Karnataka governmnet are likely to announce a decision on a proposed government bus fare hike on November 4, following the state Cabinet's approval of an ₹8-per-litre increase in Nandini milk prices, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said on Thursday.
Suresh noted that he would meet transport department officials and the managing directors of the state's four transport corporations on November 3 to discuss the proposed revision.
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He is expected to announce the decision at a press conference the following day, which is November 4.
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The proposed hike comes amid rising fuel costs and mounting financial pressure on the four state-owned transport corporations. However, the government has not yet announced the extent of the proposed increase.
“We had already decided that bus fares needed to be increased. CM discussed the issue with all the ministers in the Cabinet and has left the decision to the transport department,” Suresh told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
The proposed revision will be the second increase in bus fares under the Congress regime in Karnataka. State Cabinet on January 2, 2025, has approved 15% fare hike across the four state-owned transport corporations including Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
Karnataka Bus Fare Hike: What The Government Said
Briefing reporters on the Cabinet's decisions, Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the possibility of a fare increase had been discussed in view of rising fuel costs.
“Since petrol and diesel prices increased last January, transport corporations have been saying that bus fares should be increased,” Gowda said, adding that the proposal had been discussed but fares had not yet been revised.
The state government is considering the increase as transport corporations face higher operating expenses, including fuel costs and employee salaries.
Rising Fuel Costs Put Pressure On Karnataka Transport Corporations
Suresh has cited rising diesel prices and mounting financial pressure on the state's four transport corporations as reasons for the proposed fare revision.
The four corporations are KSRTC, BMTC, the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) and the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC).
A Fare Regulatory Committee headed by Atul Kumar Tiwari has also reviewed the functioning of the road transport corporations and submitted its report.
The proposed revision comes as the state continues to fund its Shakti scheme, which provides eligible women with free travel on ordinary state-run bus services within Karnataka.
Launched in June 2023, the scheme has increased passenger demand and added to the transport corporations' financial obligations. The state government reimburses the corporations for eligible journeys undertaken under the scheme.
Karnataka Milk Price Hike From November 1
The proposed bus fare revision comes on the same day that the Karnataka Cabinet approved an ₹8-per-litre increase in Nandini milk prices, which will be effective from November 1.
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The increase will see ₹7 per litre go to milk-producing farmers, while Re 1 per litre will go to the milk cooperatives.
With the milk price revision approved and the bus fare proposal under consideration, commuters will be watching for the state government's announcement on November 4.
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