Transport Minister B Suresh said fuel prices had increased over the past eight months, but the government had not revised bus fares during the period
Bengaluru: Commuters using Karnataka’s government-run buses may have to pay more soon, with the state government considering a revision of ticket fares to offset rising operating costs and losses suffered by the four transport corporations.
Transport Minister B Suresh said fuel prices had increased over the past eight months, but the government had not revised bus fares during the period. As a result, the transport corporations have accumulated losses running into thousands of crores of rupees.
A committee headed by retired senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Atul Tiwari has been examining the issue and is expected to submit its recommendations to the government shortly. The minister said the proposed revision would be limited and would take into consideration the financial burden on ordinary passengers.
“Despite the increase in petroleum product prices over the past eight months, we have not increased bus fares. This has resulted in thousands of crores of rupees in losses for the four transport corporations. The committee headed by Atul Tiwari is studying the matter and will submit its report soon,” Suresh said.
He added that the government would ensure that the fare increase, if implemented, would not impose an excessive burden on the public, particularly given the drought situation.
The minister also announced plans to introduce smart cards for beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme, under which women are allowed free travel on ordinary government buses. More than one crore women are expected to receive free smart cards in the first phase. The initiative is estimated to cost around Rs 250 crore.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is set for a major expansion of its electric bus fleet, with 4,500 buses approved under the Centre’s PM E-DRIVE scheme.
The proposed fleet will include 3,800 12-metre buses and 900 nine-metre buses, of which 400 will be air-conditioned. Manufacturers will supply the buses to BMTC in phases.
The state government is expected to spend around Rs 600 crore annually on the electric bus programme, taking the estimated expenditure to nearly Rs 12,000 crore over 20 years.
The government also plans to raise a Rs 2,000 crore loan from the Centre for constructing new bus depots and upgrading existing bus stands across Karnataka.
Officials expect the expansion of electric buses to strengthen public transport in Bengaluru while helping reduce vehicular pollution.
This post was last modified on September 4, 2026 7:34 pm