Karnataka Bus Fare Hike: BMTC Up 35%, KSRTC 23% From 5 November

Bus tickets in Karnataka cost more from midnight on Wednesday, 4 November, after Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced a fare revision across the four state transport corporations in Bengaluru. Fares on BMTC buses rise by about 33 to 35 per cent on average and on KSRTC buses by about 23 per cent, according to a PTI report, as the corporations try to cut losses after a rise in diesel prices.

BMTC Minimum Fare Goes From Rs 6 to Rs 10

On BMTC ordinary buses in Bengaluru, the minimum fare rises from Rs 6 to Rs 10 and the maximum from Rs 35 to Rs 45. The airport Vayu Vajra service goes from a maximum of Rs 405 to Rs 425, and the AC Vajra maximum from Rs 75 to Rs 90, Asianet News reported. On KSRTC, ordinary fares rise by Rs 4 to Rs 16 depending on the stage, with the largest ordinary-bus increase at Rs 9. The minister said the revision was worked out stage by stage and is not a flat percentage.

Women continue to travel free on non-AC government buses under the Shakti scheme, which carries about 74.40 lakh women a day, PTI reported. The government reimburses the corporations for those tickets. Monthly and daily pass rates will also go up, and the corporations are to give the details.

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Diesel Bill Behind the Revision

“We have not increased the fares to make a profit but to reduce losses and save corporations like KSRTC and BMTC,” Suresh said. The four corporations earn about Rs 14,000 crore a year against spending of nearly Rs 16,000 crore, he said. Diesel has risen by Rs 10.47 a litre since May 2025 to Rs 98.13, and unpaid diesel bills stand at Rs 1,111.88 crore.

A committee headed by retired IAS officer Atul Kumar Tiwari had recommended an overall rise of 45 per cent, and the corporation boards had sought up to 90 per cent in some cases. The government did not accept those figures in full, the minister said. The last increase was 15 per cent, in January 2025.

Rs 6,300 Crore Still Due to the Corporations

The government released Rs 16,594 crore to the corporations between 2023-24 and October 2026, and Rs 6,300 crore is still due under various schemes, PTI reported. Passengers will see the new fares on tickets now; pass prices are the part still to be notified. More Karnataka state-government reports are on the tag page.

Source: Based on reporting by ThePrint (PTI) and Asianet News.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.