The BMTC bus fare hike will raise Bengaluru’s minimum ticket from Rs 6 to Rs 10 and increase the maximum fare on ordinary city buses from Rs 35 to Rs 45, with the revised rates taking effect from Wednesday midnight, Karnataka Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced on November 4.
The increase applies across Karnataka’s four state-run transport corporations. In Bengaluru, the maximum fare on air-conditioned Vajra buses will rise from Rs 75 to Rs 90. Fares for Vayu Vajra airport services to Kempegowda International Airport will increase to as much as Rs 425, up from the existing maximum of Rs 405.
The announcement means that the lowest-priced BMTC journey will become Rs 4 costlier, while passengers travelling on routes covered by the highest ordinary fare will pay Rs 10 more. The revised structure will affect daily city commuters as well as passengers using premium and airport-linked services.
Suresh said the fare revision was being implemented because of rising diesel prices. “Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments too have increased bus fares, so we are also hiking bus fare,” he told reporters, according to PTI. The minister added that the maximum increase in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation fares had been capped at Rs 9.
The government said fares for luxury services, including Rajahamsa and air-conditioned buses, were fixed after considering competitive market prices. The report did not provide the revised fare chart for every service category operated by the four transport corporations.
The fare increase comes while the state continues to provide free bus travel to women in non-luxury government buses under the Shakti scheme. That programme remains separate from the revised fares for services and passenger categories not covered by the concession.
For Bengaluru, the changes place the city’s bus network at the centre of a wider balance between operating costs and public transport affordability. BMTC services carry passengers across the metropolitan region, while Vayu Vajra connects the city to its international airport. The immediate effect of the decision will depend on the detailed fare implementation across individual routes and service categories.
The revised fares are scheduled to come into force from Wednesday midnight. Transport authorities and the state-run corporations will be responsible for applying the new rates across city, intercity, luxury and airport services.
