Karnataka hikes bus fares by 15%, effective January 5

The Karnataka government announced a 15% increase in bus fares for state-owned transport corporations on Thursday, January 2, a move that comes in response to rising operational costs.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil explained that the decision was driven by significant hikes in fuel prices and staff-related expenses.

“The cabinet has decided to revise the bus fare of the four state transport corporations of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) by 15%,” Patil told reporters.

The new fares will take effect from January 5.

Patil highlighted that the last fare revision for BMTC occurred on January 10, 2015, when diesel prices stood at ₹60.90 per litre. At that time, the daily diesel expenditure across all four corporations was ₹9.16 crore, but it has now risen to ₹13.21 crore. Similarly, the daily staff costs have jumped from ₹12.95 crore to ₹18.36 crore, making the fare increase necessary, he added.

Despite the fare hike, the ‘Shakti’ scheme, which provides free travel for women on non-luxury buses across the state, will remain unchanged.

Patil also confirmed that the state government has cleared all outstanding Provident Fund dues amounting to ₹2,000 crore.

The minister further elaborated on the cabinet’s discussions regarding the fare increase, revealing that the hike was considered between 13% and 15%. Ultimately, the cabinet opted for a 15% increase after taking into account fares in neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. “After the rise by 15%, we will be lesser than any of these states,” Patil stated, defending the decision.

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