KSRTC, BMTC fares to be cut

KSRTC, BMTC fares to be cut
DH News Service,Bangalore:
Two fuel price cuts in less than two months have raised a demand for a commensurate reduction in bus fares.

Though the State government chose to ignore the demand earlier, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Transport Minister R Ashok have now indicated that a reduction in the bus fares of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) was just round the corner. A formal announcement is expected within two to three days.

While Ashok’s assurance came at a press conference in Mysore on Thursday, the chief minister said in New Delhi that his government would soon take a decision on reducing the KSRTC fares. He hinted that a decision may come in a week.

On Wednesday, the Centre cut diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre. With a diesel price cut of over Rs 4 in the last two revisions, pressure had mounted on the government to go for a transport fare revision.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has also hinted that the existing fares would be reviewed. BMTC managing director Syed Zameer Pasha told Deccan Herald: “We will examine the existing fare structure and come up with revised fares during the course of the week.”


This assurance should come as a relief to commuters using the Volvo buses in particular, who pay a minimum fare of Rs 15 to the shortest of distances, against Rs 3 in regular buses.

But despite the price revision, autorickshaw and taxi owners in the city were in no mood to cut their fares. President of Adarsha Auto Union, Manjunath, contended: “Unlike BMTC and KSRTC, our prices are not dictated by fuel prices but by the cost of living in the city. There’s no question of reducing the fares.”

While taxi operators had cut fares by up to Rs 3 a kilometre in December last after the first cut in fuel prices, autorickshaw drivers and their unions have repeatedly resisted attempts to bring down the fares, much to the growing disenchantment of the commuters.

Revised rates from Feb

However, the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owner’s Association had some good news for the commuters: “Customers can expect a fare reduction of anywhere between Rs 20 and 40, depending upon the the size of the cab and usage. They can expect the revised rates to come into force by the beginning of the next month,” said Ravindra, secretary of the association.