Now Reading: Karnataka bus fares to rise from 5 November
-
01
Karnataka bus fares to rise from 5 November
The Story in Brief
Bus fares in Karnataka's state-owned road transport corporations will increase from 5 November, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced on Sunday, 1 November. The exact quantum of the hike will be decided on 4 November. Women and students, who travel free under the Shakti scheme, will not be affected.
Suresh said the hike was inevitable due to a ₹2,000 crore annual loss from five diesel price increases by the Union government and total losses of ₹9,000 crore across the four RTCs. The Cabinet and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have authorised the Transport Department to decide the fare revision, he added. So far, the Shakti scheme has covered 845.33 crore trips by women, costing ₹22,281.94 crore, and 10.07 lakh student bus passes have been issued.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The fare hike, effective from 5 November, places the immediate burden on male general passengers, while women and students remain shielded under the Shakti scheme. The Transport Minister has attributed the increase to rising diesel costs and mounting losses of ₹9,000 crore across the four RTCs, but the precise quantum remains undecided until 4 November. The decision to delegate the revision to the Transport Department, rather than the Cabinet, concentrates the political accountability on one minister. The government has simultaneously highlighted its spending of over ₹22,000 crore on the Shakti scheme, framing the hike as a necessary measure for fiscal sustainability. The real test will be the public reaction once the fare quantum is announced, and whether the state can manage the strain on its finances without further burdening the commuting public.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
