Passengers will have to shell out more to travel by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. The KSRTC on Tuesday announced a 12% hike in bus fares. The previous hike in KSRTC fares was six years ago.
A press note issued by the corporation on Tuesday said that for ordinary services, the fare for the first 12 and 15 km was not increased, while for express services, they have not been increased for the first 6 km. “For ordinary services, the fares for the first 3 km has been reduced from ₹7 to ₹5 and the total fare has been reduced by ₹2,” the release stated. It maybe noted that one-third of the ordinary bus services are operated in rural areas.
The corporation further stated that there is no increase in fares on passes issued to students and the physically challenged.
Justifying the hike, the release stated that they had to increase fares due to the steep increase in high-speed diesel rates in the international market. Elaborating further on the need for the hike, KSRTC, in the release, said dearness allowance for their employees is also set to increase by ₹340.38 crore. It has also said that the operational costs due to the fuel hike was ₹260.83 crore. The price of fuel has increased by ₹11.27 per litre since the last revision, and the overall increase in operational cost is ₹601 crore. It further stated that it has taken up initiatives to introduce modern buses, commissioned new depots and bus stations and also adopted new technology.
