The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which has been struggling to get good patronage for its AC buses (Vajra services), has decided to slash fares by 34% from Friday ( December 17).
As per the new fare revision, there will be no changes in the fare till the third stage, for 6 km. Passengers travelling from the fourth stage (8 km) to the 25th stage (50 km) will benefit from the new revision. For travel between 8-50 km, the fare has been reduced from anywhere between ₹5-₹40 depending on the distance travelled. At present, it costs ₹90 to travel a distance of 50 kms. From Friday onwards, the ticket will cost ₹50.
Day passes applicable for Vajra services will be reduced from ₹120 to ₹100 (including GST). Meanwhile, from January 1, commuters will have to shell out ₹1,500 for a monthly pass for AC bus services instead of ₹2,000, which is the current price.
There are no changes in Vayu Vajra services fares operated to and from Kempegowda International Airport.
BMTC Managing Director V. Anbukumar said the move is aimed at increasing ridership and popularising services among common people by making it affordable. “We have reduced the fare by close to 35%. This will benefit everyone from daily office goers to students. People relying on private modes of transport and taxis are also likely to shift to AC buses,” he said.
Additional AC buses
In an attempt to increase ridership, the BMTC will run additional 90 AC buses on 12 routes from Friday. At present, it operates 83 AC buses on nine routes. The additional buses will be operated from Shivajinagar to Banashankari, Majestic to Vidyaranyapura, Electronics City to Kengeri and others.
