fares will apply to services operated by the KSRTC, BMTC, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).In Bengaluru, the minimum fare on ordinary BMTC buses has increased from Rs 6 to Rs 10, while the maximum fare has gone up from Rs 35 to Rs 45.
The maximum fare on air-conditioned Vajra buses will rise from Rs 75 to Rs 90. Passengers travelling on BMTC's Vayu Vajra airport services will also have to pay more, with the maximum fare increasing from Rs 405 to Rs 425.
On the Hebbal-Airport route, the fare will rise from Rs 175 to Rs 200.WHY KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT INCREASED BUS FARESDefending the decision, Suresh said other states, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, had also revised their bus fares and Karnataka was following suit. "Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments too have increased bus fares, so we are also hiking bus fare," he told reporters, citing the increase in diesel prices as one of the reasons behind the revision.The minister said the average fare increase would be around 23 per cent for KSRTC services and between 33 and 35 per cent for BMTC services.He maintained that the objective was to protect the financial health of the transport corporations rather than generate profits."Profit is not our motive. We have increased fares to save institutions such as KSRTC and BMTC," he said.Suresh added that fares for premium services, including Rajahamsa and air-conditioned buses, had been fixed after taking competitive market prices into consideration.KARNATAKA BUS FARE HIKE: REVISED FARES ON KEY ROUTESThe increase will vary depending on the distance travelled and the category of bus service.On ordinary KSRTC services originating from Bengaluru, the fare to Nelamangala and Hoskote has increased from Rs 35 to Rs 44.
Travelling to Doddaballapur and Anekal will now cost Rs 47, up from Rs 38. The fare to Magadi and Malur has risen from Rs 46 to Rs 57.On KSRTC Express services, the fare from Bengaluru to Kolar and Tumakuru has increased from Rs 81 to Rs 100.
The revised fare to Mandya is Rs 136, compared with Rs 110 earlier, while passengers travelling to Mysuru will now pay Rs 197 instead of Rs 160.The fare to Hassan has increased from Rs 219 to Rs 270, while the journey to Chikkamagaluru will cost Rs 363, up from Rs 295.BMTC passengers will also face higher fares across several routes in Bengaluru. A journey from Majestic to Shivajinagar will now cost Rs 18, compared with Rs 12 earlier.
The fare from Majestic to Yeshwanthpur has increased from Rs 18 to Rs 25, while the journey to Banashankari will cost Rs 35, up from Rs 23.The fare from Majestic to Attibele has risen from Rs 30 to Rs 42. Journeys from Majestic to Vijayanagar and Kadugodi will now cost Rs 25 and Rs 40, respectively.On other BMTC routes, the fare from KR Market to Nelamangala and Hoskote has increased from Rs 30 to Rs 40.HIGHER FARES FOR BMTC VAJRA AND AIRPORT BUSESThe fare revision also covers BMTC's air-conditioned Vajra and Vayu Vajra services.On the Central Silk Board-Hebbal route, the fare has increased from Rs 55 to Rs 65, while the Banashankari-ITPL journey will cost Rs 60 instead of Rs 50.The fare from KR Puram to Central Silk Board has risen from Rs 40 to Rs 55.
The Central Silk Board-Kadugodi route will cost Rs 60, up from Rs 50, while the fare from Majestic to Attibele has increased from Rs 60 to Rs 70.For airport-bound passengers, the maximum Vayu Vajra fare has been revised from Rs 405 to Rs 425.SHAKTI SCHEME TO CONTINUE DESPITE FARE HIKEThe fare revision comes even as the Karnataka government continues to provide free bus travel to eligible women under its flagship Shakti scheme.Under the scheme, women can travel free of cost anywhere in Karnataka on non-luxury buses operated by the state-run transport corporations.The revised fares will apply to other passengers using the four corporations' services, with toll charges, bridge fees and advance reservation charges remaining additional wherever applicable.- Ends