Bengaluru: BMTC bus fares will go up by 33 to 35 per cent from midnight on Wednesday, with the increase ranging from ₹4 to ₹12 depending on the distance, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced at a press meet at the KSRTC headquarters in Bengaluru.
What changes on BMTC buses
- Fares for journeys of up to 2 km go up by ₹4.
- Fares for 2 km to 4 km go up by ₹6.
- The maximum increase on ordinary buses is ₹12.
- Overall, BMTC fares rise by 33 to 35 per cent.
Sample BMTC fares
- Ordinary buses, from Kempegowda Bus Station: Shivajinagar ₹12 to ₹18; Yeshwanthpur ₹18 to ₹25; Banashankari ₹23 to ₹35; Attibele ₹30 to ₹42; Vijayanagar ₹18 to ₹25; Kadugodi ₹30 to ₹40.
- Vajra (AC) buses: journeys of up to 6 km cost ₹5 more and 6 km to 18 km cost ₹10 more, with a maximum rise of ₹15 on long routes. Central Silk Board to Hebbal goes from ₹55 to ₹65; Banashankari to ITPL ₹50 to ₹60; KR Puram to Central Silk Board ₹40 to ₹55.
Why fares were raised
The minister said the Union government has raised diesel prices seven times since May this year, and spare-part prices have also gone up. Fares were not revised from time to time, he said, and the four state transport corporations together face losses of about ₹10,200 crore. He said the rise in diesel prices, staff pay revision and spare-part costs made a fare increase unavoidable.
Fares were raised only once in the last ten years, by 15 per cent on January 5, 2025, but continuing diesel price rises meant the losses did not ease. The minister said the latest increase will reduce the corporations’ losses only to some extent.
Lower than the panel’s recommendation
A public transport fare regulation committee headed by retired IAS officer Atul Kumar Tiwari had studied the corporations’ finances and recommended a much steeper increase. The minister said the government revised fares on scientific lines keeping citizens’ interests in mind, so the increase is lower than the recommendation.
Shakti scheme
Across the four corporations, 124.79 lakh passengers travel every day, of whom about 74.40 lakh women travel free under the Shakti scheme. The minister said the government releases the cost of free travel to the corporations from time to time, so it is wrong to say Shakti causes them losses.
The new fares for the KSRTC, KKRTC and NWKRTC corporations come into force at the same time.
About the Author
